Three words of defense against those who condemn holy icons or images

The essay “Three words of defense against those who condemn holy icons or images” consists of 3 treatises that were written by St. John of Damascus in response to the first decrees of the Byzantine emperor Leo III the Isaurian, which marked the beginning of the iconoclastic period (the first phase of which began in 726), and before the official ban on icon veneration in 730. During the compilation of this monumental work, St. John was in the territory of the Arab Caliphate. The author builds his central argument on the dogma of the Incarnation of God the Word. He proves that if the invisible God, out of His boundless love for man, became incarnate, that is, took upon Himself genuine human flesh, then He can and should be depicted. Denial of the possibility of depicting Christ, the Mother of God and the saints, according to the thought of St. John of Damascus, is actually a denial of the reality of the Incarnation - a hidden form of docetism or monophysitism. The author explains the concepts of “image” and “veneration”. Talking about the “image”, he gives its definition, indicates the purpose of its existence and identifies 6 of its types: natural image; The divine plan in accordance with which all things were created; man as the image of God; visible signs of invisible things; Old Testament prototypes of New Testament events and reminders of the past. Turning to the concept of “veneration” (“worship”, προσκύνησις), St. John identifies its special type - veneration with worship (κατὰ λατρείαν), - befitting God alone and different from various ways of venerating created beings and things, and points out the need to strictly distinguish between these 2 types of veneration. He insists that the honor given to the image goes back to the Prototype, and not to the very matter of the icon. The author also emphasizes the goodness of matter, rejecting Gnostic and Manichaean ideas about its evil. Matter, created by God and sanctified by the Incarnation of Christ, becomes capable of being a bearer of grace and a means of salvation. Icons serve as a reminder of the saints, a means of enlightening the illiterate and an incentive to virtue, being a visible evidence of the invisible world and a bridge between the earthly and the heavenly. St. John emphasizes that the rejection of icon veneration and the removal of images from churches returns the Church to the cult norms characteristic of the Old Testament. Relying on the Holy Scriptures (including refuting the incorrect interpretation of the Old Testament prohibitions on idols) and patristic tradition, the author defends icon veneration as an integral part of Orthodox doctrine and liturgical practice. Particular attention in the essay is paid to the apology of the cult of saints, as well as the theological understanding of imperial power. The argument presented in this work was fully accepted at the VII Ecumenical Council (787). This publication presents a pre-revolutionary translation from Greek made by A.A. Bronze. * Title of the work in Greek: εἰκόνας. * Title of the essay in Latin: Contra imaginum calumniatores orationes. Translation by A.A. Bronzova (1893) Three words in defense of icon veneration Translation by A.A. Bronzova with changes (ed. 2008) Three protective words against those who reject holy icons Translation by V.V. Chetyrkin (1913) Bringing to the attention of pious readers the Russian translation of three words of St. John of Damascus in defense of icon veneration, we consider it necessary to first, at least briefly, say: I) about the most important events in the history of iconoclasm; II) about the participation of Saint I. Damascus in the fight against opponents of icon veneration, the result of which are his works on this issue that have come down to us; III) about the authenticity of these creations; IV) about the time of origin of each of them separately; V) about the sources on the basis of which they were compiled by the Holy Father; VI) about their general character and their particular content - both each of them in itself, and in their relation to each other, VII) about the meaning that history acquires for them and finally; VIII) about the motives that guided us in publishing our translation, as well as about its more or less characteristic properties. Even a brief preliminary acquaintance with all these circumstances, we think, will not be superfluous for the intended readers of this book, as it is intended not so much for learned people, but for everyone in general who would like to get acquainted with the wonderful disclosure in the words of St. John of Damascus of the need for icon veneration. § I. The holy icons of the Lord Jesus Christ, His Most Pure Mother, the saints of God, various events from the history of the Old Testament and New Testament Churches, etc. should serve as books for the illiterate, through which they could visually become familiar with various events from the history of the divine economy about the salvation of the human race. Icons help to revive the reverent feelings of Christians towards the Lord, the Mother of God, saints, etc. It was for this purpose that they were originally introduced into use in the Christian Church. At the same time, people who had the opportunity to read and understand St. The Gospel was charged with a moral duty to “form an image of Christ for oneself from reading” this divine book, and in one’s ideas about the Lord, as far as possible, to rise from the earthly, sensual, humanoid. Over time, the predominantly uneducated part of Christian society began to gradually forget that icons should be honored only because they help remember the Lord, the Mother of God, the saints of God... depicted on them, and that, thus, the veneration of St. icons actually refers not to them, but to those who are depicted on them. In a word, over time, St. icons often became objects of worship in themselves. This type of icon veneration, depending on the degree to which it manifested itself at a certain time, more or less closely bordered on idolatry. In view of all this, still blessed. Augustine “complained about” such “worshippers” of St. "icons". Persons who have always generally been more or less hostile to the “decoration of churches” of St. icons, in this extreme, icon-worshippers found a new basis for their iconoclasm. Jews and Mohammedans also came to their aid, mocking Christians’ veneration of St. icons All these and similar circumstances were the reason why the Byzantine emperor Leo III the Isaurian (717 - 741) “dared to iconoclasm.” In 726, he issued a decree in this regard. This first decree, however, was comparatively less strict than those that followed. They were only prohibited from “venerating St. icons." The second imperial decree “ordered to expel” St. icons from use. The people, amazed and brought into understandable pious indignation by such orders of Leo the Isaurian, did not all and not everywhere obey them unquestioningly: here and there, starting from Constantinople itself, more or less significant disturbances occurred. The latter, however, were suppressed by the imperial troops, and the successes of violence strengthened Leo III in his godless cause: it began to seem to him that God, who had given him victory over the rebels, was obviously patronizing his undertakings. Although his iconoclastic actions were, in addition, vehemently objected to, on the one hand, by Rome, which began to feel connected with Byzantium only by weak political ties, and, on the other, by those Eastern Christian churches that were independent of the Byzantine emperor; but the decision taken by the latter remained unshakable. Leo III remained a zealous iconoclast until his death. Constantine Copronymus, who succeeded him to the imperial throne (741 - 775), was also guided by the example of Leo the Isaurian. In 754, he even convened a council in his capital, “which declared the veneration of icons to be an invention of the devil.” The fury of Constantine Copronymus, surpassing his father’s, reached the extreme: he even personally uttered an anathema against the icon-worshippers. Copronymus's successor, Lev the Khazar (775 - 780), was also an opponent of icon veneration. Despite such a decisive course of action of the emperors, the people, however, “secretly preserved their shrine,” and such “zeal was constantly supported by the monks,” on whom, therefore, the wrath of the emperors fell with particular force. However, soon a favorable time came for adherents of icon veneration: Irina (780 - 802), who ascended the imperial throne after Leo Khazar, took their side and even convened the 7th Ecumenical (Nicene) Council in 787, at which, by the way, it was determined to restore icon veneration; in particular, it was decided to “render icons not adoration, but reverent adoration.” The further history of iconoclasm, which manifested itself to a more or less strong degree, with some emperors (for example, Leo the Armenian, who reigned from 813 to 820, Theophilus - from 829 to 842) “resumed all the severity of the former iconoclasts,” others (for example, Michael Balbus, who reigned from 820 to 829) “gave freedom to privately venerate icons” - and ended with the triumph of Orthodoxy under Empress Theodora, “who in 842 restored the authority of the 7th Ecumenical Council” - for our purpose: to explain the circumstances that caused the works of St. John of Damascus, does not matter, just as for the same reason the history of relations to iconoclasm of other Christian churches, for example the Roman one, is of no interest to us in this case. § II. The decrees of Leo the Isaurian directed against the veneration of icons, which caused great unrest among the entire Christian world, naturally soon became known in Damascus, which at that time was under the rule of the Saracens. Here, among the persons who held important positions at the court of the caliph, was a certain John - “the mayor of Damascus and the first minister of the caliph,” who became known in history under the name of Saint John of Damascus. Brought up in the rules of the Christian Church by one learned monk, called Cosmas the Calabrian, who was once redeemed by the father of John (Sergius - “minister at the court of the caliph”) from slavery, Saint Damascus zealously rebelled against the wicked orders of the Byzantine emperor, acting both orally and in writing. His speech was listened to by Christians who happened to be in his company with pious delight, but his written appeals to the Byzantine emperor and the Constantinople flock of Christ were much more important, since sent to the area that served as the center of the struggle against icons, they became accessible to a very large number of people: “his messages were read with thirst in Constantinople and in other places, the weak were supported by them in Orthodoxy, and the mighty were strengthened in strength.” Leo the Isaurian, who met with heated rebuff almost everywhere, and especially from the side of Pope Gregory II, whom he “sought to kill for his denunciations of iconoclasm,” then from the side of the Patriarch of Constantinople Germanus, who, despite any threats, remained faithful to icon veneration, for which he later paid with his patriarchal see, and finally, from the side of Saint John of Damascus, decided to get rid of denunciations of this latter. And since Saint John of Damascus was outside his power, he came up with a trick: on his orders, one scribe, who studied the handwriting of the holy defender of icon veneration, wrote a letter on behalf of the latter to the Emperor of Constantinople with a promise to treacherously deliver the city of Damascus into the hands of the emperor. This forged letter was sent by Leo to the Caliph to expose the criminal plans of St. Damascus invented by Leo. The Caliph, without properly investigating the matter, ordered the innocent hand of Saint John to be cut off, but the hand of the holy sufferer, through his prayer to the Mother of God, grew back in its original place. Such a miraculous circumstance justified Saint John from slander in the eyes of the caliph. He asked John to remain in his service, but the saint considered it best for himself to retire forever from the bustle of the world to a monastery: “having distributed all his property to the poor, freeing the slaves,” he retired “to the Jerusalem monastery of St. Savva”, where he spent almost the rest of his life, carrying out all sorts of labor and performing even the dirtiest and roughest work, and also, due to the monastic vow of obedience, for a long time, deprived of the opportunity to engage in his learned works. For some time he left this holy monastery: “Patriarch John of Jerusalem, calling him to Jerusalem, ordained him to the rank of presbyter, so that he would be a preacher in the Jerusalem Church.” But this was soon followed (in 735) by the death of the patriarch, and Saint Damascus, not restrained by anyone in Jerusalem, returned to his monastery, where, by the way, he continued the fight against the iconoclasts, both under Leo III and under his successor Copronymus, when for some time he even appeared in Constantinople to here face to face express to Copronymus and the bishops who obeyed him - “low people-pleasers,” all the feelings that worried him about iconoclasm. According to some sources, one might think that he had to sit in prison several times for this course of action. In any case, nothing until his death could break his firm belief in the correctness of his words and actions 2. Of the works written by Saint John of Damascus, in order to expose the untruths of opponents of icon veneration, the following are usually indicated in printed editions of his works: 1. Three words of defense against those who condemn the holy icons; 2. A pictorial word about saints and icons worthy of veneration to all Christians and to Tsar Constantine Cavalinus [i.e. Copronymus], and to all heretics; 3. Message to King Theophilus about saints and icons worthy of veneration and 4. A polemical conversation conducted by the faithful and Orthodox, and those who have [Christian] love and zeal, to expose those who oppose the faith and teaching of our holy and Orthodox Fathers 3. Let’s not even talk about some of the other works attributed to Saint I. Damascene, which did not find a place in the printed editions of his works and were attributed to him by various individuals and collections absolutely without any reason, such as, for example, the word of the Venerable Father John of Damascus, about the honor of holy icons and worship, etc. 4. § III. Before talking about the time of origin of these creations, about the circumstances that caused the appearance of each of them separately, etc., we must briefly touch on the issue of their authenticity. 1) As for the three apologetic words of St. John of Damascus against those who condemn holy icons or images, then in relation to them - “the most glorious and most important” of the entire group of his polemical works, the question we posed is significant, in view of the statements made by some scientists about the inauthenticity of either the third word Hody, or all three words together Oudin. Some (for example, Oudin) attribute their appearance “to the end of the 11th or the beginning of the 12th century” and they are considered to be the author of the Bishop of Antioch - John of Damascus the Younger, “attributing to him also others”, assimilated by “our” St. To the father of "essays". This assumption is based on the following considerations: a) St. I. “Damascene, as a zealous champion” of icon veneration, of course, could not argue that the need to “honor” holy “images cannot be proven from the Bible and that one should not depict” the Holy “Trinity”; b) he “probably would not have cited so many patristic passages that prove nothing, etc.,” as we see in the three words under consideration in his defense of the holy icons. But these grounds, according to the fair remark of one biographer of Saint I. Damascene Langen, “do not need to be refuted.” The following circumstances, on the contrary, speak decisively in favor of the undoubted authenticity of all these words: a) written “absolutely in the spirit of that time”, to which the life of Saint I. Damascene refers, “they do not bear the slightest trace of a later origin”, b) “dogmatic views on” the most holy “Trinity, on Jesus Christ, on freedom and grace,” the holy “Eucharist, etc., which,” one way or another, are expressed in them, “completely” agree with the “views” of Saint I. “Damascene,” known to us from other undoubtedly his creations. Apparently, with somewhat more justification [but in reality, in the words of Fabricius, sine magna causa], “the question only of the authenticity of the third word could be raised and because” precisely “that: a) in it, in contrast to the first two words, there is an attempt to bring biblical evidence in defense of icon veneration” and b) it contains “places from Malala and gives pseudo-Afanasyev’s Quaestiones ad Antiochum. But, as for the first point, we note that “John, during the struggle” for the veneration of icons, “and after longer reflection, of course, could” come to the idea: if it is not possible to “directly” prove from the Bible the need for veneration of icons, then one can “construct this kind of proof in a mediocre way. This circumstance, therefore,” gives “only grounds for the assumption that the third word was written later than the first two” (see § IV). “As for the place from I. Malala, the lifetime of this chronograph is too unknown for it to be possible,” having established it more or less accurately, then “to draw any conclusion from this.” Some “put it even in the 6th century, but” others “more plausibly - in the 7th century (cf. about this in Dindorf, Lipsius)”... In this case, Saint I. Damascene had every opportunity to “take advantage” of Malala’s work. “And the Quaestiones ad Antiochum represent a compilation from more ancient sources, partly from” the works of Saint “Athanasius”, and made by “various, completely unknown” “hands” to us. The manuscripts list sometimes thirty-five, sometimes forty-one, and in general “their number” increases to one hundred and thirty-six. Regarding the meaning in this case given by St. I. Damaskin on the thirty-ninth Quaest. One can say “with certainty, of course, only one thing: that it was compiled for the purposes of polemics, after iconoclasm flared up.” So, the authenticity of these three words of St. I. Damaskina, in our opinion, cannot be doubted, especially if we add to what was said above the fact that, with the exception of certain individuals, no one has ever doubted her 5 . 2) The pictorial word about saints and icons worthy of veneration to all Christians and to Tsar Constantine Cavalinus [i.e., Copronymus], and to all heretics, in its content reminiscent of the three considered words in defense of icon veneration, also contains many thoughts that are not in those words. Thus, it naturally arouses great interest; but, unfortunately, the question of its authenticity cannot be resolved in the affirmative sense. True, “in some manuscripts the author is called” St. I. Damascene, but in “one manuscript it is called, however, John of Jerusalem; In ancient times, therefore, the issue was not resolved in the same way. Newer researchers (Oudin and Lequien) spoke out against its affiliation with I. Damascus. Some of them (for example, Lequien) consider “John, Bishop of Euboea” to be the author of this work... – Circumstances that speak in favor of the attribution of the “Iconic Word”... not to I. Damascus, but to someone else, are both internal and external distinctive features of this work: a) “already the beginning” of it, representing “an unusual imitation of the prologue of the Gospel of Luke, not in accordance with the prefaces of speeches and polemical works,” undoubtedly belonging to St. I. Damaskin; b) “his true words about icons reveal the subject completely differently than it is revealed here: there in the foreground are evidence from the Bible and from the tradition” of the Church, “as well as a reasonable justification for the veneration of icons,” which is not found here to the same extent or even similar; there “Emperors are not dishonored in such a crude manner” as here, “and especially - there is no attempt made to present iconoclasm as a Christological heresy”; while c) “the author calls the Patriarch of Constantinople, Herman, his archbishop and shepherd; the author lived in the Patriarchate of Constantinople and therefore kept silent about his name and wrote anonymously.” These undeniable data, which decisively speak against the affiliation of the above-mentioned work by St. I. Damascene, one more thing can be added, the degree of reliability of which depends on the question of the year of death of this holy Father. There is no doubt that “the work was written after the council of Constantinople in 754, a council against which it ardently fights,” that “to prevent the submission” of Christians to the “council of 754 was its” direct “goal; even after the death of Patriarch Constantine, who, after being tortured, was executed by the emperor in 766 [and not by the council at which he achieved the patriarchate"] 6; but, on the other hand, it was written no later than “775, when Constantine Copronymus died, since in his writings he appears to be still alive.” If the position expressed by some researchers (for example, Langen) is true, that “by the time of the Council of Constantinople in 754 I. Damascus was not alive, as one can conclude, at least from those “anathematisms” that were pronounced on I. Damascus at this council, then the question of whether this work belongs to this Holy Father should be resolved negatively and for this reason 7. In any case, and in addition to this circumstance, on the basis of others indicated above, we rightly conclude that the essay was not written by I. Damaskin. Being anonymous, it was subsequently attributed to St. I. Damascus, “as the famous author of three words” about holy icons, with which it, as noted above, has some similarities 8. 3) The Epistle to King Theophilus about saints and icons worthy of veneration “in some manuscripts it is adopted by I. Damascus.” But in reality it “in all likelihood is the common message of the three Eastern patriarchs. Having occurred around the year 845 or 846” by the hand of an “unknown” person, “outlining the entire history of iconoclasm, speaking about the accession of Leo the Isaurian to the throne as an event that took place 130 years before it, it could be attributed to I. Damascus only as a result of a gross error.” It is impossible to argue against the validity of such a conclusion 9 . 4) Finally, the polemical conversation conducted by the faithful and Orthodox, and those who have [Christian] love and zeal, to expose those who oppose the faith and teaching of our holy and Orthodox Fathers “was first published by Combefis and in manuscripts is attributed either to I. Damascus, or to the Patriarch of Jerusalem - John.” The question of the time to which the appearance of this work relates can be resolved through “certain remarks located at the end of it and shedding” in this case some “light on” the matter. Here it “is said” that “from” the time of the “Resurrection” of Christ “to the present” (i.e., to which the origin of the work relates) “the eighth Indiction, 745 years have passed, during which time icons have been constantly venerated. The innovation only began about 45 years ago. Since the first decree is against" St. “the icon was published in 726, then the composition” this, therefore, happened “around 771” (726 + 45 = 771). If the above assumption that by the time of the Council of Constantinople in 754 St. AND. Damascene was no longer alive, right, then the question of the authenticity of this attributed to St. Father, the essay resolves itself in a negative sense. But, due to the impossibility (due to lack of necessary data) to accurately determine the year of death of St. I. Damaskin, the circumstances we have cited in this case are not enough. Complementing and, moreover, with excess circumstances are the strongly affecting differences and “deviations of the content and form” of this work from the “content and form” of other “works” that undoubtedly belong to this saint. To my father. On this basis, his belonging to the latter “must be unconditionally” rejected. But “it cannot belong to the Patriarch of Jerusalem - John 10, since” it is known “that he died already in 735.” In a word, it is impossible to find the true author of the work in question, and for our “goal” it is useless 11. In view of the fact that they undoubtedly belong to St. I. Damascene's writings are only three of his words against those blaming the saint. icons or images, while the rest of those indicated - attributed to this saint. The Father turns out to be actually written by other authors - we will not talk about the latter, much less translate them into Russian, and we will speak further only about the indisputably authentic works of St. Father defending icon veneration. Here we will talk about the inauthentic writings of St. I. Damascene only one more thing is that they themselves, undoubtedly, have meaning, and translating them into Russian, in any case, would not be superfluous, but - that it is better to do this separately, without mixing them with the undoubtedly genuine creations of St. I. Damascene, moreover, surpassing them in his internal merits. § IV. When, in particular, did each of the three defensive words against the blaming saints take place? icons? The time when these words were written by St. I. Damaskin and in direct connection with him and the circumstances that caused their appearance can be briefly indicated as follows. The first word was written after the first ban on the veneration of St. icons by the Byzantine emperor Leo III the Isaurian. This ban, comparatively milder than that followed later, was promulgated in 726. The first word appeared, on the one hand, earlier, in 730. This conclusion is supported by: 1) the fact that, as indicated in the first word, the Patriarch of Constantinople Germanus still occupies the patriarchal see, which, as is known, he left in the month of January 730; 2) the tone of this word, less strict and severe than what one would expect if it appeared after the emperor took very cruel measures against icon worshipers, caused by the unrest that occurred in 730 “due to the removal of the famous image of the Savior, which stood over the bronze gates of the imperial palace and known as the Sporuchnik” 12. On the other hand, the word in question occurred, in all likelihood, shortly after 726: around 728, when St. John of Damascus, who lived [as stated above (see § II)] in the city of Damascus in the service of the caliph, received the first news from Constantinople about the appearance of iconoclasm. The basis for such a conclusion can be the freshness of the wound that is clearly reflected in this word, which the soul of St. I. Damascene was inflicted by the above-mentioned imperial ban on icon veneration. The second word of St. I. Damascene about St. icons written no earlier than 730. This can be guessed based on the following data: 1) this word already mentions the abandonment of the patriarchal throne by Patriarch Herman of Constantinople, and this abandonment, as we have already noted above (see § IV), followed in January 730; 2) its much stricter tone than the tone of the first word is obviously caused by the stricter orders of Leo the Isaurian against the icon-worshipers than what were his orders that caused the appearance of the first word of the Holy Father. This is on the one hand. On the other hand, the following circumstances: expressed in the second word, the freshness of the impression made on St. I. Damascene by the adoption by Leo III of extremely strict measures against adherents of icon veneration, as well as the complete silence of the word about the relations that arose between Leo the Isaurian and the Roman Pope - Gregory III, a “zealous champion” of icon veneration, “in 731 (in November) at a council of 98 bishops who anathematized all enemies of icon veneration.” 13 (which led the Byzantine emperor into great indignation), etc. - these, we repeat, circumstances speak in favor of the conclusion that the second word appeared around the year 730, as a response to the imperial ban on “all religious images” 14. More or less accurately and definitely establish the question regarding the time of the appearance of the third word of St. I. Damascene in defense of icon veneration is not possible due to the lack of data necessary for this. However, from some circumstances we can at least conclude that it occurred later than not only the first, but also the second word - discussed above. One of these circumstances (albeit for other purposes) has already been noted by us above, when we talked about the authenticity of this word (see § III; p. XI). Now we will note something else, namely, that the question of icon veneration is treated in it “more systematically” and through “richer (though not more valuable”) evidentiary material than in the first two words. Collect and relatively systematically arrange this material by St. I. Damascene could, naturally, only after a more or less lengthy study of the issue - about the veneration of St. icons 15. So, the order of the words under consideration, in which they are placed by various publishers of the works of St. I. Damaskin, chronological. § V. The main sources with which St. I. Damascene uses in the study of the question of the need for icon veneration, for him the following are used: the books of the Holy Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments and extensive patristic literature. The places he borrows from both sources serve as the basis for him on which he builds his building, interpreting them and drawing from them the conclusions necessary for the case. He cites biblical passages quite often. The teaching of St. Fathers on the veneration of icons, or more precisely, excerpts from their works, sometimes accompanied (especially in the 1st and 2nd words) with his personal comments, are given such a significant place at the end of each of the three words that in volume it constitutes more than half of all the latter. In addition, patristic opinions are sometimes cited by St. I. Damaskin and in the first half of his words. Excerpts from the books of the Holy Scriptures of the Old Testament are usually made according to the Greek translation LXX. All excerpts from the Old and New Testaments are given for the most part with literal accuracy, and only occasionally with some deviations from the letter of the Greek text of the Bible. Such deviations, which we usually note in additional notes to our translation, are perhaps explained by the fact that these passages were cited by St. I. Damaskin by heart. The same remark can sometimes be applied to some excerpts from patristic literature cited by St. I. Damaskin. Speaking about the sources by which St. I. Damascene took advantage in the case under consideration, and about his attitude towards them, we cannot help but note two more circumstances. 1) As proof of his well-known positions, he sometimes cited passages from the books of Holy Scripture and from the patristic works, which either did not relate at all or almost did not relate to the issue of icon veneration. 2) Making excerpts from patristic literature, he sometimes, along with undoubtedly genuine patristic works, also turns to those erroneously recognized as such: we mean, for example, those falsely attributed to St. Athanasius Quaestiones ad Antiochum, etc. (see about this above: § III). But the first circumstance occurs only sometimes, generally very rarely. Moreover, this kind of excerpts, along with numerous passages that have a direct and immediate relationship to the matter, are as if unnoticeable, and, in any case, do not harm the essence of the matter at all. By their existence in the words under consideration, they only indicate that in the latter everything that has any relation to the issue of icon veneration is collected and grouped. Regarding the second circumstance, the following should be said. St. I. Damascene lived at a time when there was almost no critical attitude towards the existing patristic literature. Then, as a rule, “everything was accepted that could cultivate pure faith” and that served the purpose of “education of Christian morals,” etc. In addition, borrowings from this kind of counterfeit creations, as stated, are done only sometimes..., from which the essence of the matter, again, does not suffer at all 16. §VI. Deciding on the need for icon veneration on the basis of the above sources, St. I. Damascene did not set out to present in his three words a study built according to all the rules accepted now or previously for this kind of writing. His words, as we have seen, appeared at different times and, undoubtedly, not under completely identical circumstances. Moreover, their main and even only goal is practical: to refute the iconoclasts’ objections to the need for icon veneration and to prove this necessity for everyone who wants to remain true sons of Christ’s Church. Hence, it is not surprising that in their content these words are often very similar to each other. In particular, their content can be briefly outlined as follows: First word. The sad situation of the Church of Christ, brought into disorder by the iconoclasts, prompted St. I. Damascene, despite any fears, write a defensive word in favor of icon veneration (I–II). He asks God to help him achieve this goal; He also asks the Constantinople flock, led by its patriarch (Herman), to favorably accept his word, which is not eloquent, but contains truth (III). Holy Scripture, prohibiting the worship of idols and pagan gods, commands us to worship only the true God. The Creator incarnated for the salvation of the human race and therefore was visible to people. From here it is possible to make His image (IV). Those who object to the veneration of icons and in this case refer to biblical passages do not understand the meaning of the words of Scripture, which were intended to deviate the Jews from serving the creature more than the Creator, from falling into idolatry (V-VII). We, who have reached the age of a perfect husband, are not threatened by this danger: we know what can be depicted and what cannot be depicted... We can depict not the invisible, not the incomparable... but the incarnate Lord and events from His earthly life. At the same time, we distinguish between worship: to God (service) and to people (as a form of honoring the best of them) (VIII). Further St. Damascene defines the concept of the image and its various types (IX-XIII), of worship and its various types (XIV), after which he says that God, who commanded the making of images of the Cherubim, the ark of the Covenant... and the tabernacle in general - as a shadow and image of the image, obviously did not forbid the making of the sacred. images (XV). The depiction of the invisible God is impossible, and therefore it was prohibited, but it is possible to depict the One who lived with man; I must, when worshiping Him in the image of His flesh, the tree of the cross, the cranial place..., in a word, in the person of the substances through which my salvation is accomplished, treat the substance with respect. The law cited by opponents of the image a) does not prohibit them completely (as the structure of the tabernacle shows), and b) he has already died (those who refer to him no longer keep the Sabbath, are not circumcised...) (XVI). Images sanctify the sight; they are books for the illiterate, just as the tabernacle was the same, with its structure... telling the eyes of the Jews about the miracles... of God (XVII); Likewise, the stones taken out of the Jordan reminded of the wonderful deeds of God. Our images remind us of the Incarnation, which returned us to ancient bliss (XVIII). One cannot limit oneself to images of the Savior and the Mother of God; The saints must also be depicted as having compassion for Christ, as filled with the grace of the Holy Spirit, which manifests itself through them even after their death (XIX). If Solomon decorated the church with gold, images of dates, etc., and was not blamed for this, then all the more should we decorate churches with images of saints - these animated churches of God (XX). So, in depicting Christ, we also depict His army, that is, the saints, His friends, who walked in His footsteps. Once upon a time they did not build churches in the name of people, they mourned the death of people... but now it’s not the same; when the day dawned, the law was darkened (XXI). The image of God incarnate arouses religious competition in us. If the shadow and things of the Apostles were the cause of miracles, then why not depict these saints? husbands (XXII)? We must obey St. Tradition, which tells us many things about which St. Scripture does not say, by the way, about the need for icon veneration (XXIII). The opponents' references to various passages of scripture actually speak not against images... but against their idolization (XXIV). Link to St. Epiphany is not important: a) the book referred to may be forged, b) if it is not false, then it contains St. Father, perhaps, following the example of St. Athanasius, arms himself only against any abuse in the Church; c) The Epiphanius Church is decorated with St. icons; d) finally, if he really rebelled against St. icons, then the example of one has no force when the whole Church holds a different view of the matter (XXV). In the above sense, the words from St. Scriptures and St. Fathers; They generally prohibit the worship of not man-made, but images of demons (XXVI). This is confirmed by the examples of St. prophets who bowed to St. Angels, Moses and the Jews who worshiped things made with hands, etc. (XXVII). Further St. I. Damascene cites excerpts numbering 20 from St. Fathers and Teachers of the Church; precisely from creations 1) St. Dionysius the Areopagite (1st, 2nd and 3rd), 2) St. Basil the Great (4th, 5th, 6th, 7th, 8th, 9th and 10th), 3) St. Gregory of Nyssa (11th, 12th and 13th), 4) St. I. Chrysostom (14th), 5) St. Leontia, bishop Cyprus (15th, a, b, c), 6) Severian, ep. Gavalsky (16th), 7) from biographies: St. I. Chrysostom (17th), St. Everaksh (18th), St. Mary of Egypt (19th) and 8) from the works of Sophronius, Archbishop. Jerusalem (20th). Moreover, the excerpts are mostly accompanied [as was said above (see § V, p. XX)] with some of his comments. Second word. Fearing to bury his talent for words and yielding to the request of some, St. The father writes a second speech and, in view of the high purpose of the last one, asks to listen to it carefully and provide the leniency necessary in this case (I). The devil used various tricks to cause death to a person: now with promises that the latter would become God, now with shameful pleasures, now he inclined him to godlessness, now to polytheism...; taught people lies about I. Christ (II). The truth, however, in the middle, is that God is one in essence, threefold in Persons, that in I. Christ there are two natures... that evil happened by chance... (III). The demon that once troubled the Jews now troubles the Church, for some have risen to fight against St. icons (IV). But in vain: after all, we do not sin, because we do not portray the invisible God; we do not idolize images; we depict the Lord incarnate (V). Contemplating the images of Him and the saints, we ourselves are sanctified and excited to imitate them, which, in turn, arouses envy in the demon. We believe St. Scripture and Tradition and reject anyone who will speak in disagreement with one or the other (VI). Opponents, citing St. Scripture, they do not understand its meaning. God, like a doctor, uses various medicines to cure spiritual diseases. The Jews suffered from the disease of idolatry; To heal her, God forbade them to depict the incorporeal, invisible... (VII). The Jews, indeed, worshiped idols as gods, as evidenced by the calf they merged. The prohibition to make likenesses was therefore necessary for them (VIII). The construction of the tabernacle with all its accessories does not contradict what has been said: the Jews were forbidden to make likenesses - like the likenesses of God, but they were not forbidden to make images of the Cherubim, as slaves facing purification... (IX). In every matter one must look for truth and lies. The true purpose, for example, of images: the glory of God and His saints; therefore they must be done (X). We reject images of the immaterial... God, as well as images aimed at the glory of demons, we do not idolize images of birds...; in contrast to the Old Testament, which mourned the death of the righteous and did not build churches in their name..., we celebrate the first and build the second; He who does not honor the saints is an enemy of the Lord. Images of the Acts of Saints..., glorifying the latter, dishonor the devil (XI). It is not for kings to make laws for the Church. St. Scripture says nothing of the kind in favor of kings. Examples from Old Testament history speak in agreement with us. And now, by order of the king (Leo III), the patriarch (Herman) was beaten; The king from the area of ​​​​state affairs invades the church area (XII). Opponents of images (like the Manichaeans) blaspheme matter; Meanwhile, everything of God is beautiful and God is not the Author of evil. The tabernacle with its accessories suggests that in the Old Testament the substance was, in a certain sense, honored. We worship not the substance, but in its person (for example, the tree of the cross, the cranial place...) the Creator of the substance, who became incarnate for the sake of our salvation. Images are required. Let those who plead the law against us be circumcised... but then they will not receive salvation (XIII-XIV). When we depict Christ, we also depict His army: the saints, His joint heirs, His friends... If Solomon decorated the church with images of the dumb, then all the more should we decorate the churches... with images of saints (XV). Must obey St. Tradition, which, along with many other things that are not recorded in St. Scripture also tells us about the veneration of St. icons It is not the business of kings to resolve and bind, to organize the Church; one must live guided by the tradition of St. Fathers (XVI). The scriptures cited by our opponents do not speak against us, but against the Greeks, who idolized images; the difference between us and these is great (XVII). Link to St. Epiphany has no meaning: a) the book referred to is forged, b) one St. The father cannot resist everyone else, c) Its church is decorated with St. icons... (XVIII). Honoring... the cross, the lip drunk with ocetome... why shouldn't I worship St. icons, in order to glorify I. Christ through this? Worship is not given to substance here (XIX). The matter of images is ancient: God created man in His image; saw the image of God: Abraham, Moses, Isaiah (XX). He who swears by the Church swears by it and by those who live in it...; So he who swears by images swears by those who are painted on the St. icons (XXI). In contrast to the Old Testament tabernacle - the image and likeness, the work of human hands (as Apostle Paul speaks of this) which Israel worshiped, the New Testament tabernacle is not made with hands and not the shadow of future blessings.... (XXII). The law and everything that brought man to God through the medium of matter was in the Old Testament man-made, a shadow of the future image, that is, of our service, and the latter is the image of future blessings, while the very things - the highest Jerusalem - are the final goal of our aspirations... (XXIII). Next at St. I. Damascene is followed by excerpts from patristic literature - 27 in number. Of these, the first 19 and 27, with very minor exceptions, are a literal repetition of the excerpts found at the end of the first word. New excerpts are being made: 1) from the works of St. I. Chrysostom (20th, 21st, 22nd and 23rd), 2) from the works of St. Ambrose of Milan (24th), 3) – St. Maximus the Confessor (25th), 4) – Anastasia, Archbishop. Feopolsky and Patriarch (26th). The comments are the same as in the first word; they are not found in new excerpts from patristic literature. Third word. The devil used various tricks to cause death to a person: sometimes with promises that the latter would become God, sometimes with shameful pleasures, sometimes by inducing him to act godlessly. then to polytheism..; taught people lies about I. Christ. The truth, however, is in the middle, that God is one in essence, threefold in Persons, that in I. Christ there are two natures... that evil has a random origin. The demon that once troubled the Jews now troubles the Church, for some have risen to fight against St. icons. But in vain: after all, we do not sin, because we do not portray the invisible God; we do not idolize images; we depict the Lord incarnate (I–II). Contemplating the images of Him and the saints, we ourselves are sanctified and excited to imitate them, which, in turn, arouses envy in the demon. We believe St. Scripture and Tradition and reject anyone who will speak in disagreement with one or the other (III) Opponents, referring to St. Scripture, they do not understand its meaning. God, like a doctor, uses various medicines to cure spiritual diseases. The Jews suffered from the disease of idolatry; To heal her, God forbade them to depict the incorporeal, invisible... (IV). The Jews, indeed, worshiped idols as gods, as evidenced by the calf they merged. The prohibition to make likenesses was for them, therefore, necessary (V). According to the command of God, one must worship Him alone, believe in Him alone, eternal..., one in essence and trinity in Persons; one should not worship the creature...; we worship the Lord incarnate, we honor Him in the face of the scarlet robe of His body...; we do not depict the invisible... (VI). Opponents, citing St. Scripture, we must keep in mind not its letter, but its meaning. The purpose of these passages of Scripture is so that we do not serve the creature more than the Creator, so that He is only given service worship; Jews were prohibited from images, according to the meaning of Scripture, to prevent them from idolatry (VII). But what took place in relation to the Jews does not make sense in relation to us - perfect men, who know what can be depicted and what cannot, depicting not the invisible, not the incomparable..., but the incarnate Lord and various events from His earthly life (VIII). By building the tabernacle with its accessories, Moses did not contradict what he said about God's prohibition - to make likenesses. God did not forbid making images of Cherubim, who slavishly stood before the purification..., but forbade making and worshiping cast gods. The tabernacle is only an image of an image. In every matter one must look for truth and lies. The true purpose, for example, of images is the glory of God and His saints. Therefore, images should be made - these books telling about the miracles of God and so on. Moreover, one must make not only images of the Lord, the Mother of God, but also the saints of God who suffered for Christ and defeated the devil. But at the same time, we reject images of the immaterial... images that have the goal of the glory of the devil; We don’t idolize images of birds... In the Old Testament, churches were not built in the name of the righteous, the death of a person was mourned, and anyone who touched the dead was considered unclean..; now it’s the other way around (IX). Rebelling against St. icons - the enemy of Christ, the Mother of God and the saints; he loves the devil, but we love the saints (X). We believe St. Tradition, which tells us many things about which St. Scripture does not speak directly; and we reject his opponents. Nor did the Old Testament completely rebel against images... (XI). Looking at the images, we ourselves are sanctified; their sensual contemplation elevates us to spiritual things and objects. After all, Christ also took upon Himself not only a soul, but also a body... (XII). How important is the veneration of St. icons, proves the story of Abba Theodore Eliot (XIII). In the further part of the words of St. I. Damascene poses the following questions: A) about what concept should be connected with the idea of icons (a), what is the purpose of using them (b), what types of images exist (c), what can be depicted and what cannot (d) and finally, from whom does the making of images begin? e) (XIV)? C) about what concept should be connected with the idea of ​​worship (a), what types of it are (b), what can be worshiped, how to worship, etc. (V)? about worship in the strict sense of the word only to God alone (d); finally, about the fact that the worship given to St. honor of icons goes to those who are depicted on them (e) (XV). First, issues concerning St. icons: first (a) (XVI), second (b) (XVII), third (c) (XVIII–XXIII), fourth (d) (XXIV–XXV) and fifth (e) (XXVI). Then the questions concerning worship are revealed: first (a) (XXVII), second (b) (XXVIII-XXXII), third (c) (XXXIII-XXXIX and partly XL), fourth (XL). Finally, having expressed an exhortation to venerate St. icons of the Lord, the Mother of God and saints, as St. teaches. Tradition, and not to get carried away with innovations (iconoclasts), St. The Father also answers the fifth question concerning worship (XLI). At the end of the word, he expresses the wish and hope that the Lord will honor the readers with the word to follow the path of the saints... and that they will glorify Him... (XLII). What follows are excerpts from patristic literature - 90 in number. Of these, eleven excerpts (2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th, 7th, 8th, 9th, 58th, 59th and 79th) have already been given by him (however, with some differences sometimes) at the end of the first and second words. The remaining 79 excerpts are taken from the works: 1) St. Dionysius the Areopagite (1st), 2) bl. Theodoret of Cyrus (10th, 34th, 35th, 43rd and 49th), 3) St. Basil the Great (11th, 12th and 70th), 4) St. Afanasia (13th, 66th and 67th), 4) St. I. Chrysostom (14th, 19th, 20th, 29th, 46th, 47th, 48th, 55th, 56th, 57th, 62nd, 72nd, 73rd and 74th), 5) St. Cyril of Alexandria (15th, 16th and 17th), 6) St. Gregory Nazianzen (18th, 28th, 60th, 61st and 71st), 7) Eusevia Pamphilus (21st, 23rd and 24th), 8) John of Antioch (Malala) (22nd), 9) historian Socrates (25th), 10) Stephen of Vostra (26th and 27th), 11) from the life of St. Constantine (30th, 31st, 32nd, 33rd and 51st), 12) from the life of St. Eustathia Placida (36th), 13) from the works of St. Leonty of Cyprus (37th, 38th, 39th, 40th, 41st and 42nd), 14) St. Anastasia Sinaita (44th and 85th), 15) from the biography of St. Simeon the Wonderworker (45th) (narration by Arkady, Archbishop of Cyprus), 16) from the work of Theodore the Reader (50th, 52nd, 53rd and 54th), 17) from the definitions of various councils: the sixth (63rd), fifth (81st) and fifth-sixth (89th) 17, 18) from the works of Clement of Alexandria (64th), 19) St. Theodora. Ep. Pentapolsky (65th), 20) St. Ambrose of Milan (68th), 21) St. Kirill, Patr. Jerusalem (69th), 22) Severian, ep. Gavalsky (75th), 23) Deacon Isidore (76th), 24) presbyter of Jerusalem – Jerome (77th), 25) the great Simeon (pillar) (78th), 26) archbishop. Anastasius of Antioch (80th), 27) historiographer of Constantinople - Theodore (82nd), 28) Abba Maxim, bishop. Feodosia... (83rd), 30) from the life of Abba Daniel (86th), 31) from the biography of St. Mary of Egypt (87th), 32) from the biography of St. Eupraxia (88th) and finally 33) from the works of St. Methodius, bishop Patarsky (90th). Some (relatively few) of these excerpts are accompanied by comments from St. I. Damaskin, moreover, if the excerpt coincides with any of those found in the first two words, then the comments usually (not always, however) coincide to the point of literalness. Reviewing the content of the three words under consideration, we saw that they indeed often coincide with each other in certain points, although, on the other hand, each of them, with its special tone, contains many places that are not found in the other two: and only all three words taken together give a complete answer to the question about icon veneration. As for the repetitions found in the second and third words, they are explained simply. In the practical assignment of words, indeed, for greater persuasiveness, it was necessary in the second word, as separated from the first by a certain period of time, to repeat certain proofs, again cite certain excerpts from sources, etc. In this way, what was said before was refreshed and consolidated in the memory of readers even more strongly. The same generally must be said regarding the content of the third word in its relation to the content of the first two (cf. beginning of § VI). § VII. The general verdict of history about the inner merits of the words in question is this. They “from time immemorial were considered to be the best that” ever “was written for the defense” of icon veneration. “To a large extent” it is “to them” that St. “owes”. I. “Damascus for his fame as a learned and theologically skilled defender of Orthodoxy. In fact, the question about St. icons of St. The Father “understands correctly, the veneration of the saints is precisely distinguished from the worship befitting God alone, and he attributes all the honor accorded to icons to those who are depicted on them; the objection “borrowed” by the iconoclasts “from the Old Testament” “against” the considered “church” teaching on icon veneration “he managed to resolve in the right way,” and so on. In view of all this, despite the fact that, “like his other works,” and his words (as stated above) (see. § VI) also sometimes “suffer” from verbosity “and repetitions that tire” the reader - despite the fact that, trying to defend the church teaching on the veneration of icons, he is sometimes close to the extreme: “almost” or even “completely identify the veneration of icons with the veneration of Christ and saints” - despite the fact, further, that, when “choosing evidentiary passages”, he sometimes turns to works that falsely attributed to a famous Father of the Church (see § III), and so on. 18, - one cannot help but say with the author of the preface to these words in Lequien’s edition of them: In tribus orationibus istis habes, lector, puram et sinceram Ecclesiasticae de Christi, sanctorumque imaginibus venerandis disciplinae enarrationem, et firmissimum adversus earum impugnatores praesidium, quo universa [Corrected by us from univera in publication. – Editor AB] haeriticorum tela nullo negotio elidas, i.e. in these three speeches you, reader, have a pure and true presentation of church teaching about the images of Christ and the saints who should be revered, and the firmest defense against those attacking them, with the help of which you will crush all the arrows of heretics without any difficulty 19. § VIII. This completely relieves us of the need to talk about the motives that guided us in choosing these words of St. I. Damaskin to translate them into Russian. Our motives, which are based on the extraordinary merits and enormous importance of these words both for the time to which they originate and for all times in general, are in this case self-explanatory. They will be even more understandable in view of the following circumstance. As far as we know, there is still no complete translation of these three words of St. in Russian. I. Damascene about St. icons We know only the following experiments of this kind. 1) In the Appendix to the Orthodox Confession of Peter Mogila, part of the first half of the third word is translated into Slavic, starting from the XVIth section and almost to the end of this half (pp. 313–344; published 1743). This Confession, together with the named Appendix, was translated by St. Petersburg. D. A. into Russian (see 16th edition; 1858; pp. 177–196). 2) In the Christian Reading for 1823, a translation into Russian was proposed. the entire half of the third word is taken over, i.e. that part of it that precedes the introduction of those related to the question of St. icons of excerpts from patristic literature. This translation is very similar to the above, and both of them are somewhat outdated. We no longer consider it necessary to talk about the incomprehensibility of the Slavic translation, located in the above-mentioned Appendix. We do not know about the existence of a translation of the second, and moreover, half of the third word, as well as the translation of the first two words 20, unless we have in mind the rather outdated translation of this half of the 3rd word in Chr. Thurs. for 1828 (part XXX), - translation, moreover, incomplete: 23 patristic excerpts (12th, 14, 28, 29, 43, 46, 47, 48, 49, 55, 56, 57, 59, 62, 63, 70, 71, 72, 73, 74, 76, 80 and 81st) are omitted from it; Of those in it, some are significantly cut down from the original, even by half, for example, the 60th (its second half is missing), the 77th (its first half is missing), etc. - We learned about this translation after finishing the printing of our book. It is therefore necessary to fill the gap in our domestic literature. Offering our full (without any editions) translation of 21 all three words, we consider it necessary to note the following circumstances: 1) we made it completely independently of the above experiments, 2) it was made by us according to that edition of the works of St. I. Damaskin, which is unanimously recognized as the best 22. We mean the publication made in two large volumes opera et studio by R. Michaelis Lequien, (Parisiis; M. DCCXII). Having this publication always before us, we constantly compared it with others that were available to us: a) with the edition of Migne [the words we translate are in volumes 94–96 (seriei graecae) of his Patrologiae cursus completi (1864)], - an edition which, being a reprint of Lekenevsky, at the same time makes some amendments to it...; and b) with the (Basel) edition of Marci Hopperi (from 1575). In both of these editions (Migne and Hopperi), in parallel with the Greek, there is also a Latin (translated) text, and the latter in the Minevsky edition, with some amendments, is taken from Lequen, who also contains both texts: together with the original (Greek) and the translated Latin. The differences found between the Greek texts, especially the first and third editions, and between their Latin texts, were never ignored by us 23 and in some cases even provoked us to lengthy reflections, some traces of which can be found in our notes on the words we translated. When translating them, we always tried to adhere as closely as possible to the letter of the Greek text, deviating from it only in more or less extreme cases, called for by necessity. Necessity, for example, the fragmentary nature of the Greek text, the peculiarities of Russian speech, which do not always coincide with the peculiarities of Greek..., necessitated some additions to Greek expressions, some periphrases of Greek passages, etc., in a word, everything that usually finds a place in translations of this kind. At the same time, these additions are mostly marked: they are enclosed not in semicircular, but in angular (i.e. [ ]) brackets, the presence of which does not in any way impede the readability of the translation: the latter must be read together with what is enclosed in brackets, without paying attention to the latter, which have only one meaning: they separate our additions from the words of St. I. Damaskina. Not to mention the fact that there are very, very few such additions. For the same purpose, that is, to make our translation more readable, we have eliminated all explanatory and other notes from the text and placed them at the end of the book as an appendix to it, where anyone can find all the information that, in our opinion, they may need... Alexander Bronzov. St. Petersburg Spirit. Seminary. November 14, 1892. St. John of Damascus's first defensive word against those who condemn 24 holy icons 25 I. We, who are aware of our unworthiness, should, of course, always remain silent and confess our sins before God; but since everything is beautiful in its time, and the Church, which God created on the foundation of the Apostle and Prophet, being the cornerstone 26 of His Son, I see, is struck as if by a sea storm, rises too high by successive waves, is thrown into disorder and shaken due to the unbearable blow of evil winds, the divinely woven robe of Christ, which the sons of the wicked persistently tried to tear, is torn, His body, which there is the word of God, cut into various parts, and also the tightly preserved tradition of the church from time immemorial - then I did not consider it reasonable to remain silent and put bonds on the tongue, fearing the threat of the pronounced definition, saying: if he doubts 27, my soul will not be pleased with him 28. And: if you see the sword coming and do not speak to your brother, I will require his blood at your hand 29 30 . Therefore, struck by unbearable fear, I decided to speak without putting the greatness of kings above the truth. For the Godfather David, I heard, said: He spoke before the kings, and was not ashamed, 31 on the contrary, he was thereby more strongly encouraged to speak. But the king’s word has great power to win over his subjects; because of the people who were from the very beginning, who knew that the earthly king is subordinate to a higher power and that laws dominate over kings, few neglected the royal orders. II. So, first of all, having established, as it were, a certain keel or basis for reflection: the preservation of church legislation, through which salvation usually occurs, I removed the barrier from the word and released it, as if a well-bridled horse, from the fence. For, in fact, I considered it terrible, even more than terrible, that the Church, shining with such great advantages and from time immemorial adorned with the traditions of the most pious men, should return back to the bad elements 32, trembling with fear, where there is no fear, 33 and as if not knowing the true God - afraid of falling into idolatry, and even at least to a very small extent deprived of perfection, as if in the middle of a very beautiful face having some constantly remaining prick, spoiling all the beauty with its inappropriate 34 increase. After all, the small, when it leads to the great, is not small, since the additional feature: for the ancient tradition of the Church to be shaken is not small, because our former mentors were condemned, looking at whose way of life, we should have imitated [their] faith 35 . III. So, (and my speech is to you) I earnestly ask, first of all, the Almighty Lord, for Whom everything is naked and open, knowing that my humble intention in this case is without any admixture of anything bad and that the goal is pure, to give me the word when my mouth is opened, and to take with His own 36 hands the reins of my mind and draw it to Himself, so that in [His] face it will move quickly along a straight road, not swerving towards what appears to be right, or towards what he knows to be left. Then I ask all the people of God, the holy language, the royal priesthood 37, together with the wonderful shepherd of the verbal flock of Christ 38, who in himself expresses the highest priesthood of Christ, to accept my word with favor, not paying attention to the most insignificant degree of my dignity or not looking for art in my words, since in this I, poor one, am not fully experienced, but to weigh the power of my thoughts. For the kingdom of heaven is not in word, but in power 39 . After all, the Goal is not to conquer, but to extend a hand to the truth that is under attack, as good will extends the hand of strength. Therefore, having called upon the hypostatic Truth as an assistant, I will begin my words from here. IV. I know the One who truly said: The Lord your God 40 There is one Lord; and: Thou shalt fear the Lord thy God 41, and thou shalt serve that one alone 42; and: there will be no gods for you 43; and: do not make [for yourself] an idol, any likeness, tree in heaven and tree on earth below 44; and: let those who bow down to the graven images be ashamed 45; and: gods, who did not create heaven and earth, let them perish 46; and [another] similar thing to this, that God, who of old was spoken by the Father as a prophet in the last days, spoke to us in His only begotten Son, in whom also the eyelids were made 47 . I know the One who said: Behold, this is the eternal life, that they may know the one true God, and whom Jesus Christ sent ecu 48 . I believe in one God, one Beginning of everything, beginningless, uncreated, not subject to destruction and immortal, eternal and constant, incomprehensible, incorporeal, invisible, indescribable, without image; into one essential essence, into the Divinity - pre-divine, in three Persons: the Father and the Son, and the Holy Spirit, and I serve Him alone, and I render ministerial worship to Him alone. I worship one God, one Divinity, but I also serve the Trinity of Persons: God the Father and the incarnate God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit, one God. I do not worship the creature more than the Creator 49, but I worship the Creator, like me, who became created and without humiliating His dignity and without experiencing any division 50. descended into creation to glorify my nature and make me a participant in the divine nature. Together with the King and God, I also worship the scarlet of the body, not as a garment and not as the fourth Person - no! - but as having become a participant in the same Divinity and, without experiencing any change, becoming that which is and sanctified [her]. For it was not the nature of the flesh that became the Divinity, but just as the Word, remaining what It was, without experiencing change, became flesh, so the flesh became the Word, without losing what it is; it is better to say: being one with the Word by hypostasis. Therefore, I boldly portray the invisible God, not as invisible, but as having become visible for our sake through participation in both flesh and blood. I do not depict the invisible Deity, but through the image I express the flesh of God, which was visible. For if it is impossible to depict the soul, how much more so is God, who gave immateriality to the soul! V. But, they say, God said through Moses the lawgiver: Thou shalt fear the Lord thy God, and shalt serve Him alone 51: and: Thou shalt not make any likeness, tree in heaven, and tree on earth 52. Brothers! In truth, those who do not know the scriptures that the letter kills, but the spirit gives life, are mistaken, who do not look for the spirit hidden under the letter. To them I could rightly say: He who taught you this, let him also teach you what should be done. Understand how the legislator interprets this, saying something like this in Deuteronomy: And the Lord spoke to you from the midst of the fire: You heard the voice of words, and you did not see an image, only a voice. And a little later: and provide your souls with vigor, for you have not seen the likeness in the day after the Lord spoke to you in Mount Horeb from the midst of the fire: never commit wickedness and make for yourselves the likeness of a model, any image of the likeness of a man or a female: the likeness of every livestock that is on the earth: the likeness of every feathered bird and the like. 53. And after a short interval: and not when you look up at the sky, and see the sun and the moon, and the stars, and all the beauty of heaven, you are seduced by bowing to them and serving them 54. VI. Do you see that there is only one goal, so that we do not serve the creature more than the Creator 55 and, except for the Creator alone, do not render service worship to [anyone]? Therefore, everywhere God combines service with worship. For again he says: you will not have any gods except me. Do not make yourself an idol, nor any likeness, and do not bow to them, but serve them: for I am the Lord your God. And again: dig up their strongholds, break down their pillars, cut down their oak groves, and burn the images of their gods with fire. Do not worship another God. And after a little: do not create merged gods for yourself 56. VII. Do you see that for the sake of [avoiding] idolatry, Moses forbids the writing of images, and that it is impossible for the innumerable and indescribable and invisible God to be depicted? For His image, he says, you have not seen, according to which Paul, standing in the middle of the Areopagus, also says: For the race that is of God, we must not despise the existence of the Godhead, or gold or silver, or a stone more artistically inscribed and intelligent to man 57 . VIII. to the Jews, of course, this was prescribed because of their inclination towards idolatry. We (- if we say with the Theologian - 58, to whom it was given, having avoided superstitious wandering, having learned the truth, be in communion with God and serve God alone, abound in the perfection of God's knowledge and, after childhood, reach perfection into husbandhood), - we are no longer under the mentor 59, since we have received from God the ability to discern, and we know what can be depicted and what cannot be expressed by image. For His image, says [Scripture] 60, is not seen. How will the unseen be depicted? How will the incomparable be depicted? How will the incorporeal be painted with colors? incorporeal for your sake became human, then make an image of His human appearance. When the invisible one, having put on flesh, becomes visible, then depict the likeness of the One who appeared. When He, who, due to the superiority of His nature, was deprived of body and form, and quantity, and quality, and magnitude, Who in the image of God took the form of a servant, 61 through this became limited in quantitative and qualitative respects and put on a bodily image, then draw on the boards and expose for contemplation the One who wanted to appear. Outline His ineffable condescension, birth from the Virgin, baptism in the Jordan, transfiguration on Tabor, suffering that freed us from passions, death, miracles - signs of His divine nature, performed by divine power through the activity of the flesh, the saving cross, burial, resurrection, ascension into heaven; Draw everything with words and paints. Don't be afraid, don't be afraid! I know the difference of worship 62. Abraham the son of Hamor once bowed down to wicked men and those who suffered from the disease of ignorance of God when he bought a double cave in order to acquire a tomb 63. Jacob bowed to his brother Esau and Pharaoh, his Egyptian husband, and also to the top of the staff 64. Although he bowed, he did not serve. Joshua the son of Nun and Daniel bowed down to the Angel of God, but did not serve. For one consists of service worship, and the other consists of worship given for the sake of honor to people distinguished by some kind of merit. IX. But since we are talking about image and worship, we will discuss carefully what this [i.e. e. image and worship]? So, the image is a similarity with the distinctive properties of the prototype, at the same time having some difference in relation to it. For the image is not in everything similar to the prototype. However, the Son is a living, natural and in everything similar image of the invisible God, bearing in Himself the entire Father, having identity with Him in everything, differing only in one thing: origin [from Him, as] from the cause. For the Father is the natural cause; and what comes from the Other, as from the Cause, is the Son. For the Father is not from the Son, but the Son is from the Father. For from Him, although not after Him, the Son has existence, which is also the Father who begat Him. X. In God there are also images and examples of those things that have to come from Him, that is, His advice is eternal and always remains unchanged. For the Divinity is unchangeable in everything, and with Him there is no change or change 65. Saint Dionysius, knowledgeable in divine affairs and, with the help of God, examined what concerns God, calls these images and patterns predestination 66. For at His council, everything that was predetermined by Him and had to happen inviolably in the future was determined with precision before its existence, just as if someone wants to build a house, he first draws and depicts its shape in his mind. XI. Then, in turn, images are visible things, bodily expressing those objects that are invisible and devoid of form, so that they are at least vaguely comprehended by the mind. For the divine Scripture also clothes God and Angels with images, and the reason is indicated by the same divine man 67 . After all, that images are naturally offered to that which is devoid of images, and forms to that which has no forms, as a reason one could only point out 68 an analogy that is appropriate in relation to us: that we are not able to rise to the contemplation of spiritual objects without [any] mediation, and in order to rise upward, we need that which is related [to us] and akin. Therefore, if the divine Word, providing for our ability to perceive, delivering to us from everywhere that which is capable of lifting upward, clothes with some images both simple objects and those without images, then why not depict that which by its own nature has an image and which, although we desire passionately, but which, due to its absence, apparently cannot be? For through the medium of feeling, a certain idea is formed in the anterior cavity of the brain and, thus, sent to the faculty of judgment, is stored in the treasury of memory. Indeed, Gregory the Theologian 69 says that the mind, trying hard to go beyond the limits of the body, turns out to be powerless everywhere. But even the invisible of God, from the creation of the world, has been thought and visible by created things 70. For in creatures we notice images that covertly show us divine reflections, so when we talk about the Holy Trinity, the highest of all beginnings, we depict to ourselves through the sun and light, and a ray, or a gushing source and flowing moisture, and flow, or mind and words, and the breath that is in us, or the trunk of a rose and a flower, and incense. XII. In turn, the image of the future is called one that, under the cover of a riddle, shades the future, as 71 arks of the Covenant and the rod and stamna designated - the Holy Virgin and Mother of God, like a serpent - the One who, through the cross, destroyed the power of biting the author of all evils - the serpent, like the sea and water, and the cloud - the spirit of baptism 72 . XIII. For its part, an image of the past is called such when it remembers some miracle or honor or shame, or virtue, or vice, for the benefit of those who later consider [it], so that we [thus] avoid vices and compete with virtues. This [image] is twofold: both through the word inscribed in books, just as God inscribed the law on stone tablets and commanded that the lives of God-loving men be written down, and through sensory contemplation, just as He commanded that, in remembrance, a stele and a rod be placed in the ark of the Covenant 73 . So now we record images of the past and virtues. Therefore, either remove every image and establish a law against the One who ordered them to exist, or accept each one in accordance with the concept and character that is characteristic of each [of them]. So, having spoken about the types of images, let’s also talk about worship. XIV. Worship is a sign of humility and reverence. We know the various genera of this one too. The first worship is service, rendered by us to God, who alone by His nature is worthy of worship. Then, for the sake of God, Who by His nature is worthy of worship, we render [the latter] to His friends and servants, just as Joshua, the son of Nun, and Daniel worshiped the Angel; or - to the places of God, just as David says, let us bow down to the place where his nose stood 74; and objects dedicated to Him, just as all Israel worshiped the Tabernacle of the Covenant, and, standing around the Temple of Jerusalem and looking at it from everywhere, [the Jews] worship even now; or to the leaders appointed by Him, just as Jacob was to Esau 75, as the eldest brother, according to the will of God, and to Pharaoh, the ruler appointed by God; also to Joseph his brothers 76. I also know about worship given for the sake of mutual respect, just as Abraham was the son of Hamor. Therefore, either eliminate all worship, or allow all kinds that have the proper meaning and character. XV. Tell me the question: Is God one God? Yes, you say, as it seems to me, one Legislator. So why does He make contrary laws? After all, the Cherubim are not outside the number of created beings. Therefore, why does He command that the images of Cherubim prepared by human hands should overshadow the purification? 77 Or is it clear that it is impossible to make an image of God as indescribable and incomparable, or of anyone as God, without rendering service and worship to the creature as to God? The image of the Cherubim, as limited and servilely standing near the divine throne, He commands that it servilely overshadow the purification. For it was fitting that the image of the divine sacraments should be overshadowed by the image of the heavenly servants of God. And what do you say about the ark of the Covenant, the pillar, the purification house? Aren't they prepared by hand? Are they not the work of human hands? Are they not, as you say, made of despicable substances? What about the whole tabernacle? Wasn't she an image? Isn't it a shadow and a model? Therefore, the divine Apostle, speaking about the priests under the law, says: they serve the image and the wall of heaven, as it was said to Moses that I would make a tabernacle: see, he said: create in the image shown to you on the mountain 78 . But the law was not an image, but [as it were] a front wall for a covered image. For the same Apostle says: the shadow of God is the law of the good things to come, (but) not the very image of things 79). So, if the law prohibits images, and there is [as it were] a front wall to cover the image, then what do we say? If the tabernacle is a shadow and an image of an image, then why does the law not command the painting of images? But no – that’s how it is, no. But the best time for every thing is 80. XVI. The incorporeal and formless God has never been depicted in any way. Now that God has appeared in the flesh and with human life 81 I depict the visible side of God. I do not worship matter, but I worship the Creator of matter, who became matter for my sake, who deigned to dwell in matter and through the medium of matter brought about my salvation, and I will not cease to venerate matter through which my salvation was accomplished. I don’t honor him as God – no! - for how is God that which came into being out of nothing? Although, due to the union in one Person of divinity and humanity, the body of God is God, since it, without changing, became what it is and sanctified [it], but it [still] remained what it was by nature: flesh, animated by the verbal and rational soul, having received a beginning, not uncreated. I honor and revere the rest of the substance, through which my salvation was accomplished, as being filled with divine power and grace. Or is the tree of the cross, thrice happy and blessed, not a substance? Or is it not substance that is worthy of reverence and a holy mountain? Kranievo place 82? Or is it not matter - the gracious and life-giving rock, the holy tomb, the source of our resurrection? Or is it not a substance – ink and the all-holy book of the Gospels? Or is it not substance – a life-giving meal that provides us with the bread of life? Or is it not the substance - both gold and silver, from which crosses and patenes, as well as chalices, are prepared? Or is it not the substance that prevails over all this - the body and blood of our Lord? Either eliminate the veneration and worship of all this, or, obeying church tradition, allow the worship of icons, sanctified by the name of God and the friends of God and, for this reason, overshadowed by the grace of the Divine Spirit. Do not blame the substance, for it is not worthy of contempt. There is nothing worthy of contempt that comes from God. This. e. contempt for substance] - the opinion of the Manichaeans. But the only thing worthy of contempt is that it did not have a cause from God, but that it is our invention due to the willful deviation and direction of the will from what is in accordance with nature to what is opposite to it - that is, three. If you despise and forbid images because of the law, as being made from substance, then look at what the Scripture says: And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying: “Behold, I called the name of Bezalel the son of Hur, from the tribe of Judah.” And be filled with the spirit of God of wisdom and understanding and knowledge, understanding in every work: to be an architect, and to make gold and silver and copper, and blue, and scarlet, and spun scarlet, and fine linen: and stone work, and various kinds of woodworking to do in all matters. And I gave him and Yelgava the son of Ahisamakhov from the tribe of Dan: and to everyone with a meaningful heart I gave meaning and to do everything according to the commandments given to you 83. And again: the speech of Moses to the whole assembly of the children of Israel: Hear this word, the commandment of the Lord, saying: Take from yourselves a portion of the Lord: everyone according to the will of his heart, let you bring firstfruits to the Lord, gold, silver, brass: blue, scarlet, scarlet, spun, and woven linen, and goatskin. The rams are blackened, and the skins are blue, and the wood is not rotten. And the anointing oil, and in the folding of fimgam: and the stones of Sardis, and the stones in sculpture, and for the outer robe, and for the heir. And every one who is wise in heart shall do all things according to the commandment of the Lord: the tabernacle 84 and following. This is truly a precious substance, although you consider it worthy of contempt. For what is more insignificant than a goat's wave or colors? Isn’t the paint scarlet and crimson and blue? Here, truly, are the works of human hands, and the image of the Cherubim. So, why, in the name of the law, do you forbid what the law commanded to be done? If for the sake of the law you prohibit images, then it is time for you to both keep the Sabbath and be circumcised. But know that if you keep the law, Christ will benefit you in no way 85. Just as you are justified by the law: you have fallen away from grace 86. Ancient Israel did not see God, but with our revealed face we behold the glory of the Lord 87 . XVII. And everywhere we place a sensually expressed image of Him, sanctifying [through this] the first [of our feelings]; for the first of the senses is sight; just as we sanctify our ears with words; after all, an image is a reminder: and what a book is for those who remember reading and writing, an image is the same for those who are illiterate; and what is a word to the ear, is an image to the sight; with the help of the mind we enter into union with it. For this reason, God commanded that the ark of the Covenant be made of rotting trees, that it be gilded inside and out, and that tablets and a staff and a golden stump containing manna be inserted as a reminder of what happened and as a foreshadowing of the future. And who will not say that these [were] images and loud heralds? And these objects were not located on the sides of the tabernacle, but in front of all the people, looking at which they rendered worship and service to God, who acted through them. It is clear that they served them, not as they did, but, through them, brought to the recollection of miracles, they worshiped the Author of miracles - God. For the images were placed as reminders, not as gods, but as leading to the recollection of divine activity. XVIII. God also commanded that twelve stones be taken from the Jordan; He also adds a reason, for he says: When your son asks you, “What are these stones?” proclaim how, by divine command, the water of the Jordan dried up and the ark of the Lord and all the people passed away 88 . So, how can we not depict the saving passions and miracles of Christ God on icons, so that when my son asks me: what is this? I said that God the Word became man and through Him not only Israel crossed the Jordan, but all nature returned to ancient bliss. Through Him, nature returned from the lowest parts of the earth, above all beginnings, and sat down on the very throne of the Father. XIX. But, they say, make an image of Christ and be satisfied, or - His Mother - the Mother of God. Oh, the absurdity! You have clearly admitted that you are the enemy of the saints. For if you make an image of Christ, but of saints in no way, then it is clear that you do not prohibit the image, but the honoring of the saints. For you make images of Christ, as if adorned with glory, but you reject images of the saints, as if they were inglorious, and call the truth a lie. For as I live, says the Lord, I will only glorify those who glorify me 89 . And the divine Apostle: the same now bear a servant, but a son: and whether the son, and the heir of God, Jesus Christ 90. And: if we suffer with him, let us also be glorified with him 91. You launched a war not against icons, but against saints. For John the Theologian and confidant says, let us be like him 92 . Just as when one unites with fire it becomes fire, not by nature, but by virtue of union, ignition and participation, so, I say, is the flesh of the incarnate Son of God. For she, as a result of her hypostatic participation in the divine nature, without changing, became deified, sanctified not by the action of God, like each of the prophets, but by the presence of all who sanctified. And that 93 and the saints are gods, says [Scripture]: God is one hundred in the assembly of gods 94, and - that God stands among the gods, distributing [to each] according to their merits, as the divine Gregory 95 says, interpreting [this place]. For the saints were filled with the Holy Spirit during their lives, and even after their death the grace of the Holy Spirit abides inexhaustibly in their souls and in the bodies lying in the tombs, and in their features, and in their holy images, not because of their essence, but as a result of grace and [divine] action. XX. And what church in honor of Himself God promised David to create through his own son and prepare a place of rest, creating this temple, Solomon made Cherubim, as the book of Kings says 96. And he overlaid the Cherubim with gold, and also all the walls around. And the sculptures of the inscription of the Cherubim, and the dates inside the udu and outside the udu 97 (and he did not say: from the sides, but all around), also oxen and lions, and pomegranate apples. Is it not much more valuable to decorate all the walls of the house of the Lord with the faces of saints and images than with dumb ones and trees? Where is the law that commands: Thou shalt not make any likeness? But Solomon, having received an outpouring of wisdom, depicted the sky and made Cherubim and the likeness of lions and oxen. The law prohibits this. And if we, when depicting Christ, also make images of saints, is this not, therefore, in any case, a more pious matter, because they are also filled with the Holy Spirit? For, just as then both the people and the church were cleansed with blood, also with the ashes of the heifer, so now - with the blood of Christ, who was tortured under Pontius Pilate and showed Himself to be the Firstborn of the martyrs, and also with the blood of the saints, on whom the Church is built. And then [the church of God was decorated] with both figures and images of the dumb, [now with images of saints] who made themselves animated and intelligent churches - the dwelling of God. XXI. So, we depict (with paints) Christ the King of the Lord, without depriving Him of the army. For the army of the Lord are holy. Let the earthly king deprive himself of his own army, and then let him deprive himself of his King and Lord. Let him take off his scarlet robe, and then let him deprive those who have distinguished themselves [in the struggle] against the tyrant and those who have curbed their passions of the honor due to them. For if they are heirs to God and joint heirs with Christ, then they will also be participants in His divine glory and kingdom 98. The friends of Christ, having participated in Christ’s sufferings, how can they not also be called partakers of His glory on earth? I do not say you are slaves, says God, you are my natural friends 99. So, when honor is given to them by the Church, will we take it away from them? O impudent hand! O recklessly bold mind, arguing with God and resisting His commands! You do not worship an image, do not worship the Son of God, Who is the living image of the invisible God and the unchanging image 100. I worship the image of Christ as God incarnate; the image of the Lady of all - the Mother of God, as the Mother of the Son of God; images of saints, as friends of God, who resisted sin to the point of blood and by shedding it for Christ imitated Him, who had previously shed His own blood for them; and I set before me the deeds and sufferings of those who walked in His footsteps in life, since through them I am sanctified and inflamed by the competition of imitation. For, says the divine Basil 101, the honor given to the image goes to the prototype. If you erect churches to the saints of God, then erect their trophies also. Once upon a time they did not erect a church in honor of the name of [any of] people, they did not honor the death of the righteous with a festival, but they mourned. Anyone who touched the dead, even Moses himself [who died], was considered unclean 102. Now the memory of the saints is celebrated. The corpse of Jacob was mourned, 103 and the death of Stephen was celebrated throughout the nation. Therefore, either eliminate the nationwide celebration of the memory of saints, which is carried out contrary to the ancient law, or agree to the images that exist, as you say, contrary to the law. But it is impossible not to celebrate the memory of the saints. For the host of the holy Apostles and God-bearing Fathers commands that this should happen. For since God the Word became flesh, becoming like us in everything except sin, unmergingly united with our nature and, without changing, deifying the flesh through the mutual unfused union 104 of His deity and His flesh, we are truly sanctified. And since the time when the Son of God and God, not being divinely subject to suffering, suffered, taking on flesh, and paid our debt, pouring out a ransom for us worthy of both attention and wonder, we truly became free, for the blood of the Son is sufficient to implore the Father, and is worthy of reverence. And since He descended into hell, He announced liberation to the bound souls from time immemorial, as if they were captives, and, as if they were blind, sight, and, having bound the strong 105 , due to the superiority of His power, He resurrected, bestowing incorruptibility on the flesh He took from us, we truly became incorruptible. And from the moment we were born of water and spirit, we truly became sons and heirs of God. This is why Paul calls the faithful saints 106 . Therefore, we do not mourn the deaths of saints, but we celebrate. Therefore we are not [under the law, but] under grace, justified by faith, leading only to the true God. The law does not lie with the righteous 107. We are not under the elements of the law, enslaved like children, but, having reached adulthood 108, we eat solid food that does not lead to idolatry. The law is beautiful, like a lamp shining in a dark place, but until the day illuminates. Now the morning star has shone in our hearts 109, the living water of the knowledge of God has covered the seas of the nations, and we all have come to know the Lord. Ancient mimoidosha, everything was new 110. Indeed, the divine Apostle Paul says to Peter, the highest head of the Apostles: if you are a Jew, living as a pagan, and not as a Jew, why should your tongues live like a Jew 111? And to the Galatians he writes: I testify to every man who is circumcised that he must eat and do the whole law 112 . XXII. Of course, having never known God, they did not serve as God by nature 113. Now, having known God, it is better: known by God, how can we return back to the weak and bad elements 114? I saw the human form of God and my soul was saved 115. I behold the likeness of God as Jacob saw it, although in a different way. For he, with the immaterial eyes of the mind, saw the immaterial [image] that revealed the future, but I saw that which ignites the memory of Him who appeared in the flesh. The shadow from the Apostles, scarves and towels warded off illnesses and drove out demons. And how will the shadow and image of the saints not be glorified? Either remove the worship of every substance, or do not make innovations and do not transfer to another place the eternal boundaries that your fathers laid 116. XXIII. They conveyed church law not only through writing, but also through some unwritten traditions. Indeed, the divine Basil, in the twenty-seventh chapter of the thirty written to Amphilochius about the Holy Spirit, literally says this: of the dogmas and teachings preserved in the Church, some we have from written instructions, others we have accepted secretly - communicated to us from the Apostolic Tradition; which - both have the same force in relation to piety. And no one will contradict this, even if he has at least learned a little about church decrees; for if we ventured to abandon unwritten customs, as if they were of no greater importance, we might imperceptibly injure the Gospel in the most dangerous place. These are the words of the great Vasily. For how do we know about the holy place of Kranie? About the grave of life? Isn’t it [like] the children received from their father, without a record? For it is written that the Lord was crucified on the cross in the cranial place and buried in the tomb that Joseph cut into stone 118, and that this is what we now worship, we know from unwritten tradition, and very much like this. How do [we know] triple immersion? Where does the prayer [with the face turned] to the east come from? Where does the teaching of the sacraments come from? Therefore, the divine Apostle Paul says: therefore, brethren, stand fast and hold to the traditions which you have learned, either by word or by our epistle 119. Since so many great things have been handed over to the Church without recording and have been preserved to this day, why are you speaking slander about icons? XXIV. The passages of Scripture that you cite, however, do not teach that we should disdain the worship of the images we have, but those that the Greeks idolize. Therefore, because of the absurd custom of the Greeks, we should not destroy ours, which is godly. Sorcerers and wizards cast spells, and the Church conjures the catechumens. But they call upon demons, and this one calls on God against demons. The Greeks dedicate images to demons and call them gods, but we - to the true God - incarnate and the servants of God and friends who drive away the armies of demons. XXV. If you say that the divine and admirable Epiphanius definitely forbade them [i.e. e. images], then [know that], firstly, this book may be incorrectly inscribed [with his name] and is forged: being the work of one, it bears the name of another, which many are accustomed to do. Secondly, we know that Blessed Athanasius, having forbidden putting the remains of saints in coffins, it was better: by ordering them to be hidden underground, he wanted to destroy the absurd custom of the Egyptians, who did not hide their dead underground, but laid them on beds and beds. Perhaps the great Epiphanius (of course, if we agree that this book belongs to him) prescribed that we should not make images in order to correct anything of the same kind. For that his intention was not to disparage those [i.e. e. images], the witness is the Church of the same divine Epiphanius, which to this day is all around decorated with images. Thirdly, what rarely happens is not a law for the Church, and one swallow does not make spring, as it seems to Gregory the Theologian 120, and as is in reality. And one opinion is not able to refute the traditions of the entire Church, stretching from [one] ends of the earth to [other] ends. XXVI. So, [in this sense] accept many places from Scripture and the Fathers 121, because, although Scripture says that the idols of the tongue are silver and gold, the works of human hands, 122 it, of course, prohibits the worship not of soulless works of hands, but of images of demons. XXVII. That, indeed, the prophets worshiped Angels and people, and kings, even the wicked, and also the rod, it is said. David also says: And worship his footstool 123. Isaiah, on behalf of God, says: heaven is my throne, and earth is my footstool 124. And I think it is clear to everyone that heaven and earth are creations. And Moses, and also Aaron, with all the people, bowed down to the things made with hands. At least Paul, the golden grasshopper of the Church, in his Epistle to the Hebrews says: Christ has come as the bishop of the good things to come, through the greater and more modern tabernacle, not made with hands, that is, without sowing the creation 125 . And again: Christ did not go into the holy place made with hands, the opposite of the true ones, but into heaven 126. And thus, the former holy thing: both the tabernacle and everything in it were made with hands. And that [this] was worshiped, no one will contradict. Testimonies of the ancient and glorious Holy Fathers about icons I. Saint Dionysius the Areopagite, from the Epistle to Titus ... So, we must, instead of the popular opinion about them [i.e., Sacred symbols], decently penetrate inside 127 [i.e., into the very essence] of sacred signs and not humiliate them - which originate from divine forms and are reflections of them, as well as visible images of secret and supernatural spectacles... Interpretation. Notice how he said that one should not demean images of what is worthy of respect. II. His same, from the book on divine names ... We have also been taught this 128: meanwhile, now, in accordance with our ability to understand [divine] sayings and hierarchical traditions, Humanity, through sacred veils, through what is perceived by the senses, hides what is comprehended only by the mind, and through what exists, hides that which surpasses [every] essence, and what is devoid of form and image, clothes with forms and images, and that simplicity that is supernatural and not has forms, both fills it with a variety of divisible signs and depicts 129 .. . Interpretation. If it is characteristic of Humanity, in a way consistent with us, to clothe with forms and images the devoid of image and appearance and the simple, and without form, then why not depict for us, in a manner appropriate to us, that which has become visible [to us] through the medium of forms and figures - both for memory and for the movement towards competition arising from memory? III. His same, from a book about the church hierarchy 130 ... But, of course, the entities and ranks that are higher than us, the sacred remembrance of which I have already made, are incorporeal, and the hierarchy that takes place in relation to them is both spiritual and supermundane. The hierarchy that takes place in relation to us, we see, abounds, in proportion to our own ability of understanding, in a variety of sensory signs by which we are hierarchically elevated to a uniform union with God in the measure appropriate to us, both to God and to divine virtue. The first [i.e., our highest ranks and essences], as minds, understand as far as they are allowed, but we, through sensory images, as far as possible, are raised to divine contemplations... Interpretation. Therefore, if, in proportion to our ability of understanding, we are raised to divine and immaterial contemplation through sensory images, and divine providence humanely clothes with images and forms that which is devoid of forms and images, so that we are led [by them] as if by a hand, then why is it indecent to depict, in proportion to our own ability of understanding, Him who for our sake humanely submitted to external appearance and image? A long-held story has reached us that Abgar, I mean the King of Edessa, inflamed with divine love by what he heard about the Lord, sent envoys asking [the Lord] to visit him. If He refused to do this, then Abgar ordered the painter to copy His image. Having learned this, He who knows everything and can do everything, took a piece of canvas and, bringing His face closer [to it], at that time imprinted His own image, which has been preserved to this day. IV. St. Basil, from that word about the blessed martyr Barlaam, the beginning of which: First, of course, the death of the saints... ... Rise now with me, glorious painters of excellent ascetic deeds, and make the diminished image of the leader great with the help of your art. The winner, very vaguely drawn by me, illuminate with the colors of your wisdom. Let me retreat - defeated by you in the matter of drawing the exploits of a martyr! Yes, I rejoice, yielding today to such a victory won by your strength! May I see more carefully the struggle between your hand and fire that you depict! May I see a fighter more clearly drawn in your picture! May the demons [already] cry even now, amazed by the exploits of the martyr you depicted! May the burning and conquering hand be shown to them again! Let us also inscribe on the board the Master of Labor in competitions—Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen. V. His same, from thirty chapters to Amphilochius about the Holy Spirit; from chapter XVIII ... Because the image of a king is also called a king, [although these are] not two kings. For power is not divided, and glory is not divided. For just as the leadership and power that rules us is one, so the doxology coming from our side is one, and not many, because the honor given to the image passes on to the prototype. So, what the image is here imitatively, this there by nature is the Son; and just as in what is done artistically, the likeness consists in [the] form itself, so in the divine and uncomplicated nature the unity lies in the community of the Divinity. Interpretation. If the image of a king is a king, then the image of Christ is Christ, and also the image of a saint is a saint. And power is not cut, and glory is not divided, but the glory given to the image becomes the property of the one who is depicted. Demons tremble at the saints and flee from their shadows; the image is a shadow, and I make it as an exorcist of demons. If you say that one must unite with God only mentally, then eliminate everything corporeal, lamps, fragrant incense, the very prayer pronounced with the voice, the most divine sacraments performed through the medium of matter, bread, wine, anointing oil, the sign of the cross. For all this is a substance, [like] the cross, the lip that took place during the crucifixion, also the cane and the spear that pierced the life-giving rib. Either eliminate the veneration of all this, which is impossible, or do not completely reject the honor that belongs to the images. Divine grace is imparted to objects consisting of matter, since they bear the names of those who are depicted [on them]. Just as the snail that gives purple is in itself something insignificant, so is silk and clothing made from both; and if the king is clothed in it, then the honor inherent in the clothed one is given to the garment; Likewise, objects consisting of matter in themselves are not worthy of worship, but if the person depicted [on them] is filled with grace, then, according to the measure of faith, they also become participants in grace [i.e. e. they pour it out]. The Apostles saw the Lord with their bodily eyes, and others saw the Apostles, and others saw the martyrs. I also strongly desire to see these both in soul and body, and to have a medicine that protects from evil, since I was created with a dual nature; And. Seeing what is visible, I worship not as God, but as an image worthy of respect that is precious. You, of course, may be tall and immaterial, and above the body, and, like an incorporeal one, you show contempt for everything visible; but I, since I am a man and clothed with a body, strongly desire to be physically in society with that which is holy and to see it. Oh, high one, show mercy to my base thoughts, so that you [yourself] can maintain your height 131! The Lord praises my love for Him, and also glorifies His friends. For the Lord rejoices when a servant devoted to Him is glorified, [as] the Great Basil said, glorifying the forty martyrs. But see what he also says when praising 132 the glorious Gordius. VI. St. Basil, from the word for the [day] of the martyr Gordius At the mere recollection of those excellent deeds performed by the righteous, peoples rejoice in spiritual joy and, listening, are encouraged to compete and imitate those virtues. For the history of those men who lived well provides those who are being saved, as it were, some light on the path of life. And again: So, whenever we tell about the lives of those who shone with piety, we first glorify the Lord through His servants, and [then] we praise the righteous, testifying to what we know [finally], and we arouse joy in the nations by hearing about beautiful things. Interpretation. See how the remembrance of the saints shows the glory of God, sings a song of praise to the saints, and brings about joy and salvation for the nations. So why are you eliminating it? And that recollection occurs through words and images, says the same divine Basil. VII. The same saint, on [the day of] the martyr Gordius ... For just as fire naturally follows light and peace follows fragrance, so good deeds are necessarily followed by benefit. However, this is no small matter: to carefully find the truth of what was [done] then. For some faint memory has reached us, preserving the valiant deeds of this man during the contest, and it almost seems that our situation is similar to what happens to painters; because, just as those, after copying images from images, most often, as is natural, remain behind the prototypes, so we, removed from the very contemplation of affairs, are threatened with a not insignificant danger of diminishing the truth. VIII. At the end of the same word ... For, just as when we always see the sun, we are always surprised, so the memory of that husband is always fresh for us... Interpretation. It is clear that [it is fresher for us because] we constantly contemplate [that husband] both through speech and images. IX. And in the word on [the day of] the highly revered forty martyrs he says this How could one who loves martyrs become satiated with the memory of them? Because the honor given to those among fellow servants who are excellent proves love for the common Master. And again: Sincerely please the one who tasted martyrdom, so that you, by your own will, become a martyr and come forward worthy of the same praises that they did, even if you were not persecuted, burned, or scourged. Interpretation. So, why do you keep me from honoring the saints and do not want me to be saved? And that, in his opinion, the image drawn with paints is akin to the one drawn in words, listen to what he says after a short interval. ...So, here! By bringing them into the middle with our memories, as if in a picture, by showing everyone the exploits of these men, we will bring common benefit to those present. Interpretation. Do you see that the matter of image and word is one and the same? For, he says, as if in a picture, let’s show it in words! The immediately next part of the word again [contains this]: for both prose writers and painters often talk about courageous military deeds: some decorating them with words, others drawing them on boards: both of them aroused many to a courageous course of action. For what you offer the word of a story to the ear, silent painting shows [to the eyes] through imitation. Interpretation. What is clearer than this to prove that images for the illiterate serve as books and silent messengers of the honor that belongs to the saints, teaching those who look and sanctifying their sight with a silent voice. Books are not enough for me, I have no leisure for reading, I enter the general clinic of souls - the Church, strangled by thoughts, as if by thorny plants. The color of painting attracts me to contemplation and, like a meadow, delighting the eye, imperceptibly pours the glory of God into the soul. I contemplate the patience of the martyr, the reward of crowns, and, as if with fire, I am inflamed with the desire to compete with him, falling, I worship God through the martyr and receive salvation. Have you not heard that the same God-bearing Father, in his speech at the beginning of the psalms, says: The Holy Spirit, knowing that leading the human race in the matter of virtue is difficult and that he is careless, added melody 133 to the psalmody? What are you saying? I will not paint, both in words and in colors, the martyrdom of the martyrs? And I will not embrace with my eyes that which both the Angels and all creation are surprised at, and which, as the lamp of the Church himself said, is a subject of torment for the devil and is terrible for demons 134? He says something similar at the end of the word, glorifying the forty martyrs: Oh, holy host! O holy assembly! Oh, indestructible close formation! Oh, universal guardians of the human race, glorious partners in care, helpers in prayer, the most powerful elders, stars of the universe, flowers of the Churches, flowers, I say, both spiritual and sensual! It was not the earth that hid you, but the sky that took you to itself. The gates of heaven are open to you. A worthy spectacle for the army of Angels, worthy for patriarchs, prophets, and the righteous! Interpretation. How can I not want to see what the Angels want to see? In agreement with these words, both his brother and Gregory, Bishop of Nyssa, who are of one mind with him, speak. XI. Saint Gregory, Bishop of Nyssa, from addition 135 [to the six-day St. Vasily], i.e. [from the book] about the creation of man. Chapter IV Just as people who prepare images of rulers, in accordance with human custom, imprint the features of their outer appearance, and clothe them in purple, in order to at the same time designate their royal dignity, and just as [a work of this kind] is called both an image and a king, so human nature, because it was prepared to rule over other objects, was created like some animate image participating with its A prototype both in dignity and in name. XII. The same, from the fifth chapter of the same book Divine beauty is not manifested in any external form and not in the charm of an external image, determined by any elegance of colors, but is seen in ineffable bliss in accordance with virtue. However, painters almost transfer human forms into paintings with the help of certain colors, applying appropriate and decent colors to the copy so that the beauty of the prototype is accurately transferred to the likeness. Interpretation. Note that divine beauty does not shine with any outward appearance, due to any elegance of colors, and therefore is not depicted. The human image is transferred to paintings through paints. If the Son of God appeared in the form of a man, took on the form of a servant, became in the likeness of humanity, and was found in the likeness of a man, 136 then how, therefore, should we not depict Him? And if, according to custom, the image of a king is called a king, and the honor given to the image goes to the prototype, as the divine Basil says, then why will the image not be an object of veneration and worship? Not as God, but as the image of God - incarnate. XIII. His, from the words spoken in Constantinople, about the Divinity of the Son and the Holy Spirit and about Abraham ... After this, the father first grabs his son [Bound] with both hands. I have often seen a picture of this sad affair and have not passed by this spectacle without tears, since art clearly brings this story before my eyes. Isaac lies near the altar, with his knee bent and his hands turned [i.e., tied] behind him. And he [i.e., the father], stepping behind his son 137 on the crook of his knee, drawing his hair to himself with his left hand, bends down to the face looking pitifully at him and, armed with a knife in his right hand, rushes to the slaughter. And the tip of the knife already touches the body, and then he hears a voice from God, rejecting this act. XIV. St. John Chrysostom, from the commentary on the Epistle to the Hebrews ...And before there was a certain image of what appeared after: Melchizedek [i.e., pre-depicted] Christ, just as if someone called the shadow of a picture painted with paints 138 the unclear image of it by a painter that preceded it. For this is why the law is called shadow, and grace truth, but works are that which is to be; so that the law and Melchizedek are the shadow that preceded the picture depicted with colors 139; grace and truth are a picture painted with colors 140; and works are what will happen in the next century: so the Old Testament is an image of an image and the New Testament is an image of works. XVa. Leontius, bishop of the city of Naples on the island of Cyprus, from a word against the Jews about worshiping the cross of Christ and images of saints, and oneself - mutually; also about the remains of saints If you, Jew, again reproach me, saying that I worship the wood of the cross as God, then why do you not blame Jacob, who bowed to the top of the rod 141? But it is quite clear that he bowed, not honoring the tree, but through the tree he bowed to Joseph, just as we glorify Christ through the cross, and not the tree 142. Interpretation. So, if we worship the sign of the cross by making an image of the cross from any substance, then why should we not worship the image of the Crucified One? XVb. And again from the book of the same Leonty ... Since Abraham also bowed to the wicked people who sold him the grave, and bent his knee to the ground, but did not worship them as gods; and again, Jacob blessed the wicked and idolater - Pharaoh 143, but blessed him not as God: and again, having fallen, he bowed to Esau, but he worshiped not as God; and again, how does God command you to worship? Both the earth and the mountains? For he says: Lift up the Lord our God and worship him in his holy mountain. And worship his footstool, for it is holy 144, that is, the earth. For heaven, says He, is my throne, and earth is my footstool, says the Lord 145. How did Moses bow to Jethro, who was an idolater, and Daniel to Nebuchadnezzar? Why do you blame me for honoring those who honored God and worshiped Him? Is it not proper, tell me, to worship the saints and not stone them, as you do? Isn’t it appropriate to worship, and not saw 146 them and not throw your benefactors into a ditch filled with mud 147? If you loved God, then, in any case, you should also honor His servants. And if the bones of the righteous are unclean, then why were the bones of Jacob and Joseph 148 transferred from Egypt with all honors? How did a dead man, touching the bones of Elisha, immediately resurrect 149? If God works miracles through bones, then it is quite obvious that He can - through images, and stones, and much more, as happened with Elisha, who gave his own rod to his youth and told him to go, through the rod, to resurrect the son of the Shunammite woman 150. And Moses, by means of a rod, punished Pharaoh and divided the sea, and sweetened the water, and tore apart the rock, and brought out the water 151. And Solomon says: Blessed is the tree, wherein is salvation 152. Elisha, throwing a piece of wood into the Jordan, brought iron 153 to the top [of the water]. We also [read about] the tree of life 154 and the plant Savek' 155, that is, the plant of mercy. And Moses lifted up the serpent on the tree and gave life to the people 156. By means of the wood [Aaron's rod] that grew in the tabernacle, he established [Aaron's] priesthood 157. But perhaps you, Jew, will tell me that God commanded Moses that everything that is in the tabernacle of the testimony should be [there]. And I tell you that Solomon made many different objects in the church, carved decorations and sculptures 158 which God did not command him to make, and the Tabernacle of Testimony did not own these objects, nor did the church shown by God to Ezekiel 159 have them; and Solomon, meanwhile, was not accused. For he arranged such images for the glory of God, just like us. And you had many different images and signs to remember God before you lost them due to your foolishness; i.e., the rod of Moses, the tablets inscribed by God, the fire bush 160, the dry rock that flowed water, the Ark of the Covenant, which contained manna, the altar - the receptacle of divine fire, the tablet with the name of God [carved on it], the ephud shown by God, the tabernacle overshadowed by God. If you, for your part, overshadowed all this night and day, saying: glory to you, who alone is God Almighty, who through all this worked miracles in Israel, if you, falling down, worshiped God through all those legal institutions that you once had, then you see that through images the worship of God is rendered. XV century And after a short interval [the same Leonty says] ... For if one who truly loves a friend or a king, and especially his benefactor, even if he sees his son or a rod, or a throne, or a crown, or a house, or a slave, hugs and kisses and [thus] gives honor to the benefactor-king, then much more [in the same way] should honor God. Oh, if only, I say again, you would make images of Moses and the prophets and worship the Lord God with them daily! And so, when you see that the sons of Christians worship the cross, then know that they are worshiping the crucified Christ, and not a tree. For if they revered the nature of wood, then, in any case, they would have to worship both groves and trees, just as you, Israel, once worshiped them, saying, wood and stone: you are my God and you gave birth to me ecu 162. We don’t say that to the cross, and we don’t say that to images of saints. For they are not our gods, but books opened so that we remember God and give honor to Him, books that are in the churches before everyone’s eyes and serve as objects of worship. For he who honors a martyr honors God, to whom the martyr testified [with his blood]. He who worships the Apostle of Christ worships the One who sent him. And he who falls to the image of the Mother of Christ obviously gives honor to Her Son. For there is no God but one, who in the Trinity is known and worshiped. Interpretation. Is this the faithful interpreter of the words of Blessed Epiphanius, who adorned the island of Cyprus [also] with his speeches, or those who express the feelings of their hearts? Listen also to Bishop Severian of Gavala, what he says. XVI. Bishop of Gavalsky-Severian, from a word spoken on the feast of the renewal of the cross 163 How did the image of one who was cursed bring life to our ancestors? And after a short interval: So, how did the image of one who was cursed bring salvation to a people dejected by misfortune? Wouldn’t it be more reliable to say: if any of you is bitten, let him look to heaven, up to God, and be saved, or to the tabernacle of God? But he will not pay attention to this, he only arranged the image of the cross. So, why did Moses do this, who said to the people: “Thou shalt not make for yourself a carved or sculpted image or any likeness of the tree in heaven, or the tree on the earth below, or the tree in the waters under the earth 164?” But why am I talking about this to an ungrateful person? Say, O most faithful servant of God! You. are you doing what you forbid? What you destroy, you arrange? Speaker: Thou shalt not make a carved image, thou shalt crush the body fused from metal, arest thou making a serpent out of copper? And this is not secret, but open and [so that] everyone can know? But this, he says, I have prescribed by law in order to eradicate the substances of wickedness and turn the people away from all apostasy and idolatry. Now I cast a serpent from metal for the benefit [for others] - for the pre-depiction of the truth. And just as I built the tabernacle and everything in it, and the cherubim - the likeness of the invisible, spread over the saint, like the image and canopy of the future, so I erected the serpent for the people for their salvation, so that through experience in this kind [of signs] they would be accustomed in advance to the image of the sign of the cross and [to accept] the Savior and Redeemer hanging on it. And that this word is most truthful, beloved, listen to the Lord, who confirms it and says: just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the desert, so it is fitting for the Son of Man to be lifted up. Yes, everyone who believes in him will not perish, but will have eternal life 165. Interpretation. Understand that he ordered by law not to make any likeness for the sake of deviation, he said, of the people from idolatry - a people easily carried away and inclined to this: and - that the ascended serpent was an image of the suffering of the Lord. And that [the veneration of] icons is not a new invention, but ancient and known to the holy and excellent Fathers and common to them - listen! In the life of Blessed Basil, compiled by his disciple Helladius and his successor at the episcopal see, it is written that this saint stood before the 166th icon of the Lady [our – icon], on which was painted the image of the glorious martyr Mercury. He stood before her, asking for the death of the most godless tyrant who had apostatized from the faith - Julian. From the side of this icon, he was initiated into such a revelation: it was he who saw that this martyr disappeared from sight for a short time, and after a little time he was holding a bloody spear. XVII. From the biography of John Chrysostom, [where] it is literally written like this ... Blessed John greatly loved the 167 epistles of the wisest Paul. And after a short interval: He also had an image of the same Apostle on the icon, [in the place] where, due to the weakness of his body, he rested for a short time. For he was by nature disposed to stay awake a lot. And when he read his messages, then, without taking his eyes off, he looked at the image, and looked at it with such attention, as if the Apostle were alive - glorifying it and, imagining it, directed all his thoughts to it, and through contemplation [of the image] talked with it. And after another interval: ... When Proclus stopped speaking, then, looking closely at the image of this Apostle and seeing a figure similar to the one he had seen before, he said, bowing his body, giving greeting 168 to John and pointing with his finger at the image: forgive me, father! the one whom I saw speaking to you is similar to this, and even, as I think, this is he. XVIII. In the life of Saint Eupraxia It is written that the one who was in charge of the flock was shown to her an image of the Lord. XIX. In the life of Saint Mary of Egypt it is written that she prayed before the icon of the Lady and asked for her guarantee, and that in this way she gained access to the church. XX. From the [book] of our Holy Father Sophronius, Archbishop of Jerusalem, [called] Lug 169 Abba Theodore - Eliot said that a certain glorious ascetic was a prisoner on the Mount of Olives. The demon of fornication waged war on him. So, one day, when he was pressing hard on him, the elder began to grieve and said 170 to the demon: How long will you not give in to me? 171 Get away from me at last! You grew old with me. The demon appears to him in a visible image, saying: swear to me that you will not tell anyone what I intend to tell you, and from now on I will not fight with you. And the elder swore to him: I swear by those who dwell in the highest, I will not tell anyone what you tell me. Then the demon says to him: do not bow to this icon, and henceforth I will not fight with you. This icon had the image of our Lady Saint Mary - the Mother of God, carrying our Lord Jesus Christ. The prisoner says to the demon: let me think about this. So, the next day he notifies Abba Theodore - Eliot, who was then living in the Faron monastery, and [when] this one came, he tells everything that happened to him. This elder says to the prisoner: Abba, you really turned out to be a victim of mockery, since you swore an oath to the demon. However, you did well by telling [me about this]. It is better for you not to leave in this city [a single] indecent house 173 that you would not enter, than for you to refuse to worship our Lord and God Jesus Christ together with His own Mother. So, having strengthened him and instilled strength in him with many speeches, he returned to his own place. The demon really appears to the prisoner again and says to him: what is this, oh, bad old man? Didn't you swear to me that you wouldn't tell anyone! And why did you tell everything to the person who came to you? I tell you, oh, worthless old man: you are about to be condemned on the day of judgment as an oathbreaker. The prisoner answered him, saying: what I swore - I swore; and by what I swore falsely, I know; I'm not listening to you. Interpretation. Do you see what he said about the worship of the image - as about the worship of the depicted? And how great is the evil of not worshiping an image? And how the demon preferred him [i.e. e. non-worship] fornication? So 174, when from the most ancient times many priests and kings were given to Christians, shining in wisdom, and worship of God, and word, and life, and very many councils of saints and divinely inspired Fathers were [convened], then why did no one undertake to do this? We will not tolerate learning a new faith! For the law will go out from Zion, the Holy Spirit spoke prophetically, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem 175. We will not tolerate that at other times we think differently, and that we change under the influence of circumstances, and that faith is made for outsiders [i.e. e. non-Christians] the subject of laughter and jokes! We will not tolerate submission to the royal order, which is trying to destroy the custom that originated from the Fathers! For it is not typical for pious kings to destroy church decrees. These are not fatherly matters. For deeds done through violence, and not persuasion, are robberies. The witness is the council convened for the second time in Ephesus, which still retains the name of the robber 176 it received, since it suffered violence at the hands of the king when blessed Flavian was killed. This. e. any decrees on such subjects] are the work of councils, not kings, as the Lord said. Where two or three are gathered in My name, I am in the midst of them 177. Christ did not give the power to bind and loose to kings, but to the Apostles 178 and their successors, and shepherds, and teachers. And if an angel, says the Apostle Paul, preaches the gospel to you more than he has received... 179 . Sparingly, since we are waiting for their appeal, we will remain silent about what follows next. If so, then the Lord forbids it! – we see irrevocable corruption, then we will add what remains [i.e. e. words: anathema be it]. But we wish this didn't happen. If someone, entering a house in which a painter painted on the walls the story of Moses and Pharaoh, then, perhaps, asks about those who passed through the sea, as through land: who are they? what do you say to the question? Are they not the children of Israel? Who is he who strikes the sea with a rod? Isn't it Moses? Thus, if someone depicts Christ crucified and is asked: Who is this? then he will say: Christ is God, incarnate for our sake. Yes, Lord, we worship everything that is Yours, and with flaming love we embrace Your deity, power, goodness, merciful to us, condescension. embodiment; and just as we are afraid to touch red-hot iron, not because of the nature of the iron, but because of the fire that has entered into union with it, so I worship Your flesh, not for the sake of the nature of the flesh, but for the sake of the Divinity that has entered into hypostatic union with it. We worship Your suffering. Who has seen death that would be worshiped? Who has seen suffering that would be honored? However, we really worship the fleshly death of my God and saving suffering. We worship Your image. We worship everything that is Yours: servants, friends, etc. especially before this, the Mother of God. We also ask the people of God, holy language, to hold fast to church traditions. For even to a small extent, the taking away of what has been handed down [by antiquity], like stones from a building, very soon overthrows the entire building. May we remain strong, steadfast, unshakable, established on the strong rock that is Christ! To Him belongs glory and honor and worship, together with the Father and the Spirit, now and always, throughout the endless ages of ages. Amen. I. My gentlemen, show mercy to the one who asks, and from me, the most indecent and least servant of the Church of God, accept the word that is completely true. For, God is my witness, I began to speak not for the sake of glory or to show myself to be significant, but out of zeal for the truth. For only her [i.e. e. jealousy] I have as hope for salvation, and I hope and desire to meet the Lord Christ with it, offering it to Him as propitiation for those shameful sins that I have committed. For one, having received five talents from the Lord, brought the other five that he had acquired; and he who received two brought two [others] equal in number; the one who received one, buried it and brought it back barren, was called an unworthy slave and condemned to utter darkness 180. Fearing that I might not experience this, I submit to the command of the Lord, and to you, prudent merchants, I offer the talent of speech given to me by Him, so that my Lord, when he comes, will find it increasing several times and producing fruit: spiritual profit, and, having found [me] a faithful servant, he will lead me into His sweetest joy desired by me. But give me an ear of attention and, spreading the tables of your hearts, accept my word and truly explore the power of what is said. I composed this second word about icons because some of the children of the Church advised me to do this, since the first was not entirely understandable for many. So, for me, [in this case] who has fulfilled the duty of obedience, show mercy in this too. II. Beloved, the envious one and the author of all evil - the serpent - I mean the devil - has a custom in many ways to fight with man, created in the image of God, and to cause his death through opposite tricks. For immediately at first he instilled in him the hope and desire to become God, and through them he brought him down to the death of the dumb. However, he was seduced many times by both shameful and unreasonable pleasures. And how great is the difference between the divine state (which he promised to man) and unreasonable lust? And then he led to atheism, as the Godfather David says: he was foolish in his heart: There is no God 181; then to polytheism; and then he persuaded not to worship even the One who by nature is God; and then [he persuaded to worship] demons; and he also taught to worship the sky, and the earth, and the sun, and the moon, and the stars, and the rest of creation, even to animals and reptiles. For it is equally bad: both not to give due honor to those worthy of respect, and to give unbecoming excessive glory to those unworthy of honor. Again, some have been taught that evil is co-eternal with God. Some have been seduced into confessing that God, who is good by nature, is the Author of evil. And some were deceived so that they foolishly said that in the Divinity there is one nature and one Person, while others were deceived so that they unlawfully worshiped three natures and three Persons; and some were inspired to glorify the one Person and one nature of our Lord Jesus Christ, Who is one of the Holy Trinity; to some there are two natures and two Faces of Him. III. The truth, following the middle path, rejects all these absurdities and teaches us to confess one God, one nature in three Persons, the Father and the Son, and the Holy Spirit; evil, she says, is not an essence, but something accidental, some thought and word and action contrary to the law of God; it has its existence in what is thought and said and done, and with the cessation of [this] it also disappears. It also proclaims that Christ is one of the Holy Trinity, that He consists of two natures and that He is one Person. IV. But the demon, the enemy of the truth and hostile to the salvation of people, who many times deceived not only the pagans, but also the sons of Israel, to make images of corruptible people, and birds, and beasts, and reptiles 182, and to worship these as gods, is now trying to confuse the Church of Christ living in the world, through lawless lips and a crafty tongue, mixing vice with divine words and trying to cover up the disgusting and his gloomy image and to turn away the hearts of those who have not strengthened themselves from the true custom handed down by the Fathers. For some rebelled, saying that it is not right for the sake of contemplation and glory, and amazement, and competition to depict and exhibit (publicly) the saving miracles of Christ and the exploits of the saints against the devil. And who, possessing divine knowledge and spiritual insight, does not notice that [this] is the suggestion of the devil? For he does not want his defeat and shame to be made public, nor does he want the glory of God and His saints to be written down. V. For if we were to make an image of the invisible God, we would indeed be in error, because it is impossible for the incorporeal and invisible, and indescribable, and without form, to be depicted. And again: if we made images of people and considered them gods, and served them as gods, we would really be acting wickedly. But we don't do any of this. For after God, by His ineffable goodness, became incarnate, appeared on earth in the flesh and with men, 183 and took on the nature and size, and image, and color of flesh, we, by making His image, do not sin. For we greatly desire to see His image; because, as the divine Apostle says, we see now like a mirror in fortune-telling 184. The image is a mirror and fortune-telling, commensurate with the size of our body. For the mind, even after many strains, is not able to leave the limits of the body. VI. Oh, away from you, envious devil, you envy us that we see the image of our Lord and through him are sanctified, that we also see His saving suffering and marvel at His condescension, and contemplate His miracles, and glorify the power of His Divinity. You envy the saints because of the honor given to them by God. You don’t want us to see their glory depicted and become imitators of their courage and faith. We do not obey you, envious and misanthropic demon. Hear, peoples, tribes, languages, men, women and children, old men and young men, and infants, holy Christian people! If anyone preaches to you contrary to what the universal Church received from the holy Apostles, Fathers, councils and preserved to this day, do not listen to him and do not accept the advice of the serpent, as Eve accepted and reaped death 185 . And if an Angel or a king preaches the gospel to you contrary to what you have accepted, close your ears. For I, expecting correction, am afraid to say, as the divine Apostle said: let him be anathema! 186 VII. But those who do not examine the meaning of Scripture say that God said through Moses the lawgiver: Thou shalt not make every likeness, tree in heaven and tree on earth 187 . And through the prophet David: let them all be ashamed who bow down to graven images, who boast about their idols 188, and many other similar things. For what they presented both from the divine Scripture and from the Holy Fathers should be understood in the proper 189 way. So what should we say to this? What else if not what the Lord said to the Jews: try the scriptures 190? For the study of the Scriptures is a wonderful thing. But here, direct your mind wisely! It is impossible to deceive God, beloved 191. For one is God, one is the Lawgiver of the Old and New Testaments, spoken of many times and in many ways in ancient times by the Father in the prophethood and in the last times in His Only Begotten Son 192 . Guide your mind with care! This word is not mine; The Holy Spirit announced through St. Apostle Paul: God, who was spoken of by the Father as a prophet, was many-part and varied in ancient times 193. Notice that God spoke in many parts and in a variety of ways. For, as a knowledgeable doctor does not and does not always give the same type [of medicine], but he gives each medicine in accordance with the property [of the case], paying attention to the country, and to the disease, and to the time, and to the age: for a child - one thing, for an adult, in accordance with age, another; one thing for a sick person and another for a person recovering, and for each of the patients, not the same thing, but in accordance with the property [of his body] and the disease; and another - in summer, and another - in winter and autumn, and spring, and in each place - according to the property of the place; so the wonderful Physician of souls, who were still in childhood and exhausted from the disease of idolatry, and who considered idols to be gods, and who worshiped them as gods, and who rejected the worship of God, and who gave glory to His creatures, forbade them to do this. For it is impossible to make an image of God - incorporeal and invisible, and immaterial, and having no appearance, no outline, and incomprehensible. For how will something that is not visible be depicted? No one has seen God anywhere: the only begotten Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, that confession 194. And: no one will see my face, and he will live, said God 195. VIII. And that idols were worshiped as gods, listen - what the Scripture says in the Exodus of the Children of Israel, when Moses ascended Mount Sinai and remained [there] for a long time, sitting with God, and received the law, when the ungrateful people rose up against Aaron, the servant of God, saying: Make us gods, who will go before us: Moses for this man did not know what would happen to him 196; then - when they took off the jewelry from their women and cast metal [calfs], and they ate and drank, and got drunk both with wine and with error, and began to play, saying in madness: these are your gods, to Israel 197 . Do you see that they had idols for gods, which were the dwellings of demons? And that they served the creatures more than the Creator, just as the divine Apostle says: who changed the glory of the incorruptible God into the likeness of the corruptible image of man, and birds, and four-footed animals, and creeping things, and served the creation more than the Creator 198. For this reason, God forbade making any likeness, as Moses says in Deuteronomy: And the Lord spoke to you from the midst of the fire: You have heard the voice of words, and you have not seen an image, except the voice 199. And after a few words: and provide your souls with vigor, for you have not seen the likeness in the day after the Lord spoke to you in Mount Horeb from the midst of the fire, never commit lawlessness, and do not create for yourself the likeness of a sculpture, any image, the likeness of a man or a woman, the likeness of every livestock that is on the earth, the likeness of every feathered bird and the like. 200. And after a short interval: and not when you look up at the sky, and see the sun and the moon, and the stars, and all the beauty of heaven, you are seduced by bowing to them and serving them 201. Note that there is one goal, so that creatures do not serve more than the Creator, and do not render service worship to [anyone] except the Creator alone. Therefore service is everywhere connected with worship [in Scripture]. And after a few words: let there be no gods for you except Me; yea, thou shalt not make for thyself an idol, nor any likeness 202 . And again: do not create merged gods for yourself 203. You see that because of [the avoidance of] idolatry, [the Scriptures] prohibit the drawing of images, and that it is impossible for God, who is incorporeal and invisible and indescribable, to be depicted. For His image, says [Scripture], you have not seen 204; as Paul also says, standing in the middle of the Areopagus: since the race is of God, we must not eat like a deity, gold or silver, or a stone more artistically inscribed and the understanding of man 205 . IX. And what is this - so, listen: do not make for yourself, says [Scripture], an idol or any likeness 206. When God commanded this, he made, it says, the curtain [of the doors] of the tabernacle of the testimony of blue and scarlet, and scarlet, and fine linen, the work of the cherubim. And she created a purification over the ark of pure gold, and two cherubim 207. What are you doing, O Moses? You say: do not make for yourself an idol, or any likeness 208, and you [do] erect a curtain - it’s a matter of shvenno cherubim 209? And - two Cherubim made of pure gold 210? But listen to what God’s servant Moses answers you. Oh, blind and foolish, understand the power of what is being said, and provide your souls with strength. I said, because you did not see the likeness of the day, in the same day the Lord spoke to you in Mount Horeb from the midst of the fire, never commit lawlessness, and do not create for yourself the likeness of Vayanna, any image 211, and do not create for yourself merged gods 212. I did not say: do not make images of the Cherubim as slaves who stand before the purification, but: do not create for yourself gods merged, and: do not create any likeness 213 as God, and do not serve the creature more than the Creator 214. So, I did not make the likeness of God, and, of course, I did not make the likeness of anyone else like God, and I did not serve the creature more than the Creator. X. You have noticed how the purpose of Scripture has been revealed to those who study it intelligently. For we must know, beloved, that in every deed we look for truth and falsehood, and the purpose of the one who commits it, whether it is beautiful or bad. For although the Gospel depicts God, and Angel, and man, and heaven, and earth, and water, and fire, and air, and the sun, and the moon, and the stars, and light, and darkness, and Satan, and the demon, and snakes, and scorpions, and death, and hell, and virtues, and vices, and everything both beautiful and bad: but, however, since everything that is said about them is true and the goal is the glory of God and the saints glorified by Him, as well as our salvation and the overthrow and shame of the devil and his demons, then we worship and embrace and kiss and greet with our eyes and lips and heart: in the same way [we give honor] to the entire Old and New Testament, and to the words of the holy and excellent Fathers. The shameful and disgusting and unclean writings of the damned: the Manichaeans, the Greeks, and other heresies, as containing what is false and vain, and as invented for the glory of the devil and his demons and for their joy, we reject with contempt and throw away from us, even if it contains the name of God. Thus, in the matter of images, one must look for both the truth and the purpose of those who arrange them. And if it is true and right, and if images are made for the glory of God and His saints and for the competition of virtue and - the avoidance of vice and the salvation of souls, then one should accept them with joy and honor them, as images and imitations, and likenesses, and books for the illiterate, and worship, and kiss, and greet with eyes and lips, and heart, as the likeness of God incarnate or His Mother, or the saints, accomplices of the suffering and glory of Christ and the victors and destroyers of the Devil and demons, and their delusions. XI. If anyone dares to make an image of the Divine - immaterial and incorporeal, and invisible, and without shape or color, then we reject it as false. And if anyone [dare to make an image] for the glory and worship and honor of the devil or demons, then we show contempt and destroy with fire; and if anyone deifies the image of people or birds, or reptiles, or any other creature, we anathematize him. For just as the Holy Fathers overthrew the sanctuaries and churches of demons, and in their places erected churches in honor of the names of the saints, and these we venerate, so they destroyed the images of demons and in their place erected images of Christ and the Mother of God and the saints. And during the Old Testament, of course, no churches were erected in honor of the name of the people Israel, nor was the memory of man celebrated. For the nature of people was still under a curse, and death was a sentence [i.e. e. punishment], which is why she was mourned; and the body of the deceased was considered unclean, and so did those who touched it. Now, since the Divinity, as some life-giving and saving medicine, has united with our nature, our nature has been glorified and turned into incorruptible. Therefore, the death of saints is celebrated, and churches are erected for them, and images are drawn. So, let every person know that whoever tries to destroy an image that arose as a result of divine love and jealousy for the glory and remembrance of Christ or His Mother - the Holy Mother of God, or any of the saints, and for the shame of the devil and the defeat of him and his demons, and does not worship, and does not honor, and does not greet him, as a precious image and - as God - is the enemy of Christ and the Holy Mother of God, and the saints and the avenger of the devil and his demons, by deed revealing his sadness because God and His saints are honored and glorified. The devil is put to shame. For the image is [a kind of] triumph and publication, and an inscription on a pillar in memory of the victory of those who acted undaunted and distinguished themselves, and of the shame of the defeated and overthrown demons. XII. It is not the job of kings to give laws to the Church. What does the divine Apostle say? And God has placed them in the church: first an apostle, second a prophet, third shepherds and teachers, for the building of the Church 215. Didn't say kings. And again; obey your mentors and repent: for they watch over your souls, for they want to reward the word 216... And again: remember your mentors who spoke the word [of God] to you, who look at the end of their lives 217, imitate faith 218. It was not kings who spoke the word to us, but apostles and prophets, and shepherds, and teachers. God, having commanded David to build a house for Him, says to him: You will not build a house for me, you are a man of 219 ecu blood. Give everyone their due, exclaimed the Apostle Paul, to whom is honor, honor, to whom is fear, fear, to whom is tribute, tribute, to whom is a lesson, lesson 221. Kings are characterized by a good image of state activity; the church structure is the work of pastors and teachers. This, brethren, is a robbery attack. Saul tore Samuel's clothes 222 and suffered what? God tore his kingdom apart and gave it to the very meek David, Jezebel pursued Elijah, and pigs and dogs licked her blood, and harlots washed in it 223. Herod killed John and, eaten by worms, died 224. And now blessed Herman, shining in life and word, was strangled and became an exile, 225 as well as very many other Bishops and Fathers, whose names we do not know. Isn't this a robber thing? Lord, when the scribes and Pharisees approached Him with tempting intentions in order to entice Him with a word, and asked Him: is it worthy to give kinson to Caesar? answered them: show me the dinars, and when they showed 226, he said: whose image should I take? And when they said, “Caesar’s,” he said, “Render what is Caesar’s to Caesar’s, and what is God’s to God.” We are submissive to you, king, in matters relating to life [i.e. that is, in the affairs of this age]: taxes, duties, receiving [your] gifts, in that in which the management of our affairs is entrusted to you: in the church structure we have shepherds who spoke the word to us and prepared the church law. We do not remove from our place the eternal limit that our fathers laid down, 228 but we hold on to the traditions as we accepted them. For if we begin, albeit in a small way, to overthrow the building of the Church, then little by little it will all be destroyed. XIII. Do you blaspheme the substance and call it despicable? The Manichaeans also [do] this; but divine Scripture declares it beautiful. For it says: and God saw everything that was created: and all this was good 229. So, I admit that matter is the creation of God and that it is beautiful; But you, if you call it bad, or admit that it is not from God, or make God the Author of evil. So, look what the divine Scripture says about the substance that you call despicable. And Moses spoke to the congregation of the children of Israel, saying: This is the word that the Lord has commanded, saying: Take yourselves to share with the Lord: let everyone, according to the will of his heart, bring 230 firstfruits to the Lord, gold, silver, brass, blue, scarlet, scarlet, striped linen, and woven linen, and goatskin, and ramskin. blackened, and blue skins, and indestructible wood, and anointing oil, and for incense, and Sardinian stones, and [stones] for sculpture, for the robe, and for the heir. And every one who is wise in heart shall do all things according to the commandment of the Lord, the tabernacle 231, etc. XIV. Here, truly, the substance that you consider despicable is also honored. For what is more insignificant than a goat wave and colors? Or not paints: scarlet and crimson, and blue? Behold, truly, the work of human hands and the image of Cherubim: also this whole tabernacle was an image. For see, God says to Moses, create everything in the image shown to you on the mountain 232. And yet all Israel, [standing] around [her], worshiped [before her]. And besides, Cherubim, weren’t they before the eyes of the people? And the ark of the Covenant, and the lamp, and the table, and the golden frame, and the staff, what did the people look at when they worshiped? I do not worship matter, but I worship the Creator of matter, who for my sake became matter and made His dwelling in matter, and through matter brought about my salvation. For the Word became flesh and dwelt in us 233. And it is clear to everyone that flesh is a substance and a creation. So, I honor the substance through which my salvation was accomplished, and I reverence [it] and worship [it]. But I honor him not as God, but as filled with divine action and grace. Isn’t the substance the tree of the cross, thrice happy and blessed? Isn’t the substance a mountain, a revered and holy place? Isn’t substance the life-giving rock, the holy tomb, the source of our resurrection? Isn’t the substance the ink, the skins [on which the books are written] of the Gospels? Isn’t substance a life-giving meal that provides us with the bread of life? Isn’t the substance both gold and silver, from which crosses, and holy patenes, and chalices are made? Is not the substance, preferable to all this, the body and blood of my Lord? Either eliminate the veneration and worship of all this, or allow, according to church tradition, the worship of icons, sanctified by the name of God and the friends of God, and for this reason, overshadowed by the grace of the Divine Spirit. If you forbid images because of the law, then it is time for you to keep the sabbath and to be circumcised, for this the law steadfastly commands, and to keep the whole law and not celebrate the Passover of the Lord outside Jerusalem. But learn that if you keep the law, Christ benefits you in no way 234. It’s time for you to lead your brother’s wife to marriage and restore your brother’s seed 235, and not to sing the song of the Lord in foreign lands 236. But no! Like the law? you will be justified: you have fallen away from grace 237. XV. We depict (with paints) Christ the King and Lord, without depriving Him of His army. For the army of the Lord are holy. Let the earthly king deprive himself of his own army, and then let him deprive himself of his King and Lord. Let him take off his scarlet robe and diadem, and then let him deprive those who have distinguished themselves [in the struggle] against the tyrant and those who have curbed their passions of the veneration due to them. For if they are heirs to God and joint heirs with Christ, 238 and will also be participants in His divine glory and kingdom, then how will those who are friends of Christ not be participants in His earthly glory? I do not say you are slaves, says God, you are my natural friends 239. So, when honor is given to them by the Church, will we take it away from them? O impudent hand! Oh, a recklessly courageous mind that rebels against God and resists His commands! If you do not worship an image, do not worship the Son of God, who is the living image of the invisible God and the unchangeable image 240. The temple that Solomon created was consecrated with the blood of the dumb and was decorated with images of the dumb, lions and oxen, and palm trees, and pomegranates. Now the Church is sanctified by the blood of Christ and His saints and is decorated with the image of Christ and His saints. Either eliminate the worship of every image, or do not introduce what is new and do not change the limit of the eternal, which your fathers laid down 241. I am not talking about those that were established before Christ our God came in the flesh, but about those that were established after His coming. For regarding the decrees (law) that were in the Old Testament, God says with reproach: I gave them commandments that were not good 242 because of their hardness of heart; so that after the priesthood was changed, of necessity there was a change in the law 243. XVI. The eye-witnesses and servants [former] of the word 244 conveyed the church institution not only through books, but also through some unwritten traditions. For how do we know about the holy place of Kranie? Where - about the tomb of life? Was it not [like] a child from his father that he was accepted without registration? It is written 245 that the Lord was crucified on the cross in the cranial place and buried in the tomb that Joseph cut into stone. And that this is what we now worship, we know from unwritten tradition, and very much like this. Where - about baptism for the third time, that is, after three immersions? Where - about the worship of the cross? Is it not from an unrecorded legend? Therefore, the divine Apostle Paul says: therefore, brethren, stand fast and hold to the traditions which you have learned, either by word or by our epistle 246 . Since much has been handed over to the Church without recording and has been preserved to this day, why, therefore, speak slander regarding the images? The Manichaeans wrote the Gospel of Thomas; write the Gospel of Leo too. I do not approve of a king who, according to the custom of tyrants, kidnaps the priesthood. It was not the kings who received the power to bind and loose. I know King Valens, who called himself a Christian and [however] persecuted the Orthodox faith; I know both Zenon and Anastasius, Heraclius and Constantine 247, who was in Sicily, and Vardaniscus, who [was also called] Philippicus. I cannot be convinced that the Church should be organized by royal regulations; on the contrary, [it must be governed] according to the traditions of the Fathers, both written and unwritten. For just as the Gospel was proclaimed throughout the world without scriptures, so without scriptures it was transmitted throughout the world that Christ, God incarnate, and the saints should be depicted, as well as that we should worship the cross and pray, standing [facing] towards the east. XVII. And the passages from the scriptures that you cite do not express a curse on the worship of those icons that are allowed by us, but [only] on the worship of the Greeks, who idolized images. Therefore, because of the absurd custom of the Greeks, one should not destroy the piously arose custom of the Church. Both sorcerers and wizards cast spells, and the Church conjures catechumens; however, they conjure, calling demons to themselves, while this one conjures God against demons 249. The Greeks offered sacrifices to demons: but Israel also offered to God both blood and fat. And the Church makes a sacrifice to God: a bloodless sacrifice. The Greeks dedicated images to demons; but Israel also idolized images. For they said: These are thy gods, O Israel, who brought thee out of the land of Egypt 250 . We dedicate the images to the true God - incarnate and to the servants of God and friends who drive away the armies of demons. XVIII. If you say that blessed Epiphanius 251 openly prohibited the images used among us, then find out that this book is forged, since someone else used the name of the divine Epiphanius, which [in general] often happens. For this Father does not contend with his fellow fathers, since they have all become partakers of the one Holy Spirit. And the witness of this is the Church, which was decorated with icons until some rebelled against it 252 and confused the flock of Christ by attempting to give the people of God a dirty, destructive drink to drink. XIX. If I worship and honor, as the causes of salvation, the cross and the spear, and the cane, and the lip, with the help of which the deicide-Jews outraged and killed my Lord, then why will I not worship the icons, which for a good purpose are prepared by the faithful for the glory and remembrance of Christ’s suffering? If I worship the image of the cross, made of any substance, then why will I not worship the image of the Crucified One, Who showed the saving power of the cross? Oh, inhumanity! And it’s clear that I don’t worship substance; for when the image of a cross, which, if it happened, was made of wood, is destroyed, then I commit the wood to fire, as well as the substance of the icons. XX. And that the invention of icons and the worship of them is not a recent thing, but an ancient tradition of the Church, take many places from Scripture and the Fathers. In the Holy Gospel of Matthew, the Lord, pleasing His disciples and with them all those who live according to their example and follow in their footsteps, says the following: blessed are your hair, for they see: and your ears, for they hear. Amen, for I say to you: for many prophets and righteous women desire to see what you see, and not see, and to hear what you hear, and not hear 253. Therefore, we also strongly desire to see to what extent it is possible to see. We see it like a mirror both in fortune-telling 254 and in an icon, and we consider ourselves blessed. God Himself - the First made the image, He showed the images. For He created the first man in the image of God 255 . And Abraham, and Moses, and Isaiah, and all the prophets saw the images of God, but not the very essence of God 256. The bush was the image of the Mother of God, and to Moses, who intended to approach her, God said: take the boots from your feet: for the place where you are standing is holy ground 257. So, if the land on which the image of the Mother of God appeared to Moses is holy land, then how many times greater is this image? For he is not only a saint, but, I dare say, even one of the saints. To the Pharisees who asked that Moses commanded that he give a book of licentiousness and take away his wife? The Lord answered: because Moses, out of your hardness of heart, commanded you to let your wives go, but from the beginning it was not so 258. And I tell you that Moses, because of the hardness of heart of the children of Israel, knowing that they were easily carried away by idolatry, commanded them not to make images. Now this is not the case: for we stand firmly on the rock of faith, enriched by the light of the knowledge of God. XXI. Listen to what the Lord says: the foolish and the blind, whoever swears by the church, swears by it and those who live in it: and whoever swears by heaven, swears by the throne of God and by those who sit on it 259. And by the icon he swears, he also swears by those who are depicted on it. XXII. So that the tabernacle and the veil, and the ark of the Covenant, and the table, and everything that was in the tabernacle, were likenesses and images, and the work of human hands, which all Israel worshiped; and also that the sculptured Cherubim were built at the command of God - [this] has been sufficiently proven [by us above]. For God says to Moses: see, and create everything in the image shown to you on the mountain 260. Listen to the Apostle Paul, who testifies that Israel worshiped things made with hands and images, as God commanded it. If only there were, he says, on earth, there would not be a priest, a real priest, bringing gifts according to the law, which serve the image and the wall 261 of heaven, as it was said to Moses, who wants to create a tabernacle: see, say: create according to the image shown to you on the mountain: now improve the best service, since there is an intercessor for a better covenant, like be established on the best promises. If the first one had been blameless, a place would not have been sought for the second one. Reproaching them, he says: These days are coming, says the Lord: and I will make a new covenant against the house of Israel, and against the house of Judah: not according to the covenant that your fathers commanded 262 on the day in which I take them by the hand, to bring them out of the land of Egypt 263 . And after a short interval: sometimes he says, new, having decayed first: but that which decays and grows old is near decay. The tabernacle was built first, and in it there is a lamp and a meal and an offering of bread, which is said to be holy. Behind the second veil is the tabernacle, which is said to be the holy of holies, having a censer in gold, and the ark of the covenant is shrouded everywhere in gold: in it there is a cistern of gold containing manna, and Aaron’s rod, and the tablets of the covenant. Above him are the cherubim of glory, overshadowing the purification (altar) 264. And again: Christ did not go into the holy place made with hands, the opposite of the true ones, but into heaven itself 265. And after another interval: the divine law of future blessings, (and) not the very image of things 266. XXIII. Notice that the law, and everything consistent with it, and all the service 267 that takes place among us is a holy man-made, leading us to the immaterial God through the medium of matter. Both the law and everything consistent with the law were a certain shadow of the future image, that is, the place of service that takes place among us; and the place of service that we have is an image of future blessings; the very same things 268 the highest Jerusalem, immaterial and not made by hands, just as the same divine Apostle says: we do not seek the imams of the city that abides here, but the one to come 269, which is the highest Jerusalem, of which God is the artist and creator 270. For everything, both in accordance with the law and in accordance with our ministry, happened for this purpose [i.e. e. Jerusalem above]. To God Himself - glory forever. Amen. ...So, we should also, instead of the people talking about them [i.e. i.e. sacred symbols] opinion, it is decent to penetrate 271 inside [i.e., into the very essence] of sacred signs and not to humiliate them - which originate from divine forms and are reflections of them, as well as visible images of secret and supernatural spectacles... ... We are also taught this: while now, in accordance with our ability to understand [divine] sayings and hierarchical traditions, Humanity, through sacred veils, through what is perceived by the senses, hides what is comprehended only by the mind, and through that which exists, hides that which surpasses [every] essence, and that which is devoid of form and image, clothes with forms and images, and that simplicity that is supernatural and has no form, as it fills with a variety of divisible signs, it depicts... Interpretation. If it is characteristic of Humanity, in a way consistent with us, to clothe with forms and images the devoid of image and appearance and the simple, and without form, then why not depict for us, in a manner appropriate to us, that which has become visible [to us] through the medium of forms and figures - both for memory and for the movement towards competition arising from memory? III. Him, from a book about the church hierarchy ... But, of course, the essences and ranks that are higher than us, the sacred remembrance of which I have already made, are incorporeal, and the hierarchy that takes place in relation to them is both spiritual and supermundane. The hierarchy that takes place in relation to us, we see, abounds, in proportion to our own ability of understanding, in a variety of sensory signs by which we are hierarchically elevated to a uniform union with God in the measure appropriate to us, and to God and divine virtue. The first [i.e., our highest ranks and essences], as minds, understand as far as they are allowed, but we, through sensory images, as far as possible, are raised to divine contemplations... Interpretation. Therefore, if, in proportion to our ability of understanding, we are raised to divine and immaterial contemplation through sensory images, and divine providence humanely clothes with images and forms that which is devoid of forms and images, so that we are led [by them] as if by a hand, then why is it indecent to depict, in proportion to our own ability of understanding, Him who for our sake humanely submitted to external appearance and image? 272 IV. Saint Basil, from that word about the blessed martyr Barlaam, the beginning of which: First, of course, the death of the saints... ... Rise now with me, glorious painters of excellent ascetic deeds, and make the diminished image of the leader great with the help of your art. The winner, very vaguely drawn by me, illuminate with the colors of your wisdom. Let me retreat - defeated by you in the matter of drawing the exploits of a martyr! Yes, I rejoice, yielding today to such a victory won by your strength! May I see more carefully the struggle between the hand and the fire that you draw! May I see a fighter more clearly drawn in your picture! May the demons [already] cry even now, amazed by the exploits of the martyr you depicted! May the burning and conquering hand be shown to them again! Let us also inscribe on the board the Master of Labor in competitions—Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen. V. His same, from thirty chapters to Amphilochius about the Holy Spirit; from chapter XVIII ... Because the image of a king is also called a king, [although these are] not two kings. For power is not divided, and glory is not divided. For just as the leadership and power that rules us is one, so the doxology coming from our side is one, and not many, because the honor given to the image passes on to the prototype. So, what the image is here imitatively, this there by nature is the Son; and just as in what is done artistically, the likeness consists in the form itself, so in the divine and uncomplicated nature the unity lies in the community of the Divinity. Interpretation. If the image of a king is a king, then the image of Christ is Christ, and also the image of a saint is a saint. And power is not cut, and glory is not divided, but the glory given to the image becomes the property of the one who is depicted. Demons tremble at the saints and flee from their shadows; the image is a shadow, and I make it as an exorcist of demons. If you say that one should unite with God only mentally, then eliminate everything corporeal, lamps, fragrant incense, the very prayer pronounced with the voice, the most divine sacraments performed through the medium of substance, bread, wine, anointing oil, the sign of the cross. For all this is a substance, [like] the cross, the lip that took place during the crucifixion, also the cane, and the spear that pierced the life-giving rib. Either eliminate the veneration of all this, which is impossible, or do not completely reject the honor that belongs to the images. Divine grace is imparted to objects consisting of matter, since they bear the names of those who are depicted [on them]. Just as a snail giving scarlet is something insignificant in itself, so are silk and clothes made from both, and if a king is clothed in it, then the honor inherent in the one who is clothed is given to the garment: so the state of the substance of objects in themselves is not worthy of worship, and if the one depicted [on them] is filled with grace, then, according to the measure of faith, they also become participants in grace [i.e. e. they pour it out]. The Apostles saw the Lord with their bodily eyes, and others saw the Apostles, and others saw the martyrs. I also strongly desire to see these both in soul and body, and to have a medicine that protects from evil, since I was created with a dual nature; and, seeing what is visible, I worship not as God, but as an image worthy of veneration of what is precious. You, of course, may be tall and immaterial, and above the body, and, like an incorporeal one, you show contempt for everything visible; but I, since I am a man and clothed with a body, strongly desire to be physically in company with what is holy and to see it. Oh, high one, show mercy to my base thoughts, so that you [yourself] can maintain your height! The Lord praises my love for Him, and also glorifies His friends. For the Lord rejoices when a servant devoted to Him is glorified, [as] the Great Basil said, glorifying the forty martyrs. But look what he also says when praising the glorious Gordius. At the mere recollection of those excellent deeds performed by the righteous, peoples rejoice in spiritual joy and, listening, are encouraged to compete and imitate those virtues. For the history of those men who lived well provides those who are being saved, as it were, some light on the path of life. And again: So, whenever we narrate the lives of those who shone with piety, we first glorify the Lord through His servants, and [then] we praise the righteous, testifying to what we know, [finally] we arouse joy in the nations by hearing about beautiful things. VII. St. Basil, from the same word 273 on [the day of] the martyr Gordius ... For just as fire naturally follows light and peace follows fragrance, so good deeds are necessarily followed by benefit. However, this is no small matter: to carefully find the truth of what was [done] then. For some faint memory has reached us, preserving the valiant deeds of this man during the competitions, and it almost seems that our situation is similar to what happens with paintings: because, just as those, after copying the images from the images, most often, as is natural, remain behind the prototypes, so we, removed from the very contemplation of the deeds, are threatened with a not insignificant danger of detracting from the truth. ... For, just as when we always see the sun, we are always surprised, so the memory of that husband is always fresh for us ... Interpretation. It is clear that [it is fresh for us because] we constantly contemplate [that husband both through speech and through images. ...So, here! By bringing them to the middle with our memories, as if in a picture, by showing everyone the exploits of these men, we will bring to those present the common benefit from them. Interpretation. Do you see that the matter of image and word is one and the same? For, he says, as if in a picture, let’s show it in words! The immediately next part of the word again [contains this]: for both prose writers and painters often narrate about courageous military deeds: some - decorating with words, others - drawing on boards; both of them aroused many to a courageous course of action. For what the word of a story offers to the ear is what silent painting shows [to the eyes] through imitation. Interpretation. What is clearer than this to prove that images for the illiterate serve as books and silent messengers of the honor that belongs to the saints, teaching those who look and sanctifying their sight with a silent voice. Books are not enough for me, I have no leisure for reading, I enter the general clinic of souls - the Church, strangled by thoughts, as if by thorny plants. The color of painting attracts me to contemplation and, like a meadow, delighting the eye, imperceptibly pours the glory of God into the soul. I contemplate the patience of the martyr, the reward of crowns, and, as if with fire, I am inflamed with the desire to compete with him, falling, I worship God through the martyr and receive salvation. Have you not heard that the same God-bearing Father, in his speech at the beginning of the psalms, says: The Holy Spirit, knowing that leading the human race in the matter of virtue is difficult and that he is careless, added a melody to the psalmody? What are you saying? I will not paint, both in words and in colors, the martyrdom of the martyrs? And I will not embrace with my eyes that which both the Angels and all creation are surprised at, and which, as the lamp of the Church himself said, is a subject of torment for the devil and is terrible for demons? He says something similar at the end of the word, glorifying the forty martyrs: Oh, holy host! O holy assembly! Oh, indestructible close formation! Oh, universal guardians of the human race, glorious partners in care, helpers in prayer, the most powerful elders, stars of the universe, flowers of the Churches, flowers, I say, both spiritual and sensual! It was not the earth that hid you, but the sky that took you to itself. The gates of heaven are open to you. A worthy spectacle for the army of Angels, worthy for patriarchs, prophets, and the righteous! XI. Saint Gregory, Bishop of Nyssa, from the addition [to the six-day st. Vasily], i.e. [from the book] about the creation of man. Chapter IV Divine beauty is not manifested in any external form and not in the charm of an external image, determined by any elegance of colors, but is seen in ineffable bliss in accordance with virtue. However, painters almost transfer human forms into paintings with the help of certain colors, applying appropriate and decent colors to the copy so that the beauty of the prototype is accurately transferred to the likeness. Interpretation. Note that divine beauty does not shine with any outward appearance, due to any elegance of colors, and therefore is not depicted. The human image is transferred to paintings through paints. If the Son of God appeared in the form of a man, took on the form of a servant, became in the likeness of humanity, and was found in the likeness of a man, then how, therefore, should we not depict Him? And if, according to custom, the image of a king is called a king, and the honor given to the image goes to the prototype, as the divine Basil says, then why will the image not be an object of veneration and worship? Not as God, but as the image of God - incarnate. XIII. His, from the word spoken in Constantinople, about the Divinity of the Son and the Holy Spirit and about Abraham; word 41. Its beginning: What something they undergo 274 ... ... After this, the father first grabs his son [bound] with both hands. I have often seen a picture of this sad affair and have not passed by this spectacle without tears, since art clearly brings this story before my eyes. Isaac lies at the very altar, with his knee bent and his hands turned [i.e., tied] back. Λ he [i.e., the father], stepping on the bend of his son’s knee from behind, pulling his hair to himself with his left hand, bends down to the face looking pitifully at him and, armed with a knife in his right hand, rushes to the slaughter. And the tip of the knife already touches the body, and then he hears voices from God, rejecting this act. ... And before there was any image of what appeared after: Melchizedek [i.e., pre-depicted] Christ, just as if someone called the shadow of a picture painted with paints, the unclear image of it by a painter that preceded it. For this is why the law is called shadow, and grace truth, but works are that which is to be; so that the law and Melchizedek are the shadow that precedes the picture depicted with paints; grace and truth are a picture painted with colors; and [deeds are what will happen in the next century; so that the Old Testament is an image of an image and the New is an image of works. XVa. Leontius, bishop of the city of Naples on the island of Cyprus, from a word against the Jews about worshiping the cross of Christ and images of saints, and themselves - mutually; also about the remains of saints If you, Jew, again reproach me, saying that I worship the wood of the cross as God, then why don’t you blame Jacob, who bowed to the top of the staff? But it is quite clear that he worshiped not by honoring the tree, but through the tree he worshiped Joseph, just as we glorify Christ through the cross, and not the tree. ... Since Abraham also bowed down to the wicked people who sold him the grave, and bent his knee to the ground, but he did not worship them as gods; and again, Jacob blessed the wicked and idolater - Pharaoh, but blessed him not as God; and again, having fallen, he worshiped Esau, but he did not worship as God; and again, how does God command you to worship? Both the earth and the mountains? For he says: lift up the Lord our God and worship in his holy mount. And worship his footstool, as it is holy, that is, the earth. For heaven, says He, is my throne, and earth is my footstool, says the Lord. How did Moses bow to Jethro, who was an idolater, and Daniel to Nebuchadnezzar? Why do you blame me for honoring those who honored God and worshiped Him? Is it not proper, tell me, to worship saints and not stone them, as you do? Isn't it appropriate to worship, and not saw them up and not throw your benefactors into a ditch filled with mud? If you loved God, then in any case you should also honor Igo’s slaves. And if the bones of the righteous are unclean, then why were the bones of Jacob and Joseph transferred from Egypt with all honor? How did a dead man touch the bones of Elisha and immediately rise to life? If God works miracles through bones, then it is quite obvious that He can - through images, and stones, and - much more, as happened with Elisha, who gave his own rod to his youth and told him to go, through the rod, to resurrect the son of the Shunammite woman. And Moses punished Pharaoh with the rod, and divided the sea, and sweetened the water, and tore the rock, and brought out the water. And Solomon says: Blessed is the tree, wherein is salvation. Elisha, throwing a piece of wood into the Jordan, brought iron to the top [of the water]. We also [read about] the tree of life and the plant – Savek, i.e. the plant of mercy. And Moses lifted up the serpent on the tree and gave life to the people. By means of the wood [Aaron's rod] that grew in the tabernacle, he established [Aaron's] priesthood. But perhaps you, a Jew, will tell me that God commanded Moses that everything that is in the tabernacle of the meeting should be [there]. And I tell you that Solomon made many different objects in the church, carved decorations and sculptures, which God did not command him to make, and the tabernacle of testimony did not possess these objects, nor did the church shown by God to Ezekiel; and Solomon, meanwhile, was not accused. For he arranged such images for the glory of God, just like us. And you had many different images and signs to remember God before you lost them due to your foolishness; i.e., the rod of Moses, the tablets inscribed by God, the fire bush, the dry rock that flowed water, the Ark of the Covenant, which contained manna, the altar - the receptacle of divine fire, the tablet with the name of God [carved on it], the ephod shown by God, the tabernacle overshadowed by God. If you, for your part, overshadowed all this night and day, saying: glory to You, Who alone is God Almighty, Who through all this worked miracles in Israel; If you, too, fell down and worshiped God through all those legal institutions that you once had, then you see that worship of God is rendered through images. ... For if one who truly loves a friend or a king, and especially his benefactor, even if he sees his son or a rod, or a throne, or a crown, or a house, or a slave, embraces and kisses and [thus] gives honor to the benefactor-king, then much more [in the same way] should honor God. Oh, if only, I say again, you would make images of Moses and the prophets and worship the Lord God with them daily! So, when you see the sons of Christians worshiping the cross, then know that they are worshiping the crucified Christ, and not a tree. For if they revered the nature of wood, then, in any case, they would have to worship both groves and trees, just as you, Israel, once worshiped them, saying to wood and stone, you are my God and you gave birth to me ecu. We don’t say that to the cross, and we don’t say that to images of saints. For they are not our gods, but books, open so that we remember God and give honor to Him, books that are in the churches before everyone’s eyes and serve as objects of worship. For he who honors a martyr honors God, to whom the martyr testified [with his blood]. He who worships the Apostle of Christ worships the One who sent him. And falling to the image of the Mother of Christ, she obviously gives honor to Her Son. For there is no God but one, who in the Trinity is known and worshiped. Interpretation. Is this the faithful interpreter of the words of blessed Epiphaneus, who adorned the island of Cyprus [also] with his speeches, or those who express the feelings of their hearts? Listen also to Bishop Severian of Gavala, what he says. XVI. Bishop Gavalsky-Severian, from a word spoken on the feast of the renewal of the cross How did the image of one who was cursed bring life to our ancestors? And after a short interval: So, how did the image of one who was cursed bring salvation to a people dejected by misfortune? Wouldn’t it be more reliable to say: if any of you is bitten, let him look to heaven, up to God, and be saved, or to the tabernacle of God? But, not paying attention to this, he arranged only an image of the cross. So, why did Moses do this, who said to the people: “Thou shalt not make for yourself a carved or sculpted image, or any likeness, tree in heaven or mountain, and tree in the earth below, and tree in the waters under the earth?” But why am I talking about this to an ungrateful person? Say, O most faithful servant of God! Are you doing what you forbid? What you destroy, you arrange? Speaker: Do not make a carved image, you crushed a calf fused from metal, are you making a serpent out of copper? And this is not secret, but open and [so that] everyone can know? But this, he says, I have prescribed by law in order to eradicate the substances of wickedness and turn the people away from all apostasy and idolatry. Now I cast a serpent from metal for the benefit [for others] - for the pre-depiction of the truth. And just as I built the tabernacle and everything in it, and the cherubim - the likeness of the invisible - spread over the holy one, as an image and shadow of the future; so I raised the serpent to the people for their salvation, so that through experience in this kind [of signs] they would be accustomed in advance to the image of the sign of the cross and [to the acceptance] of the Savior and Redeemer hanging on it. And that this word is most truthful, beloved, listen to the Lord, who confirms it and says: just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the desert, so it is fitting for the Son of Man to be lifted up. Yes, everyone who believes in it will not perish, but will have eternal life. Interpretation. Understand that he ordered by law not to make any likeness for the sake of deviating, he said, the people from idolatry - a people who were easily carried away and prone to this; and - that the ascended serpent was an image of the Lord’s suffering. And that [the veneration of] icons is not a new invention, but ancient and known to the holy and excellent Fathers and common to them - listen! In the life of Blessed Basil, compiled by his disciple Helladius and his successor at the episcopal see, it is written that this saint stood before the icon of the Lady [our – icon], on which was painted the image of the glorious martyr Mercury. He stood before her, asking for the death of the most godless tyrant who had apostatized from the faith - Julian. From the side of this icon, he was initiated into such a revelation: it was he who saw that this martyr disappeared from sight for a short time, and after a little time he was holding a bloody spear. ... Blessed John greatly loved the epistles of the wisest Paul. And after a short interval: He also had an image of the same Apostle on the icon, [in the place] where, due to the weakness of his body, he rested for a short time. For he was by nature disposed to stay awake a lot. And when he read his messages, then, without taking his eyes off, he looked at the image, and looked at it with such attention, as if the Apostle were alive - glorifying it and, imagining it, directed all his thoughts to it, and through contemplation [of the image] talked with it. And after another interval: ... When Proclus stopped speaking, then, looking closely at the image of this Apostle and seeing a figure similar to the one he had seen before, he said, bowing his body, saluting John and pointing with his finger at the image: forgive me, father! the one whom I saw speaking to you is similar to this, and even, as I think, this is he. it is written that she prayed before the icon of the Lady and asked for her guarantee, and that, in this way, she gained access to the church. XX. From the words of Chrysostom that One is the Lawgiver of the Old and New Testaments; and - about the clothes of the priest I also loved that painting, when figures are made from molten wax, full of piety. For I saw on the icon an Angel driving away crowds of barbarians. I saw the conquered tribes of the barbarians and David, who truly said: Lord, in your city you will destroy their image 275. XXI. Him, from the interpretation of the parable of the seed ...Every time you insult 276 the royal robe, do you not also insult the one clothed in it? Don’t you know that every time you insult the image of the king, you are insulting the dignity of the prototype? Don’t you know that every time someone removes an image from a wooden or [or] copper statue, he is judged as having dared not against a soulless substance, but as having acted arrogantly against the king? In general, a substance bearing the image of a king, the insult given to it is elevated to the king. XXII. The same John Chrysostom, from that word on [the day] of the Bishop of Antioch and martyr Meletius, and - about the zeal of those gathered, the beginning of which: Looking around all the parts of this sacred flock ... And after a short interval [it says]: ...And [the very] work that was done was instruction in piety; for constantly forced to remember that name and keep that saint in their soul, their name was a means of driving out every unreasonable passion and thought. And this [custom] became so intensified that in all places: on the street, in the square, and in the fields on all sides [everything] sounded with this name. It was not just the name alone that you felt such great love, but also the image of the body itself. Therefore, what you did in connection with the name, you also did in connection with its image. For many have inscribed that image in the recesses of rings that are intended for stone, and on cups, and on bowls, and on the walls of dwellings, and everywhere, so that one can not only hear about that holy name, but also everywhere see the image of his body and have some double consolation in his absence. XXIII. His, about the betrayal of Judas and on [the day of] Easter, also about the taught teaching of the sacraments and forbearance ... For just as they paint on the board itself and draw lines around it, and cast a shadow, and add [here] truthful colors, so did Christ. XXIV. Saint Ambrose, Bishop of Milan, from a letter to all Italy ... On the third night, when my body was already exhausted due to fasting, they appeared to me, not sleeping, but in a state of admiration [of the mind], with a certain face that looked like the Apostle - Blessed Paul, as [precisely] his image is clearly expressed in icon painting... XXV. Maximus, philosopher and confessor, from those acts that took place between himself and Bishop Theodosius ... And then everyone repented with joy and tears and offered up prayers, and each of them kissed the holy Gospels and the honorable cross, and the image of our God and Savior - Jesus Christ, and our Lady who gave birth to Him, the Most Holy Theotokos, and they laid [on them] their own hands to confirm what was said. XXVI. His Holiness and Beatitude Archbishop of Theopoles [i.e. e. Antioch] and Patriarch Anastasius, about Saturday; and - to Simeon, Bishop of Vostra ... For, just as, in the absence of the king, his image is worshiped instead, and then, when he is already present, although it is useless, leaving the prototype, to worship the image, but, however, it should not be humiliated because [only] they stop worshiping him, due to the presence of the one for whom he is [in this case] worshiped... And after a short interval: For, as one who insults the image of the king suffers punishment, as if he Indeed, we discover disdain for [the] king himself, although the image is nothing more than wood and paints mixed and combined with wax, in the same way, the one who despises the image of any such [thing] 279 transfers his insult to the very thing of which it is an image. XXVII. From the [book] of our Holy Father Sophronius, Archbishop of Jerusalem, [called] Lug Abba Theodore - Eliot said that a certain glorious ascetic was a prisoner on the Mount of Olives. The demon of fornication waged war on him. So, one day, when he was pressing hard on him, the elder began to grieve and said to the demon: How long will you not stop bothering me? Finally, get away from me! You grew old with me. The demon appears to him in a visible image, saying: swear to me that you will not tell anyone what I intend to tell you, and from now on I will not fight with you. And the elder swore to him: I swear by Him who dwells on high, I will not tell anyone what you tell me. Then the demon says to him: do not bow to this icon, and from now on I will not fight with you. This icon had the image of our Lady Saint Mary - the Mother of God, carrying our Lord Jesus Christ. The prisoner says to the demon: let me think about this. So, the next day he notifies Abba Theodore - Eliot, who was then living in the Faron monastery, and [when] this one came, he tells everything that happened to him. This elder says to the prisoner: Abba, you really turned out to be a victim of mockery, since you swore an oath to the demon. However, you did well by telling [me about this]. It is better for you not to leave in this city [a single] obscene house into which you would not enter, than for you to refuse to worship our Lord and God Jesus Christ together with His own Mother. So, having strengthened him and instilled strength in him with many speeches, he returned to his own place. The demon, indeed, again appears to the prisoner and says to him: what is this, oh, bad old man? Didn't you swear to me that you wouldn't tell anyone? And why did you tell everything to the person who came to you? I tell you, oh, worthless old man: you are about to be condemned on the day of judgment as an oathbreaker. The prisoner answered him, saying: what I swore - I swore; and by what I swore falsely, I know; only I did not swear falsely by my Creator. I'm not listening to you 280. So, when from the most ancient times many priests and kings were given to Christians, shining with wisdom, and worship of God, and word, and life, and very many councils of holy and divinely inspired Fathers were [convened], then why did no one undertake to do this? We will not tolerate learning a new faith! For the law will go out from Zion, the Holy Spirit spoke prophetically, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem. We will not tolerate that at other times we think differently, and that we change under the influence of circumstances, and that faith is made for outsiders [i.e. e. non-Christians] the subject of laughter and jokes! We will not tolerate submission to the royal order, which is trying to destroy the custom that originated from the Fathers! For it is not characteristic of pious kings to destroy church decrees. These are not fatherly matters. For deeds done through violence, and not through persuasion, are robberies. The witness is the council, convened for the second time in Ephesus, which still retains the name of the robber it received, since it suffered violence from the royal hand when blessed Flavian was killed. This. e. any decrees on such subjects] are the work of councils, not kings, as the Lord said. Where two or three are gathered in My name, I am in the midst of them. Christ did not give the power to bind and loose to kings, but to the Apostles and their successors, and shepherds, and teachers. And if an Angel, says the Apostle Paul, preaches the gospel to you even more than he has received... Sparing, since we are waiting for their conversion, let us remain silent about what follows. If so, let the Lord not give! – we see irrevocable corruption, then we will add what remains [i.e. e. words: anathema be it]. But we wish this didn't happen. If someone, entering a house in which a painter has painted on the walls the story of Moses and Pharaoh, then, perhaps, asks about those who passed through the sea, as through land, who are they? what do you say to the question? Are they not the children of Israel? Who is he who strikes the sea with a rod? Isn't it Moses? Thus, if someone depicts Christ crucified and is asked: Who is this? then he will say: Christ is God, incarnate for our sake. Yes, Lord, we worship everything that is Yours, and with flaming love we embrace Your deity, power, goodness, mercy towards us, condescension, incarnation; and just as we are afraid to touch red-hot iron, not because of the nature of the iron, but because of the fire that has entered into union with it, so I worship Your flesh, not for the sake of the nature of the flesh, but for the sake of the Divinity that has entered into hypostatic union with it. We worship Your suffering. Who has seen death that would be worshiped? Who has seen suffering that would be honored? However, we truly worship the fleshly death of my God and saving suffering. We worship Your image. We worship everything that is Yours: servants, friends and, above all, the Mother of God. Therefore, we ask the people of God, the language is holy, to hold fast to church traditions. For even to a small extent, the taking away of what has been handed down [by antiquity], like stones from a building, very soon overthrows the entire building. May we remain strong, steadfast, unshakable, established on the strong rock that is Christ! To Him belongs glory and honor and worship, together with the Father and the Spirit, now and always, throughout the endless ages of ages. Amen. I. The evil one and the culprit of all evil - the serpent - I mean the devil - has a custom in many ways to fight 282 with man, created in the image of God, and to cause his death through opposite tricks. For immediately at first he instilled in him the hope and desire to become God, and through them he brought [him] down to the death of the dumb. However, he was seduced many times by both shameful and unreasonable pleasures. And how great is the contrast between the divine state [which he promised to man] and unreasonable lust? This led to atheism, as the Godfather David says: he said foolishly in his heart: there is no God 283 then - to polytheism; otherwise he convinced us not to worship even the One who is God by nature; otherwise he [convinced us to worship] demons; and he also taught us to worship the sky, the earth, the sun, the moon, the stars, and the rest of creation, even animals and reptiles. For it is equally bad: both not to give due honor to those worthy of respect, and to give indecent glory to those unworthy of honor. The truth, following the middle path, rejects all these absurdities (and teaches to confess one God, one nature in three Persons, the Father and the Son, and the Holy Spirit; evil, it says, is not an essence, but something accidental, a certain thought and word and action contrary to the law of God; it has its existence in what is thought and said and done, and with the cessation of [this] it also disappears. It also proclaims and that Christ is one of the Holy Trinity, that He consists of two natures and that He is one Person). But the enemy of the truth and hostile to the salvation of people, who once many times deceived not only the pagans, but also the sons of Israel, to make images of demons and ungodly people, and birds, and beasts, and reptiles 285, and to worship these as gods, is now trying to confuse the Church of Christ living in the world: through lawless lips and a crafty tongue 286 mixing vice and trying to cover up his disgusting and gloomy image and turn away the hearts of those who have not strengthened themselves from the true custom handed down by the Fathers. II. For some rebelled, saying that it is not right for the sake of contemplation and glory, and amazement, and competition to depict and exhibit (publicly) the saving miracles and sufferings of Christ, and the exploits of the saints against the devil. And who, possessing divine knowledge and spiritual insight, does not notice that [this] is the suggestion of the devil? For he does not want his defeat and shame to be made public, and he also does not want the glory of God and His saints to be inscribed. For if we were to make an image of the invisible God, we would really be in error, because it is impossible for the incorporeal and the formless, the invisible and the indescribable, to be depicted. And again: if what we did were considered gods and served as gods, then, indeed, we would act wickedly. But we don't do any of this. For, after God, by His ineffable goodness, became incarnate and appeared on earth in the flesh, and with humans, 287, and took on [our] nature and size, and image, and color of flesh, we do not sin in making His image. For we greatly desire to see His image; because, as the divine Apostle says, we now see like a mirror in fortune-telling 288 . The image is a mirror and fortune-telling, commensurate with the size of our body. For, says the divine Gregory 289, the mind, even after many strains, is not able to leave the limits of the body. III. Oh, away from you, envious devil! You envy us that we see the image of our Lord and are sanctified through it, that we also see His saving sufferings and marvel at His condescension, and contemplate His miracles, and recognize and glorify the power of His deity. You envy the saints because of the honor given to them by God. You don’t want us to see their glory depicted and become imitators of their courage and faith. You cannot stand the fact that faith in them would result in both physical and mental benefit for us. We do not obey you, envious and misanthropic demon. Hear, peoples, tribes, languages, men, women, children, elders, youths and babies, holy Christian people! If anyone preaches to you contrary to what the holy universal Church received from the Apostles and Fathers and councils and has preserved to this day, do not listen to him! Do not accept the advice of the serpent, as Eve accepted and reaped death 290. And if an Angel or a king preaches the gospel to you contrary to what you have received, close your ears! For while I await correction, I am still afraid to say, as the divine Apostle said: let him be anathema 291! IV. But those who do not examine the meaning of Scripture say that God said through Moses the lawgiver: Thou shalt not make any likeness, tree in heaven, or tree on earth 292 . And through the prophet David: Let them all be ashamed who bow down to graven images, who boast about their idols 293, and many other similar things. For whatever they bring from the divine Scripture and from the Holy Fathers must be understood in the proper 294 way. So what should we say to this? What else if not what is said by the Lord? Test the scriptures 295 . For the study of the Scriptures is a wonderful thing. But here, direct your mind wisely! It is impossible to deceive God, beloved 296. For one is God, one is the Lawgiver of the Old and New Testaments, spoken of many times and in many ways in ancient times by the Father in the prophethood and in the last times in His only begotten Son 297 . Therefore, direct your mind carefully! This word is not mine; The Holy Spirit declared through the Holy Apostle Paul: God of old, who was spoken by the Father as a prophet, was many and varied. Notice that God spoke in many parts and in a variety of ways). For, as a knowledgeable physician, he does not always give the same type [of medicine] to everyone, but he gives everyone necessary and useful medicine, paying attention to the country, the disease, and the time, i.e. on the state of affairs and (physical) condition, and on age: for a child - one thing, for an adult, in accordance with age, another; another for the sick and another for the recovering; and to each of the sick, not the same thing, but in accordance with the property [of his body] and the disease; and another - in summer, and another - in winter and autumn, and spring, and in each place - according to the property of the place; so the wonderful Physician of souls, who were still in childhood and exhausted from the disease of idolatry, and who considered idols to be gods, and who worshiped them as gods, and who rejected the worship of God, and who gave glory to His creatures, forbade making images. For it is impossible to make an image of God - incorporeal and invisible, and immaterial and having neither appearance nor outline, and incomprehensible. For how will something that is not visible be depicted? No one has seen God anywhere: the only begotten Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, that confession 299. And: no one will see my face and live, said God 300. V. And that idols were worshiped as gods, listen - what the Scripture [says] in the Exodus of the children of Israel, when Moses went up to Mount Sinai and remained [there] for a long time, sitting with God, and received the law, when the ungrateful people rose up against Aaron, the servant of God, saying: Make us gods who will go before us: Moses for this man did not know what would happen to him 301; then - when they took off the jewelry from their women and cast metal [calfs], and they ate and drank, and got drunk both with wine and with error, and began to play, saying in madness: these are your gods, to Israel 302. Do you see that they had idols for gods? For they did not make an image of Zeus or this or that, but, as it happened, they gave gold to prepare an idol, whichever one was successful, and the image of an animal with a bull’s head came out. So, they had these kind of objects fused from metal as gods and, like gods, they worshiped what was the dwelling of demons. And that they served the creation more than the Creator, says the divine Apostle: who changed the glory of the incorruptible God into the likeness of the corruptible image of man, and birds, and four-footed animals, and the creeping things, and served the creature more than the Creator 303. For this reason, God forbade making any likeness. VI. I know the One who truly said: The Lord your God 304, the Lord is one; and: Fear the Lord thy God 305, and serve him alone 306; and: there will be no gods for you 307 and: do not create [for yourself] an idol, any likeness, tree in heaven and tree on earth 308; and: let those who worship the idols be ashamed 309; and: God, who did not create heaven and earth, but perish 310; and that in this way God of old spoke the Father in the last days and spoke to us in His only begotten Son, with whom He made the worlds 311. I know the One who said: Behold, this is the eternal life, that they may know unto you the one living and true God, and whom Jesus Christ sent ecu 312 . And I believe in one God, one Beginning of everything, beginningless, uncreated, not subject to destruction and immortal, eternal and constant, incomprehensible, incorporeal, invisible, indescribable, without image; into one essential essence, into the Divinity - pre-divine, in three Persons: the Father and the Son, and the Holy Spirit, and I serve Him alone, and I render ministerial worship to Him alone. I worship one God, one Divinity, but I also serve the Trinity of Persons: God the Father and God the Son incarnate, and God the Holy Spirit, not three Gods, but one; not divided Hypostases, but united; I offer not three worships, but one; Not to each of the Hypostases separately, but to the three Hypostases together, as to one God, I render one worship. I do not worship the creature more than the Creator 313, but I worship the Creator, like me, who became created and, without humiliating His dignity and without experiencing any division 314, descended into creation in order to glorify my nature and make me a participant in the divine nature 315. Together with the King and God, I worship the purple of the body, not as a garment and not as a fourth person - no! - but, as having become a participant in the same Divinity and, without experiencing a change, united with the One who Sanctified 316 her. For it was not the nature of the flesh that became the Divinity, but just as the Word, remaining what It was before, without experiencing change, became flesh, so the flesh was received 317 by the Word, without losing what it is; it is better to say: - being united with the Word in hypostasis 318 . Therefore, I boldly portray the invisible God, who for our sake became a Participant of both flesh and blood 319. I do not depict the invisible Deity, but through the image I express the flesh of God, which was visible. For if it is impossible to depict the soul, how much more so is God, who gave immateriality to the soul? VII. But, they say, God said through Moses the lawgiver: Fear the Lord your God, and serve him only 320; and: Thou shalt not make any likeness, tree in heaven and tree on earth 321. Brothers! In truth, those who do not know that the letter kills, but the spirit gives life, 322 who do not look for the spirit hidden under the letter, are mistaken. To them I could rightly say: Let the one who taught you this teach you also what follows [from this]. Understand how the legislator interprets this, saying something like this in Deuteronomy: And the Lord spoke to you from the midst of the fire: You heard the voice of words, and you did not see an image, only a voice. And a little later: and provide your souls with strength, because you did not see the likeness in the day after the Lord spoke to you in Mount Horeb out of the midst of the fire: and do not do wrong, and do not make for yourselves the likeness of a model, any image of the likeness of male or female: the likeness of every livestock that is on the earth: the likeness of every feathered bird, and the following. 323. And after a short interval: and not when you look at the sky, and see the sun and the moon, and the stars, and all the beauty of heaven, you are enticed to worship them and serve them 324. Do you see that there is only one goal, so that we do not serve the creature more than the Creator 325 and, except for the Creator alone, do not render service worship to [anyone]? Therefore, everywhere he connects service with worship. For again he says: you will not have any gods except me. Do not make yourself an idol, any likeness, do not bow down to them, but serve them: for I am the Lord your God. And again: dig up their churches, break down their pillars, and burn the images of their gods with fire. Do not worship another God. And after a little: do not create for yourself merged gods 326. Do you see that for the sake of [avoiding] idolatry, he prohibits the Scripture of images, since it is not possible to depict the innumerable and indescribable and invisible God? For His image, he says, you have not seen, according to which Paul, standing in the middle of the Areopagus, also says: For the race of God is, we must not despise the being of the Godhead, gold or silver, fir stone, more artistically inscribed and the understanding of man 327. VIII. The Jews, of course, were prescribed this because of their inclination towards idolatry. But we (-if we say with the Theologian-) 328, to whom it has been given, having avoided superstitious wandering, having known the truth, be in pure [and holy] communion with God and serve God alone, abound in the perfection of the knowledge of God and, after passing childhood, achieve perfect husbandhood, - we are no longer under the mentor 329, since we have received from God the ability to discern, and we know - what can be depicted and what cannot be expressed through depiction. For the law guides us to be in Christ, that we may be justified by faith; and under the elements of enslavement, always of youth. The faith that has come is no longer under the guidance of Esma 330. For His image, says [Scripture] 331, you have not seen. O wisdom of the legislator! How will the invisible be depicted? How will the incomparable be compared? How will that which has no quantity and magnitude, and which is unlimited and which has no form, be inscribed? How will the incorporeal be painted? How will the indescribable be given shape? So, what is mysteriously shown [in these places]? It is clear that now you cannot depict 332 the invisible God, but when you see the incorporeal one made human for your sake, then make 333 an image of His human form. When the invisible one, having put on flesh, becomes visible, then depict 334 the likeness of Him who appeared. When the One who, as a result of the superiority of His nature, was deprived of quantity and quality 335 and magnitude, Who, in the image of God, took the form of a servant 336, through this became limited in quantitative and qualitative 337 respects and put on a bodily image, then draw on the boards and expose for contemplation the One who wished to appear, draw His inexpressible condescension, birth from the Virgin, baptism in the Jordan, transfiguration on Tabor, suffering that freed us from passions 338, miracles - signs of His Divine nature and activity performed through the flesh, saving burial of the Deliverer, ascension into heaven; Draw everything, in words, with paints, in books, and on boards. IX. Do not make for yourself, says [Scripture], an idol, nor any likeness 339. When God commanded this, make, it says, the curtain [of the door] of the tabernacle of the testimony of blue and scarlet, and woven scarlet, and woven linen, the work of the cherubim. And she created a purification over the ark of pure gold, and two Cherubim 340. What are you doing, O Moses? You say: do not make for yourself an idol, nor anyone in the likeness of 341, and you [do] erect a curtain - the work of cherubim 342 and - two cherubim of pure gold? 343 But listen to what God’s servant Moses answers you with his actions. Oh, blind and foolish, understand the power of what is being said, and provide your souls with strength. I said, because you did not see the likeness in the day after the Lord spoke to you in Mount Horeb from the midst of the fire, never commit lawlessness and create for yourself the likeness of any image 344; and do not create merged gods for yourself 345. I did not say: do not make images of the Cherubim as slaves who stand before the purification, but: do not create for yourself false gods, and: do not create any likeness 346 as gods, and do not serve the creature more than the Creator 347. So, I have not made the likeness of God, nor the likeness of anyone else like God, nor the likeness of man, for the nature of the human race is enslaved to sin. I have not served a creature more than the Creator 348. But every creature has the likeness [i.e. e.] the tabernacle, I built according to the image shown to me on the mountain 349, and the Cherubim overshadowing the purification, as standing before God. Have you noticed how the purpose of Scripture is revealed to those who study it intelligently? For we must know, beloved, that in every deed there is a search for truth and falsehood, and the goal of the one who commits it, is it beautiful or bad? For although the Gospel depicts God, and Angel, and man, and earth, and water, and fire, and air, and the sun, and the moon, and light, and darkness, and Satan, and demons, and snakes, and scorpions, and life, and death, and hell, and virtues, and vices, and everything both beautiful and bad; but, however, since what is said about them is true and the goal is the glory of God and our salvation, and the glory of the saints praised by Him - on the one hand, and on the other - the shame of the devil and his demons, then we worship and hug, and kiss, and greet with our eyes and lips and hearts. In the same way [we give honor] to the entire Old and New Testament, and to the words of the holy and excellent Fathers. The shameful and disgusting and unclean Scripture of the damned Manichaeans, containing the same names and invented for the glory of the devil and his demons and for the destruction of souls, we reject with contempt and throw away from ourselves. Thus, in the matter of images, one must look for both the truth and the purpose of those who arrange them. And if it is true and right, and if [the images] are made for the glory of God and His saints and for the competition of virtue and - the avoidance of vice, and the salvation of souls, then one should accept [them] with joy and honor them, as images and imitations, and likenesses, and books for the illiterate, and a reminder, and worship, and kiss, and greet with eyes and lips, and heart, as the likeness of one incarnate God or His Mother, or the saints, participants in His suffering and the glory of Christ and victors and destroyers of the devil and demons, and their delusions. If anyone dares to make an image of the Divine - immaterial and incorporeal, then we reject it as false. And if anyone [dare to make an image] for glory and honor, and worship of the devil or demons, then we show contempt and destroy with fire. And if anyone deifies the image of people or livestock, or birds, or reptiles, or any other creature, we anathematize him. For just as the Holy Fathers overthrew the sanctuaries and churches of demons, and in their places erected churches in honor of the name of God and the saints, and these we honor, so they destroyed the images of demons and in their place erected images of Christ and His Mother and the saints; we honor these also. And during the Old Testament, of course, no churches were erected in honor of the name of the people Israel, nor was the memory of [the person] celebrated. For the nature of people was still under a curse; and death was the sentence [i.e. e. punishment], which is why she was mourned; and anyone who touched the body of the deceased was considered unclean. Теперь же, с тех пор как Божество, как некоторое животворящее и спасительное лекарство, неслиянно соединилось с нашим естеством, наше естество действительно прославлено и превращено в нетленное. Therefore, the churches to them [i.e. e. saints] are erected, and images are drawn. X. So, let every person know that whoever tries to destroy an image that arose as a result of divine love and zeal for the glory and remembrance of Christ or His Mother - the Holy Mother of God, or any of the saints, also for the shame of the devil and the defeat of him and his demons, and does not worship, and does not honor, and does not greet him, out of love for what is depicted, as a precious image and - as God, is an enemy of Christ and the Holy Mother of God, and saints, the avenger of the devil and his demons, by deed revealing his sadness because God and His saints are honored and glorified, while the devil is put to shame. For the image is [a kind of] triumph and publication, and an inscription on a pillar in memory of the victory of those who acted undaunted and distinguished themselves, and of the shame of the defeated and deposed. I have often seen that those who loved [someone] deeply looked at the clothes of their loved one, and both with their eyes and lips greeted this clothing, as if it were the person they loved. One should, according to the Holy Apostle Paul, give everyone their due: honor to him, honor 351; and to the king, as he prevails, and to the prince, as sent from her 352; to each according to his dignity. XI. Где ты нашёл в Ветхом Завете или в Евангелии имя Троицы или слово: единосущный , или ясное описание единой природы Божества , или слово в слово выражения: три Ипостаси , или – одна Ипостась Христа , или буквально: два естества? Но, однако, так как святые, Отцы, на основании равнозначащих [тем] выражений, находящихся в Писании, определили [всё] это, то мы принимаем и предаём анафеме не принимающих. Я же, на основании Ветхого Завета, хочу доказать тебе, что Бог повелел делать изображения. Во-первых, Он повелел [устроить] самую скинию и всё находящееся в ней. Также и в Евангелиях Сам Господь спросивших Его с искусительными намерениями о том: достойно ли есть дати кинсон кесареви , сказал: покажите ми динарий; and brought him a penalty. И Он спросил их: чий имать образ? They said: Caesar. И сказал Он: воздадите, яже кесарева, кесареви, и яже Божия, Богови 353 . Так как пенязь имеет изображение Кесаря, то он – Кесарев, и [поэтому] воздадите Кесареви ; также и изображение Христа воздадите Христу, потому что оно – Христово. XII. The Lord, pleasing His disciples, said: many kings and prophets desire to see what you see, and not see, and to hear what you hear, and not hear. Blessed is your hair, as they see. And ears that seem to hear 354. So. The apostles physically saw Christ and His sufferings and miracles, and heard His words. We strongly desire to see and hear and be glorified. They saw face to face 355 since He was physically present; we, because He is not physically present, as if through books, listen to His words and sanctify our ears and through them our souls, and consider ourselves blessed, and worship, reading the books through which we hear His words. So, through icon painting, we contemplate the image of His bodily form and miracles and His sufferings, and we become sanctified, and are completely satisfied, and rejoice, and consider ourselves happy; and we reverence, honor, and worship His bodily image. And contemplating His bodily form, we imagine, as far as possible, also the glory of His Divinity. For, since we consist of two parts, composed of soul and body, and our soul is not naked, but is covered [by the body] as if with a veil, it is impossible for us, apart from the physical, to come to the spiritual. Consequently, just as through sensory words [which] we hear with bodily ears, we also understand the spiritual, so through bodily contemplation we come to spiritual contemplation. Therefore, Christ took on body and soul, just as man also has body and soul. Therefore, baptism consists of two parts: water and spirit 356, as well as the holy meal [i.e. e. communion of the body and blood of Christ], and prayer, and psalmody; everything is twofold: bodily and spiritual; also - lamps and incense (incense). XIII. But the devil, leaving everything, rushed against only the icons; and his hatred of icons is so great that in the Meadow of Saint Sophronius, Patriarch of Jerusalem, it is even written like this: Abba Theodore Eliot said that a certain ascetic imprisoned himself on the Mount of Olives. The demon of fornication was very much at enmity with him. So, one day, when he was pressing hard on him, the elder began to grieve and said to the demon: How long will you not give in to me 358? Finally, get away from me! You grew old with me. The demon appears to him in a visible image, saying: swear to me that you will not tell anyone what I intend to tell you, and from now on I will not fight with you. And the elder swore to him: I swear by the One who dwells in the highest, I will not tell anyone what you tell me. Then the demon says to him: do not worship 360 this icon, and from now on I will not fight with you. This icon had the image of our Lady Saint Mary - the Mother of God, carrying our Lord Jesus Christ. Notice who those who prohibit worshiping icons imitate and whose tools they are? For the demon of fornication preferred that the icon of the Lady should not be worshiped, rather than that the elder should fall into the uncleanness of fornication, since he knew that that sin was greater than fornication. XIV. But since we are talking about the image [or icon] and worship, we will try to define the concept of them properly and more broadly and, firstly, we will try to say what an image is? Secondly: why were icons introduced 361? Third: how many types of images are there? Fourth: what can be depicted and what cannot? Fifth: who first made the images? XV. Then [let's say] about worship. First, what is worship? Secondly: How many ways of worship are there? Thirdly: how many objects and persons do we find in Scripture that were worshiped? Fourthly, that all worship occurs for the sake of God, Who is worthy of worship by His Nature. Fifthly, that the honor given to the icon goes to the prototype. Firstly, what is an icon? XVI. An icon [or image], without a doubt, is a likeness and a sample, and a print of something, showing what is depicted. But, in any case, the image is not in all respects similar to the prototype, that is, the person or object depicted; for the other is the image and the other is what is depicted, and, in any case, a difference is noticeable between them, since this is not the other and the other is not that. I want to present some example: the image of a person, although it expresses the shape of his body, however, does not contain his spiritual powers, for it neither lives, nor thinks, nor makes a sound, nor feels, nor moves its members 362; and the son, being a natural image of his father [however], has something different in comparison with him, for he is a son, and not a father. Secondly, why does the image exist? XVII. Every image makes hidden things clear and shows them. I want to present some example: since man, because his soul is clothed with a body, as limited by place and time, does not have undisguised knowledge of either the invisible, or what will come after him, or what is separated by place and located at a distant distance, then an image was invented to show knowledge the path and explain and reveal the hidden; in general - for benefit and goodness, and salvation, so that, with the help of objects made known and solemnly revealed [through icons], we recognize what is hidden, and love the beautiful and compete with it, but turn away from the opposite, that is, evil, and hate it. Third, how many types of images are there? XVIII. The types of icons are [the following]: the first image is, of course, natural. For 363 with respect to any thing it is first of all necessary that it be in accordance with the condition and order of its nature, and [only] then it is necessary for that which is accomplished by art and imitation 364 to be. For example, first of all, it is necessary that a person exist in accordance with the condition and order of his nature, whom art would then express and depict through imitation 365. Therefore, the first is a natural and in everything similar image of the invisible God - the Son of the Father, revealing the Father in Himself. For God is nowhere to be seen 366 . And again: not because anyone saw the Father 367. And that the Son is the image of the Father, says the Apostle: who is the image of the invisible God 368. And to the Hebrews: who is the radiance of glory and the image of his hypostasis 369. And that He shows the Father in Himself, [about this] the Lord says: I have been with you for so long, and Philip did not know me? seeing me, seeing the Father 370, - [says precisely] after Philip said in the Gospel of John: show us the Father, and it will suffice for us. The Son is the natural image of the Father, completely equal, in all respects similar to the Father, except that he is not unborn and is not the Father. For the Father is the unbegotten Parent; The Son is begotten and not the Father; and the Holy Spirit is the image of the Son. No one 371 can speak of the Lord Jesus except by the Holy Spirit 372 . So, through the Holy Spirit we come to know Christ, the Son of God and God, and in the Son we contemplate the Father. For the word by nature is a messenger of the mind 373; the spirit is the discoverer of the word. A similar and completely equal image of the Son is the Holy Spirit, differing [with Him] in only one respect: in that He proceeds. For the Son. although it is born, it does not come out. And every father’s natural image is a son. And this is the first kind of image: natural. XIX. The second type of image: the idea found in God of what is to come from Him, that is, His eternal advice, which always remains unchanged 374. For the Divine is His unchangeable and beginningless council, as a result of which what He has decreed occurs at the time predetermined by Him, as He has predetermined. For images and examples of what is to come from Him are the idea of ​​each of these objects; and Saint Dionysius 375 calls them predestinations. For in His council, that which was predetermined by Him, and that which was to happen inviolably in the future, was endowed with signs and images before its existence. XX. The third type of image is that which comes from God through imitation, that is, man. For he who is created cannot be of the same nature with the Uncreated, but [is an image] 376 through imitation [and likeness] 377 . For like the Father. Who is the Mind, and the Son, who is the Word, and the Holy Spirit are one God, so the mind, and the word, and the spirit are one man. The similarity is also manifested in the fact that man is gifted with free will and has the ability to control 378. For God says: Let us make man in our image and likeness 379 and immediately added: and let him have 380 the fish of the sea and the birds of the air 381 . And again: and subdue the fish of the sea, and the birds of the air, and all the earth, and rule over it 382. XXI. The fourth kind of depiction is that when Scripture creates images and views, and outlines of invisible and incorporeal objects, depicted bodily for the weak [at least 383 understanding of both God and Angels, due to the fact that we are not able to contemplate incorporeal objects without colors [or figures 384] corresponding to us, as Dionysius the Areopagite, who is very knowledgeable 385 in the divine field, says 386. After all, that images are naturally offered to that which is devoid of images, and forms to that which has no forms, only one reason could be given 387: an appropriate analogy for us: that we are not able to rise to the contemplation of spiritual objects without [any] mediation, and in order to rise, we need that which is related [to us] and akin. Therefore, if the divine Word, providing for our ability to perceive, delivering to us from everywhere that which is capable of elevating [the mind], clothes with certain images both objects simple and those without images, then why not depict that which by its own nature has images and which, although we desire passionately, but which, due to its absence, apparently cannot be? Indeed, Gregory the Theologian 388 says that the mind, trying hard to go beyond the limits of the body, turns out to be powerless everywhere. But even the invisible things of God from the creation of the world have been thought and visible by created things 389. In creatures we notice images that covertly show us divine reflections, so that when we talk about the Holy Trinity, the highest of all principles, we depict to ourselves through the sun and light and ray; or – a gushing source of flowing moisture and flow; or - the mind and the word, and the breath that is in us; or - a rose trunk and a flower, and incense. XXII. The fifth kind of image is the one that pre-depicts and delineates the future, like the bush 390 and the dew that fell on the fleece 391 - the Virgin and Mother of God, and also the rod 392 and the stamna 393. And like the serpent 394 - the One who through the cross destroyed 395 [the power of] biting the culprit of all evils of the serpent; and like the sea - the water of baptism, and the cloud - the spirit of [his] 396. XXIII. The sixth type of image: an image established for the remembrance of the past: or a miracle, or virtue, for glory and honor, and [so to speak] an inscription on a pillar [of the names] of those who declared themselves by the nobility of actions and shone with virtue; or - vice, for the triumph over the most vicious people and the shame of them, for the benefit of those who subsequently consider [this], so that we [thus] avoid vices and compete with virtues. This same image is twofold: as through a word inscribed in books, for writing expresses a word through an image, just as God inscribed the law on the tablets and commanded that the lives of God-loving men be written down; so also through sensory contemplation, just as He commanded that, in eternal remembrance, the stave and staff 397 should be placed in the ark of the Covenant; and just as He commanded that the names of the tribes be carved on the stones of the amice 398, and also that twelve stones be taken from the Jordan, which would represent the priests (oh, a mystery, how truly great it is for the faithful!) raising the ark of the Covenant, and the impoverishment of water [in the Jordan] 399. Thus, even now, with great love, we draw images of formerly virtuous men for our competition and remembrance and surprise. Therefore, either abolish every image and make a law contrary to Him who commanded it to be, or accept every image in accordance with the meaning and character appropriate to each. Chapter four: what is depicted and what is not depicted? and how is each individual object depicted? XXIV. Bodies, as having forms, bodily outline, and color, are, of course, naturally expressed through images. The angel and the soul and the demon, although physicality and size are alien to them, 400 are, however, depicted and outlined in accordance with their nature. For, being spiritual, they are believed to dwell and act in a spiritual manner in spiritual places. So, although they are depicted bodily, just as Moses depicted the Cherubim, and just as they appeared to worthy people, they are nevertheless [depicted] in such a way that the bodily image shows some kind of incorporeal spectacle and comprehended only by the mind. Divine nature alone is indescribable and completely devoid of form, and has no form, and is incomprehensible. Although the divine Scripture clothes God with forms that seem to be corporeal, so that figures can also be visible, however, the forms themselves are incorporeal. For the prophets and those to whom they revealed themselves—after all, they were not visible to everyone—contemplated them not with bodily eyes, but with spiritual ones. Simply put, we can make images of all the figures we see; but we imagine them mentally, depending on how they appeared. For, although we sometimes imagine figures [of things] through reflection, we nevertheless come to this understanding of them on the basis of what we have seen; this also happens in each individual sense: based on what we smelled or tasted or touched, through reflection we come to the idea of ​​this too. XXV. So, we know that it is impossible to see with the eyes the nature of both God, the soul, and the demon, but that they are contemplated through some adaptation 401 when Divine Providence clothes with images and forms that which is incorporeal and devoid of images, and has no corporeal figure, to guide us and to [give us at least] a superficial and partial knowledge of them, so that we are not in complete ignorance of God and incorporeal creatures. For God, of course, by nature is completely incorporeal. An angel and a soul and a demon, in comparison with God, Who [however] alone is above comparison, are bodies. Compared to material bodies, they are incorporeal. So, God, not wanting us to be completely ignorant of what is incorporeal, clothed it with forms and figures and images, in relation to our nature; figures [I say 402] bodily, contemplated with the help of the immaterial vision of the mind. And to this we give forms, and we depict it; for [otherwise 403 ] how could the Cherubim be 404 represented and depicted? But [after all] in Scripture the forms and images of God are also mentioned. Who made the first image? XXVI. God Himself was the first to give birth to the only begotten Son and His Word, His living image, natural, in everything a similar image of His eternity; and created man in His own image and likeness 405. And Adam saw God and heard the sound of His feet walking at noon, and hid in paradise 406. And Jacob saw him also wrestling with God 407 . It is clear that God appeared to him as a man. And Moses saw, as it were, the back of a man 408; Isaiah also saw, as it were, a man sitting on a throne 409. Daniel also saw the likeness of man and like the Son of man, who came down to the Old Day 410. And no one saw the nature of God, but [only] the image and likeness of Him who intended to appear in the future 411. For the Son and invisible Word of God intended to truly become man in order to unite with our nature and be visible on earth. So, everyone, having seen the image and likeness of the future, bowed down, just as the Apostle Paul says in the Epistle to the Hebrews: by faith, these died in, not receiving the promises, but from afar I saw and kissed 412. So, shall I not begin to make images of Him Who appeared for my sake with a carnal nature? And shall I not worship and honor Him through the honor and adoration that I give to His image? Abraham saw, [but] not the nature of God 413 - for no one had seen God anywhere 414 - but the image of God, and, falling, he worshiped. Joshua the son of Nun saw 415 - [but] not the nature of the Angel, but the image; for the nature of an Angel is not beheld by bodily eyes; and, having fallen, bowed. Daniel [acted] in a similar manner. An angel is not God, but a creation and a servant of God and a helper; [why] 417 he worshiped him, not as God, but as God’s helper and servant. Am I really not going to make images of Christ’s friends? And shall I not worship, not as gods, but as images of the friends of God? For neither Jesus nor Daniel worshiped the angels who appeared - as if they were gods; and I do not worship an image - as God, but through the image of Christ and the Holy Mother of God 418, and the saints, I give worship and honor to God, for whose sake I honor and respect His friends. God did not enter into unity with the nature of the Angels, but united with the nature of people. God did not become an Angel, but God became by nature and truly a man: for it is not from the Angel that he truly receives, but from the seed of Abraham he receives 419. It was not the nature of the Angels that became the Son of God by hypostasis, but the nature of man became the Son of God by hypostasis. The angels became participants and became partakers not of the divine nature, but of action and grace; among people they become participants and become sharers of the divine nature 420 who accept the holy body of Christ and drink His blood. For [both] 421 are united with the deity by hypostasis; and the two natures in the body of Christ we receive are inextricably united in hypostasis; and we are participants in two natures in the body - in a bodily way, in the deity - in a spiritual way; better, in both senses. It is not by hypostasis that we are one and the same [as the Savior], for first we exist hypostatically, and then [only] we enter [with Him] into unity; but by connection with the body and blood. And how are there not more angels than people who maintain unity in purity through keeping the commandments? Our nature is a little lower in comparison with the Angels: [precisely] because it is death and because it has the heaviness of the body; but, by the favor of God and union [with Him], it became more glorious than the Angels. For the angels stand before him with fear and trembling, who is seated in Christ on the throne of glory, and they will stand in fear at judgment 422 . The angels are not named in Scripture as seated together [with Him] 423 and as partakers of the divine glory. For ecu they are servant souls, sent into service for those who want to inherit salvation 424. And it is not said that they will reign together [with Him] and will be glorified together and that they will sit at the Father’s table. Holy people are children of God, sons of the kingdom and heirs of God, and joint heirs with Christ. Therefore, I honor the saints and glorify the servants and friends and joint heirs of Christ; slaves [of course] 425 by nature and friends by choice, also children and heirs by divine grace, as the Lord says to His Father 426. So, having spoken about the image, we want to talk about worship, and firstly, about what is worship? About worship. What is worship? XXVII. So, worship is a sign of submission, that is, humility and modesty; There are very many kinds of worship. How many types of worship are there? XXHUSH. The first kind of worship is service worship, which we render to God, Who alone by His nature is worthy of worship. In turn, this kind of [worship is manifested] in various ways. First, in the form of servile worship [or obedience] 427 . For all creatures worship Him, as slaves worship the Master; for [Scripture] says: for all kinds of work are for you 428; and some worship voluntarily, others against their will; some, those who are pious, worship, of course, because they know [God], while others, although they know [God], however, worship unwillingly, against their will, like demons; others, not knowing Him who is God by nature, unwillingly worship Him Whom they do not know. XXIX. The second kind is the one that we show out of surprise and strong love; In this way we worship God because of His natural glory. For He alone is glorified [and glorified] 429, not having glory from anyone, but being Himself the Author of all glory and all good, as incomprehensible light, incomparable sweetness, inexplicable beauty, an abyss of goodness, unsearchable wisdom, infinitely powerful power, as the only One who in Himself is worthy to meet with wonder and worship, and glorification, and love. XXX. The third kind is the one when we give thanks for the blessings that have been done to us. For for everything that exists, one must thank God and show eternal worship, both because everything has its existence from Him, and because everything is contained in Him 430, and that He gives to everyone, even without their asking, in abundance from His gifts; and that all [man] wants to be saved 431 and to be partakers of His goodness; and that He is long-suffering towards us who sin, and His sun shines on the evil and on the good, and rains on the righteous and on the unrighteous 432; and that for our sake the Son of God became such as he is, and made us partakers of the divine nature 433, so that we will be like him, as John the Theologian says in his conciliar letter 434. XXXI. The fourth kind is the one that we use when there is a lack [of goods] and in the hope [of receiving] benefits, according to which, knowing that without Him we cannot do anything or have any benefits, we worship, each asking from Him what he feels he lacks, and what he strongly desires, in order to both get rid of disasters and achieve blessings. XXXII. The fifth generation is the one when we repent and confess [our sins] 435. For when we sin, we worship and fall before God, asking, like prudent servants [and it is proper], for forgiveness of mistakes. II, this kind is threefold: someone grieves either out of love, or out of fear that he will not receive God’s blessings, or because of fear of punishment. And the first kind occurs as a result of a person’s good thoughts and strong love 436 for God, and filial disposition towards Him; – the second is a sign of the mercenary’s way of thinking; the third is slave 437. How many objects do we find in Scripture that are given worship, and in how many ways do we give worship to creatures? XXXIII. Firstly, [worship is given] to those on whom God rested, Who alone is holy and rests in the saints, such as: in the Holy Mother of God and all holy people. These are those who, as far as possible, have become like God, both as a result of their own will and God's presence and assistance - those who are truly called even gods, not by nature, but by grace, 438 just as iron heated in fire is called fire not by nature, but by position and participation in the fire. For [Scripture] says: Be holy, for I am holy 439. This primarily depends on will. Then everyone who preferentially chooses what is good is helped by God in achieving [the] good 440. Then [says God] I will dwell in them and go 441; and [we also read in Scripture]: you are the church of God, and the Spirit of God lives in you 442. Then: give (i.e., Jesus Christ) to them power over unclean souls, to drive them out, and to heal every disease and every disease 443. And: even as I create, so too [i.e. e. He who believes in Jesus Christ] will create, and greater things than these he will create 444. Then: As I live, says the Lord, I will only glorify those who glorify me 445. And: if we suffer with him, let us also be glorified with him 446. And: God is one hundred in the host of gods, in the midst, but the gods will judge 447. Посему, подобно тому как они поистине суть боги не по природе, но как причастники Того, Кто Бог по природе, так и достойны поклонения они не по природе, но как имеющие в себе самих Того, Кто по природе достоин поклонения; just as iron heated in fire is not by nature inaccessible to touch and is hotter, but as a participant in that which is hotter by nature. So, they serve as objects of worship, as glorified by God, as having become, with the assistance of God, terrible for enemies and benefactors for those who come [to them] with faith, not as gods and benefactors by nature, but as servants and servants of God and as those who, as a result of their love for Him, received a happy destiny: boldness [or free access to God] 448. So, let us worship them, since [in this case] we please the king himself, who sees that his beloved servant serves as an object of worship, not as a king, but as an obedient servant and a benevolent friend. And those who come with faith receive according to their requests 449 - it makes no difference whether the servant himself asks for it from the king, or the king accepts honor and respect from the one who seeks [something] from his servant; for he asked in his name; so those who approached [Jesus] 450 received healing through the Apostles. Thus, the shadow and the leaders, and the Ubrists of the Apostles, exuded healing 451. Those who rebelliously and treacherously desire to be worshiped as gods are not worthy of worship and deserve eternal fire. And those who do not worship the servants of God with an arrogant and proud spirit are condemned as arrogant and arrogant, as acting wickedly in relation to God. And the witnesses are the children who contemptuously reviled Elisha and became food for bears 453. XXXIV. The second kind of [worship] is the one when 454 we worship the creations through which and in which God accomplished our salvation, partly before the coming of the Lord, partly after the economy He created in the flesh, as [for example]: Mount Sinai, also Nazareth, the manger and den in Bethlehem, Holy Golgotha, the wood of the cross, nails, lip, reeds, the sacred and saving spear, robe, tunic, veils, shrouds, the holy tomb - the source of our resurrection, the stone of the tomb, the holy Mount Zion, on the other hand, the Mount of Olives, the sheep font and the blessed garden of Gethsemane; I give veneration and worship to this and the like, and to every holy church of God, and to every [place] 455 where the name of God is pronounced. I do not worship them because of their nature, but because they are the receptacles of divine activity, and because through them and in them God has deigned to work out our salvation. For I pay veneration and worship to Angels, to people, and to every substance that is involved in divine activity and has served my salvation. I do not worship the Jews; for they are not involved in divine activity, and they crucified the Lord of glory - my God, not with the goal of bringing me salvation 456, but rather, out of envy and hatred of God and the Benefactor. Lord, I have loved the beauty of your house, says David, and the dwelling place of your glory 457. And: let us bow down to the place where his nose stood 458. And: worship in the mountain of his saints 459. The animated holy mountain of God is the Holy Mother of God; the mountains of God gifted with reason are the Apostles. The mountains leapt like rams, and the hills like lambs of a sheep 460. XXXV. The third kind is that when 461 we worship that which is dedicated to God; I mean the Holy Gospels and other books. For it was written for our instruction: in them the ends of the ages reached 462. [I also mean] paten, chalices, censers, lamps and meals. For it is clear that all these objects are worthy of veneration. Indeed, see how God overthrew the kingdom of Belteshazzar when he ordered that the crowd [of guests] drink wine from the sacred vessels 463. XXXVI. The fourth kind is the one when the 464 objects of worship are the images that appeared to the prophets; for they beheld God in a figurative vision; also - images of the future, like Aaron’s rod, figuratively expressing the sacrament of the Virgin, and the stamna, and the meal. And also Jacob bowed down on the top of [his] rod 465, since 466 he was the image of the Savior 467. Images of the past exist for remembrance: and the tabernacle itself was the image of the whole world 468, for [God] says to Moses: see the image shown to you on the mountain 469. Also [reminiscent of the past] were the golden Cherubim - a work cast from metal - and the Cherubim that were on the veil - a work of art. So we also worship the precious image of the cross and the likeness of the bodily image of my God and She who carnally gave birth to Him, and the images of all His [servants] 470. XXXVII. The fifth generation is the one when 471, both humbling ourselves before each other and fulfilling the law of love 472, we give worship - one to another, as those who own the lot of God and came into being in the image of God. XXXVIII. The sixth kind is [worship of] those in government positions and those in authority. For [Scripture] says: give honor to everyone due to him, honor 473, just as Jacob bowed to Esau 474, as his elder brother, and to Pharaoh 475, the leader chosen by God. XXXIX. The seventh generation is the one when 476 masters are [worshipped] by slaves, and - [worship is given to] benefactors and those whom petitioners might need, like Abraham - the son of Hamor, when he bought the double cave 477. XL. And simply say: worship is a sign of fear and strong love, and honor, and submission, and humility; but no one should be worshiped as God, except Him alone, who is God by nature; everyone should repay the debt of the Lord for the sake of 478. XLI. You see how great a strength and what divine power is given to those who with faith and a clear conscience approach the icons of the saints! Therefore, brethren, let us stand on the rock of faith and on the tradition of the Church, without removing from our place the limit that our holy fathers laid 479, without giving room to those who want to introduce something new and destroy the building of the holy catholic and apostolic Church of God. For if freedom is given to everyone who wants it, then little by little the entire body of the Church will be destroyed. No, brothers, no, Christ-loving children of the Church, do not dishonor our mother! Do not detract from her 480 decorations! Accept her, who negotiates [with you] through me! Understand what God says about her: all good is my neighbor, and there is no vice in you 481. Let us worship and serve only the Creator and Creator, as God, Who by nature is worthy of worship! Let us also worship the Holy Mother of God, not as God, but as the Mother of God according to the flesh! Let us also worship the saints, as the chosen friends of God and those who have boldness towards Him! For if people often worship transient and wicked and sinful kings and the leaders they choose, as well as their images 482, according to the divine saying of the Apostle: obey those in authority and in possession 483; and: give everyone their due: to him is honor, honor: to him is fear, fear 484; and: Render unto Caesar, unto Caesar, as the Lord saith, and unto God, unto God 485; then how much more should we worship the King of kings, as the One who alone by nature reigns unlimitedly, and His servants and friends, who reigned over their passions and were appointed rulers of the whole earth: for I have appointed, says David, princes throughout the whole earth 486; who received power against demons and diseases and who, together with Christ, reigned in the incorruptible and indestructible kingdom, whose shadow alone drove away diseases and demons 487? So, let us not think that the image is more powerless and less valuable than the shadow! After all, it truly sets off the prototype. Brothers! A Christian is judged by the degree of his faith 488 . Therefore, he who comes in faith will receive abundant benefit; if he hesitates, like the turbulence of the sea, tossed and tossed by the winds 489, he will receive 490 nothing. For all the saints pleased God through faith. So, let us accept the tradition of the Church with a right heart and without much thought! For God created a just man, and sought the thoughts of many 491. Let us not approve of the study of a new faith, since [in this case] the tradition of the Holy Fathers is criticized! For the divine Apostle says: if anyone preaches the gospel to you 492 any more than he eats it, let him be anathema 493 . So, we worship icons, worshiping not the substance, but through them those who are depicted on them. For, as the divine Basil says, the honor given to the icon goes to the prototype 494. XLII. May you, the most sacred flock of Christ, the people named after Christ, the holy language, the body of the Church, may Christ fill you with joy about His resurrection, and may He honor those who follow in the footsteps of the holy shepherds and teachers of the Church so that, moving forward, they will achieve His glory in the glory of the saints! May it be that we, by His grace, achieve it, eternally glorifying Him together with the beginningless Father, to Whom be glory forever and ever. Amen. After we have spoken about the difference between idols and icons and presented the definition of icons, it is time [for us], in accordance with the promise we have given, to add passages from the [patristic] writings. I. Saint Dionysius, Bishop of Athens, from the Epistle to the Apostle and Theologian John ...Things accessible to vision are truly visible images of what is invisible. II. Him, from a book on the church hierarchy 495 ... But, of course, the entities and ranks that are higher than us, the sacred remembrance of which I have already made, are incorporeal, and the hierarchy that takes place in relation to them is both spiritual and supermundane. The hierarchy that takes place in relation to us, we see, abounds, in proportion to our own ability of understanding, in a variety of sensory signs by which we are hierarchically elevated to a uniform union with God in the measure appropriate to us, both to God and to divine virtue. The first [i.e., our highest ranks and essences], as minds, understand as far as they are allowed, but we, through sensory images, as far as possible, are raised to divine contemplations... Interpretation. Therefore, if, in proportion to our ability of understanding, we are raised to divine and immaterial contemplation through sensory images, then why is it indecent to depict, in proportion to our own ability of understanding, Him who for our sake humanely appeared in appearance and image and nature as a man? III. Saint Basil, from that word on [the day of] the blessed martyr Barlaam 496, the beginning of which: First, of course, is the death of the saints; and near the end of the same word ... Rise now with me, glorious painters of excellent ascetic deeds, and make the diminished image of the leader great with the help of your art. The winner, very vaguely drawn by me, illuminate with the colors of your wisdom. Let me retreat - defeated by you in the matter of drawing the exploits of a martyr! Yes, I rejoice, yielding today to such a victory won by your strength! May I see more carefully the struggle between the hand and the fire that you draw! May I see a fighter more clearly drawn in your picture! May the demons [already] cry even now, amazed by the exploits of the martyr you depicted! May the burning and conquering hand be shown to them again! May we also inscribe on the board the Master of Heroes in competitions – Christ! IV. Him, from the word on [the day of] the holy forty martyrs ... For both prose writers and painters often tell about brave military deeds: some - decorating with words, others - drawing on boards; both of them aroused many to a courageous course of action. For what does the word show? through hearing, this silent painting reveals itself through imitation. V. His, from the thirty chapters [written] to Amphilochius about the Holy Spirit; answer 18 ... Because the image of a king is also called a king, [although these are] not two kings. For power is not divided, and glory is not divided. For just as the leadership and power that rules us is one, so the doxology coming from our side is one, and not many, because the honor given to the image passes on to the prototype. So, what the image is here imitatively, this there by nature is the Son. Interpretation. Thus, just as he who does not honor the Son, according to the word of the Lord, does not honor the Father who sent Him, 497 so he who does not honor an image does not honor the one who is depicted. But perhaps someone will say: it is necessary to venerate the image of Christ, but it is not necessary [to venerate images] of saints. Oh, recklessness! Listen to the Lord, who says to His disciples: those who accept you will also accept me 498. Therefore, he who does not honor the saints does not honor the Lord Himself. VI. Saint Gregory of Nyssa, from a word spoken in Constantinople, about the divinity of the Son and the Holy Spirit and regarding Abraham; from word 44, the beginning of which: Which is partly experienced [being] in front of beautifully flowering meadows by those who love to contemplate them... And after a short interval: ... After this, the father first grabs his son [bound] with both hands. I have often seen a picture of this sad affair and have not passed by this spectacle without tears, since art clearly brings this story before my eyes. Isaac lies at the very altar with his knee bent and his hands turned [i.e., tied] back. And he [i.e., the father], stepping from behind on the bend of his leg at the knee and drawing his son’s hair to himself with his left hand, bends down to the face looking piteously at him and, armed with a knife in his right hand, rushes to the slaughter. And the tip of the knife already touches the body, and then he hears a voice from God, rejecting this act. VII. St. John Chrysostom, from the commentary on the Epistle to the Hebrews ... And before there was a certain image that appeared later: Melchizedek [i.e., pre-depicted] Christ, just as if someone called the shadow of a picture painted with paints, the unclear image of it by the painter that preceded it. For this is why the law is called shadow, but grace is called truth, and works are what is meant to be; so that the law and Melchizedek are the shadow that precedes the picture depicted with paints; grace and truth are a picture painted with colors; and deeds 499 are what will happen in the next century; so that the Old Testament is an image of an image and the New is an image of works. VIII. Severian [Bishop] of Gavala, from a word spoken on the feast of the renewal of the honorable and life-giving cross ... So, how did the image of the one who was cursed bring salvation to a people dejected by misfortune? In fact, wouldn’t it be more reliable to say: if one of you is bitten, let him look to heaven, up to God, and be saved, or to the tabernacle of God? But, not paying attention to this, he arranged only an image of the cross. So, why did Moses do this, who said to the people: You shall not make for yourself a carved or sculpted image, or any likeness, of trees in the heavens, and trees on the earth below, and trees in the waters under the earth? But why am I [talking] about this to an ungrateful people? Tell me, O most faithful servant of God, are you doing what you forbid? What you destroy, you arrange? Speaker: Do not make a carved image, having destroyed a calf fused from metal, are you making a serpent out of copper? And you do this not secretly, but openly, and [so that] everyone can know? But this, he says, I have prescribed by law in order to eradicate the substances of wickedness and turn the people away from all apostasy and idolatry. Now I cast a serpent from metal for the benefit [for others] - for the pre-depiction of the truth. And, just as I built the tabernacle and everything in it, and the Cherubim - the likeness of the invisible - spread over the holy one, as an image and shadow of the future; So I raised the serpent to the people for their salvation, so that through experience in this kind of [signs] I would first accustom them to the image of the sign of the cross and [to accept] the Savior and Redeemer hanging on it. And that this word is very true, beloved, listen to the Lord, who confirms this word and says: just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the desert, so it is fitting for the Son of man to be lifted up, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish, but have eternal life. Interpretation. And that [the veneration of] icons is not a new invention, but ancient and was known to the holy and excellent Fathers and [for them] - usually, in the life of Blessed Basil, compiled by his disciple Helladius and his successor at the episcopal see, it is written that Saint Basil stood before the icon of our Lady - an icon on which the image of the glorious martyr Mercury was painted. He stood before her, asking for the death of the most godless tyrant who had apostatized from the faith - Julian. From the side of this icon, he was initiated into such a revelation: it was he who saw that this martyr disappeared from sight for a short time, and after a little time he was holding a bloody spear. IX. From the biography of John Chrysostom ... Blessed John loved the epistles of the wisest Paul very much. And after a short interval: He also had an image of this Apostle on the icon, [in the place] where, due to the weakness of his body, he rested for a short time. For he was disposed to stay awake a lot - more than nature allowed. And when he read his messages, he, without taking his eyes off, looked at the image, and looked at it with such attention, as if the Apostle was alive; glorifying him and imagining him, he directed all his thoughts to him, and through contemplation [of the image] he talked with him. And after a short interval: When Proclus stopped speaking, then, looking closely at the image of this Apostle and seeing his figure, similar to the one he had seen before, he said, bowing his body, saluting John and pointing to the image with his finger: forgive me, father! the one whom I saw speaking to you is similar to this and, as I think 500, [this] is he. X. From the God-loving History 501 of Theodoret, Bishop of Cyrus, regarding the life of Saint Simeon the Stylite ... Because there is no need to talk about Italy. For they say that in the greatest Rome this man became so famous that on all the thresholds of the workshops [the Romans] erected small images in his honor, from here providing themselves with some protection and security. XI. Saint Basil 502, from a commentary on Isaiah ... After he [i.e., the devil] saw man [created] in the image and likeness of God, then, not being able to turn against God, he poured out 503 his anger on God’s image, as if some person, angry, threw stones at the image [of the king], since he cannot - at [the] king himself, striking the tree that has the image. Interpretation. Likewise, everyone who venerates an icon obviously honors the prototype. XII. His same, from the same interpretation 504 ... For, as one who brazenly acted with the royal image is accused, as if he had insulted the king himself; [precisely] also, obviously, the one who offends a person who has come in the image [of God] is guilty of sin. XIII. Saint Athanasius, from one hundred chapters written to the prefect Antiochus in [the form of] questions and answers 505. Chapter 38 506 Answer. We believers do not worship icons as gods, as the Greeks do - let it not be! – but – showing only the property and desire of our love for the depiction of a face on an icon. Therefore, often, after the image is destroyed, we finally burn the icon, like a tree that is useless after that. So, just as Jacob, intending to die, bowed to the top of Joseph's rod 507, not honoring the rod, but the one who held it; so we, believers, do not kiss icons in any other way, as we often kiss our children and parents, but in order to show the strong love of our soul. For [we venerate icons] in exactly the same way as the Jew worshiped the tablets of the law and the two Cherubim - gold and carved, honoring not the nature of stone and gold, but the Lord, who commanded [to do] this. XIV. St. Chrysostom, on the third psalm, regarding David and Absalom Kings erect victory statues in honor of victorious generals; and for the victorious charioteers and fighters the chiefs [also] erect some columns, and by means of an inscription, like a wreath, make the substance a herald of victory; others, for their part, write praises of the winners in books and letters, wanting to show their ability to praise something more powerful than those whom they praise. And historians, and painters, and sculptors, and peoples, and rulers, and cities, and countries are surprised at the winners. But no one painted images of someone running away [from the battlefield] and refusing to fight. XV. Saint Cyril of Alexandria, from a greeting to Tsar Theodosius ... Icons are similar to prototypes 508; for they should be like this and not otherwise. XVI. His same, from Treasures 509 ... For icons always retain their resemblance to prototypes. XVII. His, from the book, which says that in everything written by Moses, an indication is given of the mystery of Christ. About Abraham and Melchizedek, chapter 6 ... I need to draw images for myself like 510 prototypes. XVIII. Saint Gregory of Nazianzen, from the second discourse on the Son ... For the nature of an image is that it should be a likeness of the prototype to which it is considered to belong. XIX. Chrysostom, from the third discourse on the Epistle to Colossae The image of an invisible thing is itself 511 also invisible, since [otherwise] it would not be an image. For the image, insofar as it is an image, even in our opinion, must be similar in everything, as if an imprint of similarity. XX. His same, from the interpretation of the Epistle to the Hebrews; chapter 17 ... Just as in images, the image of a person contains the figure [of the latter], and not the power. Thus, truth [i.e., prototype] and figure have a connection with each other; for the figure is similar. XXI. Eusebius Pamphilus, from the fifth book of the Gospel Proof 512, About the words: God appeared to Abraham at the oak of Mamre 513 ... Therefore, this place is still revered by neighboring peoples to this day, as if divine, in order to honor those who appeared there to Abraham; and this terevith can be seen 514 surviving even to this day; and those received hospitably by Abraham [are depicted] 515 in the picture reclining: two - [one] on each of the two sides, and in the middle - a more powerful one, superior in rank. Shown to us in the middle 516 is 517 the Lord, our Savior Himself, Whom even those who do not know Him worship, confirming the divine sayings 518 . So, truly, He Himself, Who from that time on threw the seeds of piety among people, taking upon Himself both human appearance and form, revealed Himself as He is to the pious Forefather Abraham, and also conveyed to him the knowledge of His Father. XXII. From the chronicle 519 of John of Antioch, which is also called Malala 520, about the bleeding woman and the monument she erected in honor of Christ the Savior ... After that time, John the Baptist became known among people; and the governor Herod beheaded 521 him in the royal residence 522 of the Trachonitis country, in the city of Sebastia, on the eighth day before the Kalends of June 523 in the consulate of Flaccus and Rufinus. Therefore, King Herod, son of 524 Philip, returned from Judea sad; and one rich woman came to him, who lived in the same city - Paneas, named Vernika 525, who wanted, because she had been healed by Jesus, to erect a monument to Him; and, not daring to do this without the royal command, she submitted a petition to King Herod, praying [that he would allow her] to erect a golden monument in her city in honor of Christ the Savior. This petition was as follows: “To the Sovereign 526 Herod, governor of the region, legislator of both Jews and Greeks, king of Trachonitida, a prayer and humble request from Vernika, the most respected resident of the city of Paneada. Justice and philanthropy and other virtues 527 surround your 528 supreme power like a crown. Therefore, knowing this, I am writing to you with excellent hopes that I will receive everything.” What is the basis of this preface, the further part of this [petition] speech will reveal to you. “From childhood, obsessed with the disease of bleeding from the canals, having wasted my property and wealth on doctors, I did not find healing; Having heard about the healings of the astonishing Christ, that He raises the dead, again calling 529 to life, and drives out demons from mortal people, and with His word heals all those who were exhausted by illness, and I hastened to Him as to God. And paying attention to the crowd surrounding Him, fearing that He, (with contempt) turning away 530 from the uncleanness caused by the disease, would not be angry with me, and that a stronger blow of the disease would not approach me, I myself came to the conclusion that if I get the opportunity to touch the hem of His garment, then I will be healed. And having touched Him, after my source of blood stopped, I immediately became healthy. He, as if he knew in advance the intentions of my heart, exclaimed very strongly: who is it that touched me? Az bo chuh the power that came out of me 531. So, I, turning pale and groaning, believing that I was returning the disease to myself - more merciless, falling before him, filled the earth with tears and told about my insolence. He, being a good one, having mercy on me, confirmed my healing, saying: be of good cheer, daughter, your faith will save you: go in peace 532. So you, Sovereign, fulfill 533 the asking woman’s prayer, which has a price.” King Herod, having learned about this from a request 534, was amazed at the miracle, and, frightened by the mystery of healing, said: Oh, woman! The healing that happened to you is worthy of a very great monument. Therefore, when you go, erect in His honor whatever monument you wish, glorifying the Healer. And Vernika herself, who had previously been bleeding, immediately in the middle of her own city - Paneada, erected in honor of God and the Lord a copper monument made of melted copper, mixed with gold and silver; which monument, shortly before this, was moved from the place where it stood, [i.e.], in the middle of the city, to a holy place, to a house of prayer, to this day stands firmly in the city of Paneada. A recorded memory of this was found in the city of Paneas, among a certain Bassus, who became a Christian from the Jews; here was [described] the life of all those who reigned in the Judean country. XXIII. From the seventh book of the Church History of Eusebius Pamphilus, about the bleeding Paneadic woman ... After we have remembered this city, I do not consider it decent to ignore a story that is worthy of passing on to the memory of posterity. For the bleeding woman, who, as we learned from the Holy Gospels, found deliverance from her illness from our Savior, rushed, they said, from here; they showed her house in the city; the astonishing trophies as a sign of the good deed shown to her by the Savior remain intact [and now]: it is in front of the gates of her house on a high stone that there is a copper image of a woman with a bent knee and outstretched hands, looking like a begging woman. Opposite him is another - from the same substance: a standing upright figure of a husband, decently dressed in a cloak and extending his hand there [i.e., to the woman] 535 The figure on this monument grew a certain foreign kind of herb, so that, rising to the edge of the copper cloak, it became a cure for all diseases. This same statue was said to have the image of Jesus. It has stood firmly even to our time, so that those who came (as foreigners) and lived in the city could see it with their eyes. And now it is not surprising that the ancient pagan people, blessed by our Savior, did this when we saw what was being done with paints of the image of both the Apostles themselves - Peter and Paul, and the Savior Himself, for the ancients, as naturally, without any bewilderment 536, due to the pagan habit that existed among them, used to give honor in this way [to their saviors 537 . XXIV. His same, from the ninth book of the same History, about King Constantine ... When he very well felt the help he received from God, he immediately commanded that the victorious sign of the saving passion [of Christ] be attached to the hand of his own image. Also, finally, he ordered [and then] that [the statue] of him, holding in his right hand the saving sign of the cross, should be placed in that place in Rome that was most visited by the people, and this very inscription should be placed on it with the words 538 in the language of the Romans: “By means of this saving sign, a true proof of courage, I have made your city free, saved from the yoke of a tyrant; Moreover, having freed both the Senate and the Roman people, I returned them to their original splendor and radiance.” XXV. From the first book of Socrates' Ecclesiastical History; chapters 18; about the same king ... After this, King Constantine, becoming 539 very careful about matters relating to Christianity, rejected 540 pagan religious rites and put an end to gladiator fights. He placed his own images for storage in churches 541. XXVI. Stephen of Vostria, against the Jews; chapter 4 ... To remember the saints, we made their images, such as Abraham and Isaac, and Jacob, and Moses, and Elijah, and Zechariah, and the rest of the prophets and holy martyrs who were killed for the sake of God, so that everyone who sees their images would remember them and glorify Him who glorified them. ... Regarding icons, we are calm, because every deed done in the name of God is beautiful and holy. As for idols and graven images, get away [from them]! For they themselves are worthless and monstrous, and those who make them; because one is an image of the holy prophet and the other is a statue or wooden image of Kronos and Aphrodite, and the sun and the moon. And since man also came into being in the image of God, he serves as an object of worship; the serpent, since he is the image of the devil, is unclean and vile. If you reject from yourself what is made with hands, then tell me, Jew, what is on earth not made with hands [among those objects] to which worship is given 542? Was not the ark of God the work of God? The altar and the atonement, and the Cherubim, and the golden stash that had manna, and the meal, and the inner tabernacle, and everything that God called: “The Holy of Holies”? Were not the Cherubim, images of Angels, made by hand? What are you saying? If you call them idols, what name do you give to Moses who worshiped them and also to Israel? Worship is a sign of honor, how do we, sinners, worship God [when] we glorify? His divine service and worthy reverence and awe, as before our Creator and Leader; We worship the angels and servants of God for the purpose of honoring God, as God’s creations and His subordinates. Since an icon is the name and likeness of the one who is painted on it, therefore, with the help of both written signs and images, we always remember the suffering of the Lord and the holy prophets, which are recorded in the Law and Gospels. XXVIII. Saint Gregory of Nazianzen. from the word spoken against the criminal - Julian ... The images hitherto exhibited in public places bear signs of his wound from the blow inflicted because of this [atrocity] 543. XXIX. Chrysostom, from the interpretation of [the book of] righteous Job ... In all these things that happened to him, God did not give him madness 544. Just as on icons, every time we paint someone’s history 545, we inscribe: so-and-so dedicated; so here too, having drawn the image of his soul, the one who wrote this book, making a note at the bottom, as if on the rim [of the picture], says: in all these things that happened to him, do not sin Job 546. XXX. From the "life" of Saint Constantine; from book 4 547 ... And how much his spirit was strengthened by the power of God-inspired faith, anyone could understand from the following: taking into account the fact that he himself ordered to draw his image on gold coins so that this one seemed to look upward, being stretched out to God, like a person praying. Thus, his images spread 548 throughout the Roman land; in some cities, in the very royal palaces, in the images located at the top of the vestibules, he was depicted standing upright, looking up at the sky, with outstretched arms, with the appearance of one praying. In this way, therefore, he himself depicted himself in the paintings 549 praying. XXXI. From the third book of the same [work] ... In this way, therefore, the king’s mother died, worthy of the greatest honor, both for the sake of her God-loving deeds, and as a result of the supernatural and amazing plant that grew from her, which is right to please, in addition to everything [else], and for piety in relation to the one who gave birth to him: he made her God-fearing to such an extent, while before she was not [such], that it seemed that she was made by him as a disciple universal Savior from the very beginning. And to such an extent he honored her with royal dignity that among all nations and among the military regiments themselves she was proclaimed Queen Augusta, and her image was also stamped on gold coins. XXXII. From the fourth book of the same work, chapter 69 550 ... Those who lived in the royal city along with the Senate itself and the Roman people, as soon as they learned about the death of the king, then, drawn by the terrible news that exceeded any misfortune, they began to cry uncontrollably. The baths were locked, as were the markets, and national spectacles and everything that was customary for people having fun because of the idleness of life were prohibited. Those who had previously spent time in pleasures [now] walked with downcast eyes; and everyone together glorified that blessed one, beloved by God, truly worthy of royal power. And they spoke about this not only with shouts, but, getting down to business, they honored him and the deceased, exactly as if he were alive, by dedicating images to him: they depicted a view of the sky in a painted picture, and on top of the vault of heaven, with the help of painting, they presented him resting in an ethereal abode. XXXIII. From chapter 73 of the same [work] ... So, in a similar way, through the hereditary succession of sons, the blessed one became numerous instead of one, so that, thanks to the construction of images, among all peoples he was revered along with his children 551. XXXIV. Theodoret, Bishop of Cyrus, and Polychrony 552, from the commentary on the book of Ezekiel ... And just as the Romans, drawing images of kings, surround [them, at the same time], with bodyguards and also depict subordinate tribes, in a similar way [is done] here [i.e., in the interpreted place of the book of the prophet 553], since the King in a vision depicts God, as if carried on a throne, [and the vision] indicates the image of all the things that are on earth, and about what serves to decorate that Image, it tells in such a way that it teaches about the dominion of God over all things. XXXV. His [i.e. e. Polychrony] And you, son of man, take a plinth for yourself and place it before your face, and write Jerusalem on it, and put a fence around it, and build a fence over it, and surround it with a fort, and put regiments around it, and set up archers around it 554. Interpretation. If you consider it terrible to speak against the people and predict the destruction of the city and the destruction of the church, and the misfortunes that are going to happen from this, then announce it in a different way, so that you can bring them to their senses and show your philanthropy. And take, says [the Lord], a plinth, and write hail. Let the name of the city be inscribed, so that it will be known that this is Jerusalem. Having depicted the city, surround the view depicted in the picture with a rampart, where many troops are located 555. Let the troops march in accordance with military order. For the word: regiments means this, that is, military legions approaching in orderly order, which are not only equipped with weapons, but also carry with them siege weapons with which these walls will be overthrown. For this means [expression]: placement of archers 557. In a manner worthy of great surprise, he shows that a multitude [of troops] is just standing near the city; to show in order to, by fear of misfortunes, shudder (the people), to deviate them from the illegal way of life 558. XXXVI. From the testimony of Saint Eustathius, who is also [called] Placida ... When one day, as usual, he went to the mountains to hunt with his army and his entire retinue, a herd of deer appeared in front of him, grazing. And, as usual, dividing his army into parties, he began to pursue them. When the whole army was busy catching deer, the largest of the entire herd and the most beautiful, separated from the herd, rushed through the forest into denser forest areas and impassable spaces. Placidas, seeing him and having a passionate desire to seize him, left everyone and began to pursue him with a few warriors. And when his comrades became exhausted, he alone did not tire of the persecution. And after, due to the providential activity of God, his horse did not become weak, and he himself did not retreat in fear of the inconvenience of the place, he, having pursued for a long time, found himself at a far distance from his army. The deer ran, and he, occupying the top of the rock, when there was no one with him, stopped, looking around in all directions and thinking about how he could take possession of the deer. But the all-wise and merciful God, who came up with all kinds of ways to save people, on His part caught him 559 while hunting; not like Cornelius through Peter, but like Paul the persecutor through His appearance. For when Placidas stood for a long time and, on the one hand, gazed at the deer, and on the other, marveled at its size and was perplexed about its capture, the Lord showed something wonderful of this kind that was not implausible and did not exceed the height of His power; but, just as in the time of Valaam, putting the gift of speech into a donkey, exposed his intention, so here he showed it [something similar]: the image of the holy cross on the antlers of a deer, shining stronger than the brilliance of the sun, and among the horns - the image of the God-bearing Body, which He deigned to receive for the sake of our salvation. And putting a human voice into the deer 560, he began to call Placis to himself, saying: O Placis, why are you pursuing Me? So for your sake I appeared and appeared to you in this animal. I am Jesus Christ, whom you worship without knowing Him. For the deeds of your charity that you perform in relation to those in need stand before Me, and I came to reveal Myself to you through this deer, and, on My part, to catch you and detain you in the nets of My love for mankind. For it is unfair for a person whom I love for his good deeds to serve unclean demons and idols - dead and dumb. For for this reason I came to earth in this form, in which you now see, wanting to save the human race. XXXVII. Saint Leontius, [bishop] of the city of Naples on the island of Cyprus, from the 5th book against the Jews ....We want, finally, we want to readily organize the defense and marking of images worthy of veneration, so that the mouths of the lawless, who speak unrighteousness, will be stopped. For this tradition is in accordance with the law, and it is not ours. In fact, listen to God Himself telling Moses to create images of two Cherubim - carved and cast from metal, which overshadowed the purification. And again: God showed Ezekiel the church, which had, says [Scripture], carved faces of lions and [images of] palm trees, and people, and Cherubim, from the very floor even to the ceiling of the church. This word is truly scary! God, who commanded Israel not to build any idol, image, or likeness of what is in heaven or what is on earth, Himself commands Moses to build carved figures of Cherubim! And to Ezekiel God shows a church full of images and carvings of 561 lions and palm trees and people! And Solomon, taking the likeness of the law, built a church full of copper carvings, [depicting] oxen and palm trees, and people, and, meanwhile, was not condemned by God 562. Therefore, if you want to condemn me because of the icons, then first condemn God, who commanded me to do this, so that we have a memory of Him. XXXVIII. Him, from the fifth book ...Again they ridicule us because of the honorable cross and both the arranging of images, which have God as their prototype, and the worship of them, calling us idolaters and worshipers of wooden gods, [ridiculed] by people who do not believe in God at all. If, as you, an atheist, say, I worship the wooden God, then, of course, I also worship many. And if I honor many gods, then, of course, I should, when taking an oath, say: I swear by the gods, just as you, seeing one calf, said: these are your gods, to Israel 563; but you were not honored to ever hear this from the lips of Christians; and the adulterous and unfaithful synagogue always has the habit of describing the most chaste Church of Christ as a harlot. ... For images of saints and icons, and images on our part are not worshiped as gods. For if we worshiped the wood of the icon as God, then, of course, we would have to worship the remaining pieces of the trees and would not burn the icon in the fire, as often happens after the image is erased. And, in turn, as long as the pieces of trees that make up the cross are tied together, I worship this image for the sake of Christ crucified on it, and after they are separated from each other, I throw them and burn them. And just as he who received the king’s command, sealed with a seal, and kissed this seal, did not honor clay, not a sheet of papyrus paper or lead, but paid respect and worship to the king; so we, the sons of Christians, when we worship the image of the cross, we worship not the nature of the tree, but, looking at [a kind of] seal and signet ring and the image of Christ Himself, [i.e., the cross], through it we greet and worship the One who was crucified on it. ... And for this reason I depict and paint Christ and the passion of Christ, in churches and houses, and in squares, and on icons, and on shrouds, and in inner rooms, and on clothes, and in every place, so that, constantly looking at this, I would remember and not forget, just as you have always forgotten the Lord your God. And just as you, when you worship the book of the law, do not worship the nature of skins and ink, but the words of God found in it, so I worship the image of Christ, not the nature of wood and paints - let it not be! - but, worshiping the soulless image of Christ, through it, it seems to me, I remember Christ Himself and worship Him. And how Jacob, taking from Joseph’s brothers, after they sold him, a bloody, multi-colored robe, with tears kissed this robe in every possible way and laid it before his eyes, sobbing not for the robe, but believing that through it he was kissing Joseph and holding him tightly in his arms; so we, sons of Christians, kissing with our flesh the image of Christ or the Apostle, or the martyr, with our soul, as we think, we greet that Christ Himself or His martyr... For, as I have said many times, in every greeting and in every worship [usually] the purpose [of both] is examined. And if you accuse me, saying that I worship the tree of Christ, then why don’t you accuse Jacob, who bowed to the top of Joseph’s rod? But it is absolutely clear that he bowed, not honoring the tree, but through the tree he bowed to Joseph, just as we bow to Christ through the cross. After all, Abraham also bowed to the wicked men who sold him the grave, and bowed his knee to the ground, but he worshiped them not as gods. And again, Jacob blessed Pharaoh, who was wicked and an idolater, [he bowed] and Esau seven times, but not as God. Look how many greetings and how many worships I showed you, both painted in pictures and natural ones that did not attract condemnation! And after you see that I worship the image of Christ or His most pure Mother, or a saint, then you immediately begin to be indignant and slander and hastily run away, and call me an idolater, and are not ashamed; and you tremble and blush with shame, seeing that I daily destroy the churches of idols throughout the entire universe and erect churches in honor of the martyrs. If I worshiped idols, then why [in this case] do I honor the martyrs who destroyed the idols? And if, as you say, I honor trees, then how [in this case] do I honor the saints who burned the wooden statues of demons? If I also honor stones, then how [in this case] do I glorify the Apostles who crushed the stone idols? If I venerate images of falsely named gods, then how [in this case] do I glorify and praise, and celebrate holidays in honor of those youths who accomplished the feat in Babylon and did not worship the golden idol image? But truly great is the bitterness of the lawless, great is the blindness! O Jew, great is your shamelessness and wickedness! In fairness, the truth suffers offense from you! Arise, O God, judge your judgment! Pronounce judgment and judge us with a people who are not righteous, but wicked and alien*, and who constantly irritate You 565. ... So, if I, as I have said many times, worshiped wood and stone as God, then [in this case] I would also say to wood and stone: you gave birth to me ecu 566. And if I worship images of saints, or better yet, saints, and I also worship and honor the exploits of holy martyrs, then how do you, O foolish one, call these idols? After all, idols are the likenesses of false [gods] 567, adulterers and murderers, and those who sacrifice children, and those who are effeminate people - and not prophets and not apostles. And in order to partially present me with a brief and true example regarding Christian and Hellenic similarities, listen! The Chaldeans had all kinds of musical instruments in Babylon, with which they worshiped images of demons. And the children of Israel also had instruments brought from Jerusalem, which they hung on the willow trees 568 . Both were instruments and harps and harps 569 and flutes, which the children of Israel hung on the willow trees. But some came into existence for the glory of God, and others, like [those], for the worship of demons. In general, think in this way about Hellenic and Christian icons and images, [i.e.], that those were created for the glory of the devil and the remembrance of him, and these - for the glory of Christ and the Apostles, and the martyrs, and His saints. ... So, whenever you see that a Christian worships the cross, understand that he worships for the sake of Christ crucified [on it], and not the nature of the tree, since [otherwise] we would worship all the trees of the field, and - exactly as Israel worshiped groves and trees, saying: you are my God, and you gave birth to me ecu 570. We do not [act] this way, but in churches and houses we have monuments and pictures 571 of the sufferings of the Lord and those who labored for His sake, doing everything for the sake of our Lord Himself. And again: say, O Jew! What scripture commanded Moses to bow down to his father-in-law Jethro, who was an idolater? And - Jacob, [so that he bows down] to Pharaoh? And - Abraham [to bow down] to the sons of Hamor? Were they righteous people and prophets? And [what scripture commanded] Daniel to [worship] Nebuchadnezzar, who was wicked? And if they did this for the sake of earthly and fleeting life, then why do you blame me for worshiping the holy monuments of saints, expressed through painting and storytelling, as well as suffering and deeds, because of which I daily receive benefits and expect eternal and permanent life. XLIII. From Theodoret's Ecclesiastical History 572; from volume 4 ... Around the time of this consulate, on the 25th day of the month of December, a miracle happened - terrible and immeasurable, and amazing the ears of all people. For someone named Olympius, who usually skipped next to a pacer who belonged to Euthymius, the leader of the Aryan heresy, when he was in the bathhouse of the Helenian Palace, in a warm bath room, and saw some of the bathers who extolled the dogma of the Consubstantial One, he spoke in these exact words; Indeed, what [is] the Trinity? 573 On which wall is it not written? And, taking his childbearing parts 574, he said: Behold, I have a trinity; so that those who were there (obviously), indignant, intended to kill 575 him, but were restrained by a certain Magnus, a presbyter [located] in the walled place [of the church] of the holy Apostles 576, a man worthy of wonder and reverence for God, who told them that [this] cannot remain completely hidden from the eye of the all-seeing Truth, which carefully records) [all ] . And when they, out of respect for this husband, stopped worrying, then Olympius retired [from this room to another] and, as usual, having washed himself in warm baths 577, went to a pool of cold water 578, which received water from a source that came out in the middle of the sacred altar of the holy house of the first martyr Stephen - a house that in ancient times was built by Avrilian, famous for the virtues inherent in to the rulers. Therefore, I think, this water received divine attention. Having gone down into the pool, he very quickly came up, crying: have mercy on me, have mercy! And scratching his body, he separated it from the bones. However, those who were near him, grabbed him and wrapped him in a sheet, put him, struggling with death, in his place and began to ask: what kind of incident could this be? And Olympius said 579: I saw a man dressed in a white dress, who entered my pond 580 and doused me with three buckets 581 of hot water, and said to me: do not blaspheme! Those who were with him, out of necessity, 582, took him on a stretcher and carried him to another bathhouse, located at the Arian Church. When they wanted to remove 583 the sheet from him, they at the same time tore 584 his entire body, and thus killed, he gave up 585 his spirit. This became known throughout almost the entire empire 586. Some said about the victim that he once 587 from the religion that glorified the consubstantial [Trinity], with the second baptism passed into the Aryan heresy 588. And after what happened reached the royal ears - and [the king] was Anastasius - then [the latter] ordered that this wonderful event be depicted in paint on the icon and that [this] be established on top of the pool 589. A certain John, a deacon and caretaker 590 of the above-mentioned holy house of Stephen, the first of the martyrs, a husband no less than anyone else 591, who in any case showed zeal in defense of the dogma of consubstantiality [of the Son with the Father], made an inscription on the icon, but not simply; for he inscribed the names of those who washed there and saw [the miracle] also where everyone lived, and in addition, the names of those who served by the waters. This icon, which to this day stands firmly at [the] entrance to the fourth portico 592 of the many times named house of prayer, testifies [to that miracle]. And since that miracle was followed by [another] miracle, it is not proper not to pay attention to it, because it had a similar content. This is precisely what I will not refuse to talk about, although it is too recent in time 593. It was those who belonged to the Aryan party, seeing that the triumph [of the supporters of the dogma of the consubstantiality of the Son with the Father] was increasing, urgently begged the one who was entrusted with the care of the Helenian palace, as the head of the administration and the bathhouse, so that he would remove the image and hide it. He, having found a cunningly invented excuse for himself: dampness caused by the waters, took away the icon, as if damaged, and - they say - hid it under the pretext of correcting it. The king made repeated trips at certain times to each separate royal area; having arrived there, he looked for the icon; and thus she was again established on the wall. Immediately some divine judgmental anger, attacking Eutychian - for this was the name of the prefect of buildings 594 - caused his right eye to swell; having brought the rest of his members into a very pitiful concussion, he arranged it so that he came to the holy house of prayer, where, they believed, part of the sacred remains of the wondrous men: Pantoleon and Marina rested. This place was called 595 concord, due to the fact that there, under the great king Theodosius, one hundred and fifty bishops, having gathered, accepted the doctrine of the consubstantial divine Trinity as something common and [all] recognized; They also proclaimed that the Lord took human flesh from the Virgin, [and thus] turned out to be the culprits of this name [place]. When he, staying [here] for about seven days, did not bring himself any benefit, but even his “twins at the right hand” turned out to be eaten away [by illness], then, in the middle of one of the nights, that assistant deacon, who by lot had to stay [there] all night, saw in a dream that some kind of king appeared and, pointing his hand at the sick man, said: why did you receive this one? Who brought him here? This is the one who closely united with those who blasphemed against Me. This is the one who hid the image of a miraculous event. The cleric, standing up, revealed what he saw [in the dream], saying that among the impossible things is that this husband be healed of his illness. On the same night, Eutychian, as if brought into a sleepy state by his pains, saw a certain young man - a eunuch, dressed in shining clothes 596, saying to him: what is the matter with you? When [this one] said: I am dying, consumed [by illness] and not receiving healing, then I heard him say: no one can help you. For the King is very angry against you. This one began to beg and said: who should I bother with requests 597, or what should I do? He said: if you want to be freed [from the disease], then immediately go to the bathhouse of the Elenian palace and rest near the image of the burnt Arian. Immediately waking up 598, he began to call the name of one of the servants. They were afraid, because for the past three days he had been possessed by muteness. And he began to tell them and persuaded them to take him away in accordance with what was ordered [to him in a dream]. Having reached that place and being laid near the icon, he gave up his breath 599. For the man who appeared, speaking of the separation of the soul from the body as a recovery 600 [from illness], spoke the truth. XLIV. Saint Anastasius, [from] Holy Mount Sinai ... At a distance of four miles from Damascus there is an area called Karsatas. In this area there is a church of St. Theodore. The Saracens, having entered, settled in this church, filling it with all kinds of dirt and uncleanness 601, due to mixing with women and children, and dumb animals 602. So, when one day they were sitting and talking in a very large number, one of them threw an arrow 603 at the icon of St. Theodore and wounded 604 his right shoulder, [from which] blood immediately came out and flowed down to the bottom of the icon, while everyone looked at the sign that had happened and at the arrow pierced into the saint’s shoulder, and at the blood flowing down. And yet those who saw this miraculous sign that happened did not come to their senses 605. The one who threw the arrow did not repent. Neither of them was embarrassed. They did not leave the church... They did not stop desecrating it. And yet they suffered the greatest punishment. For, since them, [i.e. Soracin], there were twenty-four families who settled in the church, then all of them died in a few days 606 cruel death, while in the same area on these same days, with the exception of them who lived in the church, none of these [i.e., infidels, more] died. Indeed, this icon pierced by an arrow still exists today, bearing both the wound caused by the arrow and a trace of blood. Many of the witnesses [of this] and who were [present] at the time when this wonderful thing happened are still alive. And I, because I saw his icon [i.e. St. Theodora] and thought about [what had happened], and wrote about what he saw. XLV. From the biography of Saint Simeon the Wonderworker 607; the story of Arkady, Archbishop of Cyprus; miracle one hundred and thirty second ... It happened in those days that a certain man - a merchant of the city of Antioch, due to the influence of an evil demon, was overcome by terrible despondency, and for a long time he was so worried that he was strangled by those who blocked his breath 608. This one, having come to the saint and, through his prayers, received healing and became as if he had not suffered any misfortune, and returned to his home, out of a feeling of gratitude, erected a statue in his honor in a public and conspicuous place in the city, on top of the doors of his merchant shop. Some of the infidels, seeing her, decorated with such honor 609 , with torches and veils 610 , and filled with jealousy, completely confused dissolute people like them, so that a crowd gathered and rebelliously shouted: let the one who did this lose his life 611, and let the statue be overthrown! It happened, according to the economy of God, that this husband was not then [present] in his house; because they zealously tried to kill him, and some shouted one thing, others another. For their depravity before God was very strong and great and their envy was immeasurable, under the influence of which, acting, they gathered in this place, thinking that they had found an opportunity to rebel against the saint and dishonor him, because he often exposed the treachery and error of those of them who imitated the Greeks in everything. Therefore, since they could not restrain 612 such great rage, they ordered one of the soldiers to climb up the steps of the stairs and overthrow the image. He, having risen up and stretched out his hands to do what was ordered, immediately broke away, falling down to the ground, and there was great excitement in the crowd. And excited - they ordered the other to rise up; [but] he too, stretching out his hands to steal the icon, fell to the ground in the same way. And when this happened, everyone, frightened, began to protect themselves with the sign of the cross. And those infidels, becoming even more furious, ordered the third to rise for this purpose, and when he stretched out his hands in order to overthrow the image, he, in the same way, noisily fell to the ground. Then great fear fell on all the faithful who stood around. And, horrified by the bitterness and insolence of the infidels and those wicked men, they, venerating the icon with prayer, left 614. XLVI. St. John Chrysostom, from a speech on the words: understand that you are passing through networks 615 ... Therefore, let us not grieve, beloved, and let us not lose heart [616] because of the present disaster, but let us begin to marvel at the art of God’s wisdom! Actually? In fact, through which the devil rose to overthrow our city, through this God raised it up and recreated it. For the devil, in order to destroy the very foundation of the city, inspired some lawless people, and they insulted the statues of the kings. ... And after this deed committed with impudence happened, and some unclean and lawless people, despising the laws, overthrew the statues, they also threatened everyone with a danger that exceeded [the strength] of each [of us] separately. And since the king is irritated 617, now we fear for our very lives; the loss of property in the future no longer causes grief, but instead it causes something else. I hear everyone saying: let the king take the property, we will willingly leave the squares and dwellings; Let only someone make a promise to save 618 us [at least] our naked body. Therefore, as then, before the fear of death approached us, the loss of property caused grief; [so now], after these illegal acts were boldly committed, he entered and removed the sorrow that came from that loss. ... Even if someone were not robbing, but ended up in the cave of robbers, don’t you know that he is subject to the same punishment as they? And why am I talking about what concerns robbers? All of you, without a doubt, know and remember [that] when some vile people and deceivers among us overthrew the statues, [not only they], but also those who turned out to be generally present at what happened, quickly captured and brought along with the first 619 620 to the court, were subjected to all kinds of punishment. XLIX. Theodoret, Bishop of Cyrus, from the God-loving History 621, about the Macedonian-Asianite ... And when at another time the city was thrown into a frenzy by a very 622 crafty demon, as if in fact [it] was being pursued by illness, then they [i.e. e. citizens], under the influence of rage, acted insanely regarding the royal statues 623. L. From the Ecclesiastical History of Theodore, Reader of Constantinople, about a certain heretic Palladius 624 ... The Bishop of Antioch, Palladius, acting to please the king, began to abhor those who followed the holy definitions that were in Chalcedon, and overthrew the icons of the Holy Fathers. LI. From the biography of Saint Constantine; from the third book, ch. 4th ... So, some things were done in the desired way; the cases of malice arising from envy, terribly disturbing the churches located in Alexandria, as they produced strife both between the Thebans and the Egyptians, and other considerable disasters, since “those” themselves rebelled in every city: since bishops rebelled against bishops and peoples against nations, and as soon as there were no clashes 625, as soon as they did not kill each other; so one can understand that they undertook wicked deeds and insanely insulted the royal images, due to a frenzy of mind. LII. From Church History [Theodore the Reader 626 about those who thought alike with Dioscorus ... For he reached such a degree of insolence that he destroyed even the names of the blessed shepherds who were there from the sacred diptychs, and destroyed their images, tyrannically burning them. LIII. From the same History, about the heretic 627, who accepted the throne of Constantinople after Macedon ... This wicked man, going to the meeting and ordering a careful inspection of the sacred houses, every time he found Macedonius painted on the icon somewhere, then, without destroying it, he did not perform any service to God. Liv. From the same History, about Julian and Timothy 628 ... Some of those who rejoiced at the unrest proclaim that this Julian showed the same way of thinking 629 with Bishop Timothy because of the above-mentioned Macedonius; They also proclaim the reason why he showed the same way of thinking. With the help of their servants, very soon placing [Macedonia] before them, while the civil rulers were also present in the bishop's house, they began to force 630 him to anathematize the definition of the council that had taken place in Chalcedon. The elder, praying before the painted images of the deceased priests [Christian] in Constantinople: archbishops Flavian and Anatolius, with the help of which the council that was in Chalcedon acquired power, exclaimed: if you do not want to accept the 631 resolutions of the mentioned holy council, then anathematize the 632 images of bishops and destroy them from the sacred diptychs. LV. Chrysostom, from the word about Saint Flavian of Antioch ... And the crowd showed itself to be exactly what it is; for, following 633 a reckless impulse, like a leader, she rushed 634 against the royal images and monuments, and, having overthrown them, dragged across the square. For rage made her thoughts frantic, and anger covered her prudent thoughts with blindness. LVI. From the same speech containing the words of Patriarch Flavian 635 to the great king Theodosius ... We have sinned, O king! We do not hide sin, against which even creation speaks. We do not deny the fury with which we were infuriated against your images, or better [to say]: against ourselves; but, like the condemned, we expect mercy. LVII. And again from the same word, from the speech of Saint Flavian ... Do not destroy so many images because of one copper image; Do not destroy so many divine images because of one image made of copper, which can easily be cast from metal. LVIII. The same Chrysostom 636, that one is the Lawgiver of the Old and New Testaments, and about the clothes of the priest ... I also loved that painting, when figures are made from molten wax, full of piety. For I saw in the icon an Angel driving away crowds of barbarians, I also saw the trampled tribes of the barbarians and David, who truly said: Lord, in your city, destroy their image 637. LIX. Saint Basil, [from the word] in praise of the holy forty martyrs ...So, here! By bringing them into the middle with our memories, as if in a painting, by showing everyone the exploits of these men, we will bring common benefit to those present! For both prose writers and painters narrate about brave military deeds: some - decorating with words, others - drawing on boards; both of them aroused many to a courageous course of action. For what the word shows through hearing, silent painting reveals through imitation. LX. Saint Gregory of Nazianzen, from poems 638 ... Either don’t teach, or teach with your lifestyle. Don't attract with one hand [i.e. that is, with words], but with another [that is, with deeds 639], do not push away 640 from yourself. By doing what you must, you will need speech less. The painter teaches mainly through the forms he depicts. Conveying the same thing in other words. If, he says, you do not teach by your way of life, then do not teach with your word, so that those whom you attract with your word you do not drive away due to the fact that you do not lead an honest lifestyle. For if you do what you should do, then this proper activity will be the word of teaching, just as a painter mostly teaches through images. ... Nor will Polemon pass by in silence. For even among those who are much talked about, he is amazing. This one was not previously among the abstinent, and was a very vile servant of pleasure. And after, either on his own, or on the advice of some wise, of course, person - I am not able to say who [exactly] 642 - he was filled with love for the beautiful, he immediately appeared so above his passions that I will present in some way one of his miracles. Some incontinent young man invited a harlot; when she, they say, came close to the entrance to the house, [where] Polemon [depicted] in the icon towered above her, then, seeing this icon - for she was venerable - she immediately left, overcome by the spectacle, ashamed of what was painted, as if he were alive. LXII. Chrysostom, from [the conversation on] the letter to Timothy; from the 8th [its] chapter ... But be a faithful image 643, presenting yourself in everything as an example of wonderful deeds, that is, show yourself as an example of your life 644 as if it were an image publicly displayed [to imitate him]. LXIII. From the welcoming speech of the Holy 6th Council ... Again Nestorius and again Celestine and Cyril. For one divided and separated Christ, while others, cooperating with the Lord, overthrew the one who divided. Here is Ephesus; and pictures of what was done there, through the unwritten word, silently - they speak about deeds. LXIV. The most ancient Clement - to Alexander 645; from the 7th book of Stromat ... So, he not only praises what is beautiful, but he himself tries with all his might to be beautiful, from a good and faithful slave, with the assistance of love, changing into a friend, because of the perfection of properties that he has honorably acquired through true teaching and repeated exercise. So, [he did everything] in order to reach the pinnacle of knowledge, showing diligence in his way of thinking and acting and being modest, being meek in appearance, having everything that serves as the advantages of a true Gnostic, looking at the beautiful images, [i.e.], at many patriarchs who before him succeeded in virtue, very many prophets, thinking about the immeasurable number of Angels who [revolve] with us. , and about the Lord, Who is above all, Who taught and helped [us] so that it became possible to receive the life characteristic of those leaders 646. LXV. Saint Theodore, Bishop of Pentapolis ... Again [there was] a certain man, from the noble persons of that country, named Dion, who decorated the church of the holy martyr with many offerings and covered his altar with silver. And one of his servants, having stolen a lot of money from his [house], disappeared. Dion did not run behind him to pursue him, but, going to the image of the martyr, molded a wax model of his icon, and with faith in the holy martyr, he strengthened 647 at the gate [which led] from his house. And immediately the young servant, as if pursued by someone, returned back and came to his master, having absolutely everything that he had stolen. Therefore, after this became known to everyone, the inhabitants of that country to this day continue to commit [the same against] secretly departing [slaves]. LXVI. Saint Athanasius of Alexandria, from the third book against the Arians ... But the Son, being in the proper sense a Branch of the Father's essence, naturally says that what belongs to Him belongs also to the Father 649. Therefore, in accordance [with the truth] and consistently with the saying: I and the Father are one 650 - He added: so you understand that the Father is in me, and I am in him 651. In turn, He announced this: seeing me, seeing the Father 652. And these three sayings have the same meaning. For in this way he who knows that the Father and the Son are one knows that He is in the Father and the Father in the Son. For the divinity of the Son is the divinity of the Father, and it is in the Son. And he who understands this knows that he who saw the Son saw the Father. For in the Son the divinity of the Father is contemplated. Anyone can understand this very clearly 653 from the example concerning the image of the king. For in the image of the king there is his appearance and form; and the king has the appearance that is in the image. The likeness of the king on the icon is similar in everything [to him], so that the one who sees the image sees the king on it, and, in turn, the one who sees the king recognizes that this is the one who is in the image. Due to the fact that the likeness does not differ [from the prototype], who wants to see the king after [having seen] the image, the image could say to him: I and the king are in some way one. For I am in him and he is in me; and what you see in me, you see in him, and what you see in him, you see in me; for he who worships an image worships the king in its person. For the image contains the form of that and its appearance 654 . LXVII. Him, to the prefect Antiochus 655 ... What do those who abhor [holy icons] say about this and forbid the worship of images of holy men, which we draw for the sake of remembrance [of the latter]?.. LXVIII. Ambrose, Bishop of Milan, to King Gratian, about the economy of God the Word regarding His taking on human flesh 656 ...God before the flesh and God in the flesh... But, they say 657, we must beware lest, by assigning two guiding principles or twofold wisdom to Christ, we may appear to be dividing Christ. So, when we worship both His deity and the flesh, should we really be afraid of not dividing Christ? Or when we worship both the Image of God and the cross in it, do we really separate It? It won't happen! 658 LXIX. Cyril, Patriarch of Jerusalem, from the Twelfth Announcement ... So, if you are looking for the reason for the coming of Christ, then turn to the first book of the Scriptures. Within six days God created the world, but the world [was created] for the sake of man. For the sun, shining with its rays, is, of course, very bright, but it, we say, happened for the sake of man. And all living beings came into being to serve us. Herbs and trees are for our enjoyment. All creations are created beautiful, but not one of them is the image of God, but only man. The sun was created by command alone, but man was created by divine hands. For let us create man in our image and likeness 659. A wooden image of the earthly king is revered; how much more [should we honor] the image of God endowed with reason? LXX. Saint Basil, to Saint Flavian, about the Samaritan Woman ... Our Lord, teaching otherwise, [i.e. e.] that worship [performed as a result of native custom in a [known 660] place is false, says: one must worship in spirit and truth 661, obviously calling Himself the truth. Just as in the Son, as in the Image of God the Father, we say, we worship the Father, so in the Spirit, as showing in Himself the deity of the Lord. LXXI. Saint Gregory of Nazianzen, regarding Baptism ... If after baptism a persecutor of the light attacks you - and he will attack, for he attacked both the Word and my God, the Light, hidden by what - apparently - then you have something to overcome. Don't be afraid of competition! Bring the Spirit before you! Put the water in front of you! 662 – And after a few words: Relying on the seal, say: I am the image of God. I have not yet been denied, like you, because of arrogance, the highest glory 663. I have put on Christ. Through baptism I changed myself into Christ. Bow to me! LXXII. Saint John Chrysostom, regarding the Maccabees ... You can find that images of royal features shine not only through gold and silver, and very precious substances, but that on copper you can see the same carved figure. And the difference of substances does not offend the dignity of the image, and the fact that it is made from a substance of greater value does not weaken the value of another, made from a worse substance 664, but the royal appearance equally exalts all images, and [itself] not in the least humiliated by the substance, makes the substance that receives [its image] more precious. LXXIII. Him, against the godless Julian, from the first word ...What is the new Nebuchadnezzar? For this one, in relation to us, did not show himself to be at all more humane than that ancient one, whose coals still torment us, although we escaped the flames. Do not the tortures of the body and the gifts in honor of the saints, which are in churches for worship on the part of the faithful, indicate? LXXIV. His same, about the washbasin 665 ... For just as when royal figures and images are sent and brought into the city, the rulers and peoples come out to meet them with reverence and fear, not honoring a board, not an image made of wax, but the image of the king, so the creature ... LXXV. Severian, [Bishop] of Gaval, about the cross; from the fourth word 666 ...Moses hit the stone, both once and twice 667. Why once and twice? If he considers the power of God, what need is there for a second blow? If he strikes, regardless of the power of God, then neither the second, nor the tenth, nor the hundredth blow will be able to give fruitless nature a fruitful nature. So, if [it was] simply the work of God and did not contain the sacrament of the cross, then it was enough to strike once, a wave was enough, a word was enough. But this happens in order to outline the image of the cross. Strike Moses, says [Scripture], both once and twice, not in the same way, but drawing the image of the cross, so that inanimate nature will feel reverence for the sign of the cross. For if, in the absence of the king, the image takes the place of the king, and in his honor the rulers pay homage and festivals are celebrated, and the leaders come out to meet him, and the people worship, looking not at the board, but at the image of the king, contemplated not in his nature, but revealing himself in the image, then even more the image of the immortal King can be torn apart not only by the rock, but also by the sky and the entire universe. LXXVI. From the chronicle 668 of Deacon Isidore ... Theophilus, who expressed reproaches to John Chrysostom before Queen Eudoxia for sharing the thoughts of Origen's heresy, sinned 669. Augusta was hostile to the aforementioned John regarding the widow's vineyard 670; and, because of this sin, Theophilus could not die until 671 images of Chrysostom were brought; and, having bowed to him, he betrayed his spirit. LXXVII. Jerome, presbyter of Jerusalem 672 ... Since your Scripture nowhere commands us to worship the cross, why then do you worship it? Tell us, Jews and Greeks, and all the nations who ask you! Answer . O foolish and shameless of heart! Perhaps this is why God allowed every nation that reveres Him to worship anything on earth that is the work of man, so that after this he [that is, every people] would not be able to blame Christians for worshiping the cross and icons. Therefore, just as the Jew worshiped the ark of the Covenant and the two Cherubim - cast from metal and gold and the two tablets that Moses carved out of stone, while God nowhere gave the command to worship or kiss this, so we Christians kiss the cross, not as God, but - showing the sincere disposition of our souls towards the Crucified One. LXXVIII. Great Simeon from Mount Faumast 673, about icons ... Perhaps one of the infidels, being grumpy, will begin to argue, saying that we, who worship icons in churches, should be counted among those who pray to, as it were, soulless idols. Yes, of course, it will not happen that we do this! For what Christians do is [evaluated] by faith, 674 and our God, who is true, contributes to our strength. After all, we do not remain with the colors [only] 675, but by remembering the image that served as the original [for the icon], with the help of a picture that is visible, contemplating the One who is invisible, we glorify Him, as if He were present [visibly among us]. We believe not as one who is not God, but as one who is God in truth; and saints, not as those who are not saints, but as those who are [such] and live with God; also to the spirits themselves, since they are holy and by the power of God help worthy people as those in need of their [help]. LXXIX. Anastasius, Archbishop of Antioch, to Bishop of Vostra - Simeon about the Sabbath .... For just as, in the absence of the king, worship is given to his image, and when he is present after that [already] it is unnecessary, leaving the prototype, to worship the image. However, he should not be humiliated because [only] he is no longer worshiped because of the presence of the one for whose sake [in the above case] he is worshiped. Something similar, I think, happened to the shadow of the law, that is, the letter; because the Apostle calls him a shadow. For while grace preserved the time of truth, the saints predicted images, contemplating the truth as if in a mirror. And after the truth came, they stopped thinking that it was wonderful to live according to the images and continue to follow them. For when [most] deeds are present, then the image of the deed after that is superfluous. However, even under such circumstances they did not humiliate or despise, but honored the image, and those who attempted to humiliate were considered wicked and worthy of death from cruel torture. LXXX. Him, from the third word ... As if someone, because of the honor that befits a king, worships the image of the king, although it is nothing [other] than wax and paints ... LXXXI. Holy Fifth Ecumenical Council, 12th Anathematism ... If anyone defends the wicked Theodore of Mopsuet, who said that one is God the Word and another is Christ, Who was burdened with spiritual passions and carnal desires and little by little moved away from the worse and, thanks to the success of his deeds, became so much better, also due to His image and life became so impeccable 676 that, being a simple man, he was baptized in the name of the Father and The Son, and the Holy Spirit, and through baptism received the grace of the Holy Spirit, and was honored with adoption, and, like a royal image, was worshiped as representing God the Word 677 - [such] let him be anathema! LXXXII. Theodore, Constantinople historiographer, from Church History, about Gennady, Archbishop of Constantinople ... I’ll tell you something else about him that should terrify 678. A certain painter, who [previously] painted images of the Lord Christ, had both hands withered. And they said that he, on the instructions of one Greek, painted this image, decorating it with the name of the Savior, and the hair on the head on both sides was divided so that it could not cover the eyes (for with this appearance the sons of the Greeks paint Zeus), so that those who looked would think that they were rendering their worship [not to Zeus, but] to the Savior. LXXXIII. Abba Maximus and Bishop Theodosius, and the archons sent by the king ... Saint Maximus said: and after it has been decided that this should happen, then, oh, if only the fulfillment of what was decided would come, and when you command, I follow you. And after that, everyone got up from their places and with tears, having fallen, repented and offered prayers, and each of them kissed the holy Gospels and the honorable cross, and the images of our Savior Jesus Christ and the Holy Mother of God who gave birth to Him, placing [on all this] their hands to confirm what was said. LXXXIV. Saint Sophronius, from [the story of] the miracles of the holy martyrs Cyrus and John; about the subdeacon Theodore, who suffered from gout ... Finally, we would like to briefly say about strengthening the body. After these few days, [while] he was sleeping, he again saw the martyrs appear and ordered to accompany them. He followed them with great readiness. For he knew that following the saints was not useless. So, having arrived at the church of the Greeks, in appearance terrible and very brilliant, with a height touching the very heavens, and going inside it, we contemplated a very large and amazing image, in the middle having the Lord Christ painted with colors, on the left side - the Lady Theotokos and on the right - John the Baptist, who, jumping up, [thus] from the womb (mother) opened it 679, since, although he spoke, being inside, but we couldn't hear it. We also contemplated some of the glorious host of Apostles and Prophets and from the assembly of martyrs, among whom were Cyrus and John - martyrs who, standing before the icon, begged the Lord, kneeling and striking their heads on the ground, and asking for the healing of the young man. The words of the request were as follows: Lover of humanity - Lord, do you wish - let us give healing to this one too? They, having bowed to the ground many times and poured out words of prayer, when the Lord Christ did not bow down [to their request], stopped interceding, says [the young man], and came to me, who stood not very far from the icon, with downcast eyes and sadness 680. And, coming close, they said: Do you see how the Lord does not want to give you healing? But don't be at all discouraged! For to you, as to everyone, He will certainly be merciful 681. And, after a short period of time - half an hour, they got up and returned back, and began to persistently ask. And again, he says, they returned without success, with downcast eyes and sad, as before, because the Lord Christ did not want [to fulfill their requests]. And when they came again, they told me about it. The third time they came, they said: dare! For now we will certainly receive 682 mercy. But you, just as you see us pleading, come with us and beg the Lord. And the third time, having come to the icon, they began to use the same methods and words. And when for a long time they persistently asked, and, lying prostrate, they cried out only one thing: command 683, Lord! then Christ, as a compassionate one, having mercy, said from the icon: show him [mercy] you too. And, get up from the ground, the martyrs, first of all, of course, began to thank Christ our God, as having heard their fervent prayer. LXXXV. Saint Anastasius from the Holy Mount Sinai, on the “new” Sunday, and about the Apostle Thomas ... Those who saw Christ in the flesh thought of Him as a Prophet. We, who have not seen [Him, however], immediately, from our earliest childhood, children and youth, confess Him as God, as having power and Almighty, and the Creator of the ages, the Radiance of the Father. For, as if we were looking at that Christ Himself who spoke, so it is with faith that we listen to His Gospel. And, accepting the pure pearls of His body, we believe that we are wearing that Christ Himself. And every time we see His divine features depicted, we think that He is looking at us as if from heaven, we worship Him, we fall before Him. Great is now faith in Christ! LXXXVI. From the biography of Abba Daniel, about the stonecutter Eulogie ... Then he left with sadness 684, and, throwing himself in front of the icon of the Mother of God, said with a sob: Lord, release me from the promise that I gave to this man! 685 LXXXVII. From the life of Mary of Egypt ...So, crying, I see over the place where I stood, placed an image of the Holy Mother of God and I say to her: Virgin, Lady Mother of God, who gave birth to God the Word in the flesh, I, of course, know, I know that it is neither proper nor reasonable for me, so unclean, so completely morally corrupt, to contemplate Your icon, the icon of the Ever-Virgin, but it is fair that Your purity she despised and abhorred me. However, since God, born by You, therefore became man in order to call sinners to repentance, then help me, who alone do not have any protection. They commanded that the 686 entrance be opened for me as well; do not deprive me [of the right] to see the tree on which God the Word, born of You, who gave His blood for me, was nailed in flesh as a means of redemption. Commanded, O Lady, that the door to the divine worship of the cross be opened to me too. And to the God born of You, I give You as a reliable Guarantor that henceforth I will not corrupt this flesh through any shameful confusion. But when I see the tree of the cross of Your Son, I will immediately begin to announce 687 to the world and to everyone in the world, and I will immediately leave 688 wherever You Yourself command, as a Guarantor, and wherever You lead. Having said this and in the fervor of my faith, having drawn almost complete confidence, relying on the mercy of the Mother of God, I moved 689 from the place where I was standing and performed fervent prayer, and went back 690 and intervened [in the crowd] of those entering. And there was no longer anyone who would drive me away or who would push me away, and no one prevented me from coming close to the door through which they entered the House. Therefore, I was overcome with awe and amazement, and I was completely worried and trembling. Therefore, throwing myself on the ground and bowing to that holy soil, I ran, going out and trying to come to the Guarantee. So, I found myself 691 at the place where the handwriting concerning my promise was inscribed, and bowing my knee before the Ever-Virgin and the Mother of God, I uttered these words: You, of course, loving good Lady, showed your love for me, you did not feel disgust at the prayer of an unworthy woman. I saw glory, which we, as completely given over to sensuality, do not see deservedly. Glory to God, who through You accepts the repentance of sinful people; and so on. LXXXVIII. From the life of Saint Eupraxia ... The deaconess says to the girl: go, my lady, to your house, because you cannot stay here. For no one can remain here unless he is united to Christ. The girl says to her: where is Christ? The deaconess showed her the image of the Lord; and, turning, the girl says to the deaconess: truly, I too am united with Christ and will no longer leave 692 with my mistress. And again, getting up and taking her daughter, Eupraxia brought her closer to the image of the Lord and, stretching out her hands to heaven, loudly cried out with tears: Lord Jesus Christ, may You take care of the 693 girl, because she loved You greatly and surrendered to You. LXXXIX. The Holy Sixth Council, which was under Justinian about the Holy Fifth Council 694 ... In some paintings representing sacred images, the Lamb is imprinted, pointed by the finger of the Forerunner. He is taken as an image of grace, foretelling to us through the law the true Lamb, Christ our God. Therefore, kissing those ancient images and shadows handed down to the Church as omens and designs of truth, we [however] prefer grace and truth, welcoming this as the fulfillment of the law. So, in order that in pictures we may present 695 to the eyes of all that which is perfect, we decree that the Lamb who takes away the sin of the world, Christ our God, from now on be depicted 696 in icons not in the form of 697 the ancient Lamb, but in accordance with human appearance; We decree that through the humiliation of God the Word we discern His height and that we be led to remember His way of life in the flesh and His suffering and saving death and the redemption that came from here for the world. HS. Saint Methodius, Bishop of Patara, on the resurrection; word 2 ... So, for example, the images of kings, which 698 are here, although they are not made of a very precious substance: both gold and silver, however, are honored by everyone. For, while people venerate images made of a much more precious substance, they do not completely despise those made of a much less valuable material, 699 but they venerate everything equally, even if they are made of plaster or copper. And the one who blasphemes against any [of them] is not forgiven, as if he blasphemed against clay, and is not judged as if he expressed contempt for gold, but is judged as one who acted wickedly towards the king and sovereign himself. We [usually] arrange 700 images made of gold, representing the principles and powers of the Angels of God, in His honor and glory. Venerable Theodore the Studite Letter to Plato on the veneration of icons We console ourselves when we speak to our sacred head. For it is very comforting for a son to talk with his father, especially with one so great that his virtue is glorified by many cities, countries and islands. This is my dear father, although the fruit is not like a tree - due to the worthlessness of my humility. But we have in you a set example of piety - and not only we, but all those who have chosen a pious lifestyle are inspired by courage and encouraged to successfully improve. But, since for a long time your shrine has demanded that I explain how the sacred image of Christ should be venerated (not because you do not know (this), but wanting to encourage my unreasonable word), however, so far I have not been able to answer; Now, remembering, I decided that I must fulfill what was entrusted to me, as far as possible, with the assistance of your sacred prayers, although perhaps I have sufficiently expressed something about the same (subject) in another place. So, every artificial image is a likeness of that (object) of which it serves as an image, and in itself, through reproduction, shows the outlines of the prototype, as Dionysius, skilled in divine things, says: truth is in the likeness, the prototype is in the image; each of the two is in each of the two, excluding the difference of essence. So, he who worships an image worships the one whom the images faithfully represent. For he does not worship the essence of the image, but what is inscribed on it; and in relation to the identity of worship, the image is inseparable from the prototype, for in relation to the similarity of the image with the prototype, it is identical. Therefore, Basil the Great (speaks) in such a way that the images of the king are called king, and (however) not two kings. For neither power is cut, nor glory is divided. For just as those who rule over us have one dominion and one power, so the praise we send is one, and not many. Therefore, the honor of the image goes to the prototype. If it goes to the prototype, then not one and the other, but one and the same thing happens, veneration and worship, as one and the same prototype, which is worshiped in the image. But one is a natural image, and the other is (an image obtained) through works. One, in comparison with the cause, has not a natural difference, but a personal one, like the Son in relation to the Father, for there is one Person of the Son and another of the Father, but nature is obviously one. The other, on the contrary, has a natural difference, but not a personal one, like the image of Christ in relation to Christ (Himself). One is the nature of the substance of the image, and the other is the (nature of) Christ; the face is not different, but one and the same (Face) of Christ, even if it was inscribed on the icon, since the same divine Basil again says: what is the image by reproduction, here is the Son by nature; and just as in works of art there is similarity in appearance, so in divine and uncomplicated nature there is unity due to the community of the Divine. Notice the difference: in the natural image and cause, that is, in the Father and the Son, as there is one nature, so there is one worship due to the identity of nature and not personality. Since we confess that the Holy Trinity has one nature, then (we confess that it belongs to) one worship and glorification, but there are three Persons: the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. In the image reproduced by art, and in the prototype, that is, in Christ and in the image of Christ (after all, there is one Face of Christ), there is one worship - accordingly, obviously, the identity of a single Person, although the natures of Christ and the image are different. If we say that there is one worship of the image and the prototype - both according to the identity of the Person, and according to the identity and nature - and do not recognize the difference between the image and the depicted, but there will be both one Person and one nature of the image of Christ and Christ Himself, then we will fall into Hellenic polytheism, deifying every substance used to trace the image of Christ. And with this we will open the mouth of the iconoclasts to rightly accuse us of the fact that, while we worship the One God in Three Persons, we worship and venerate many gods. If someone again says that neither by the identity of the face, nor by the identity of the nature of the worship (rendered) to the image does not belong to the prototype, then, obviously, he has cut through the power and separated the glory of the prototype from the image and, thus, worshiping the image of Christ, clearly worships idols, introducing not one, but two worships. This is what the iconoclasts are trying to prove; but, as is natural, denying on this basis that Christ is describable according to the flesh, they are convicted of wickedness, like those who teach that God dwelt with people on earth in ghost and imagination. But let the wickedness of both be equally cast down into their characteristic darkness. The true faith of Christians, as has already been said, both in the Holy Trinity confesses one worship due to the community of the Divinity, and in relation to the image of Christ it recognizes the same worship according to the identity of the Person of Christ. For worship is given to one and the same Person, even if it were inscribed, otherwise it would not be an image, but some object that exists independently, if in relation to honor it were separated and torn off from the prototype. And thus, finally, in the veneration of the icon of Christ there is one adoration and glorification of the zealously glorified and blessed Trinity. Perhaps someone will say the following: since worship is service, then, therefore, service is offered to the icon of Christ along with the Holy Trinity. But such a person does not seem to know the difference in worship: we worship the saints, but do not provide them with divine service; and although they are recognized as (our) leaders in the law of God, they are not given divine service. Then, let him also know that worship does not happen to the essence (that is, the substance) of the image, for this is alien (to us) and is the work of servants of the creature besides the Creator; but when in the image of Christ worship is given to Christ, then the substance of the image remains completely unparticipated in the worship that is given to Christ (depicted) on it - for the sake of that likeness that belongs to the Face of Christ and which is (thought of) separately from the substance, although it is visible in it. And this, it seems to me, is similar to an example (of a likeness reflected) in a mirror, since here too the face of the beholder is, as it were, outlined (in the mirror), but the likeness remains outside the substance. And if someone wanted to kiss his image (located) there, he would not kiss the substance, because he is not there for the sake of it (in front of the mirror), but the likeness of himself reflected in it; That's why he clung to the substance. Of course, if he moves away from the mirror, then the image will retreat with him, as having nothing in common with the substance of the mirror. In the same way (one should reason) regarding the substance of the image: if the likeness that was visible on it and to which worship (attached) is destroyed, then the substance remains without veneration, as having nothing in common with the likeness. Then, let there be a ring on which the image of the king is inscribed, and let it be impressed on wax, on resin, on clay. The print, of course, will be the same and unchanged on all substances; substances are different from each other; (print) and could not help but remain unchanged on various (substances), as having nothing to do with materials; but, separated from them by thought, it remains on the ring. In the same way, the likeness of Christ, no matter what substance it is inscribed on, has (nothing) in common with the substance on which it is represented, remaining in the Person of Christ to whom it belongs. And to put it briefly, divine veneration is not shown to the icon of Christ, but to Christ, to whom worship is rendered in it; and it must be worshiped for the sake of the identity of the Face of Christ, despite the difference in the essence of the icon. Thus, it seems to me that the veneration of the icon of Christ is based on the teachings of the holy fathers. If (veneration) is destroyed, then the Economy of Christ is destroyed along with it; and if worship is not given to the icon, the worship of Christ is destroyed in the same way. And therefore, holy father, one must approach and worship it (that is, the icon) with fear and reverence, since the worship passes to Christ; and one must believe that Divine grace dwells in it and that it imparts sanctification to those who approach it with faith. For both in the image of the Life-giving Cross, and in the icon of the All-Holy Mother of God and all the saints, all sanctifying veneration of icons through the mediation of the prototypes (depicted) on them ascends to God. And therefore one, and only one, divine worship (is rendered) to the Holy and Consubstantial Trinity, for whose sake (it turns out) there are different worships for others and to which all other worships relate. If, out of ignorance, I said something erroneously, or less than what I should have said, or more, then you, as a good father, deign to correct some things, make up others, and destroy others, praying and intensely for my humility, so that I may think correctly, speak without stumbling, and act without deserving blame. See Church. Histor. Gasse, trans. I. Sokolova; I volume, 1860; pp. 236–237. Wed. a) Real – Encyklopädie für protestantische Theologie und Kirche – von Herzog; B. 6, 1856; also V. 7, 1880; b) Grundriss der Patrologie – von I. Alzog: vierte Aufl., 1888, S. 476; c) Historical teaching about the Fathers of the Church - Philaret, arch. Chernigovsky; vol. III; 2nd ed.; 1882; pp. 194, 196; d) Appendix II to History. Christ Churches - Robertson (translated by A. Lopukhin); p. 1064 (vol. I; 1890)... Historical doctrine of the Fathers of Ts. - arch. Philaret, pp. 194–197 cf. previous note Allgemeine Geschichte der christlichen Religion und Kirche – von Aug. Neander, dritte Aufl., 2 V., erste Abtheil., 1856, S. 113. In the edition of the works of St. I. Damascene, made by opera et studio R. Michaelis Lequien (Parisiis, 1712), there are only the first three works out of the four listed by us. All four works are available in Patrolog. curs, complete. Migne (ser. gr., t. 94–96, 1864). See, for example, Joseph’s Collection, ed. in 1642 against the Slavs. language, etc. Johannes von Damaskus – von Ios. Langen, 1879; S. 141–143. Alzog (see above), S. 478... Migne (see above), t. 94; Notitia ex bibliotheca Fabricii; pag. 25–26. Wed. also “Histor. uch. about O. Ts.” Filareta, architect. Chern., who doesn’t even raise the question of the authenticity of these “words”... “Since the murder of the patriarch came from the same emperor who elevated him to the capital’s see at the Council of Constantinople, in the present work, therefore, the cathedral” (erroneously) “is called instead of the emperor. This gross historical error, dating the execution of the patriarch 12 years earlier, precisely to the time of the council of 754, at which he achieved the patriarchate, can only be explained; only by the author’s desire to say that “like the elevation of the patriarch” to the see, “so his murder came from the same party.” Other researchers on the question of the year of death of St. I. Damascene speak out in general: claiming (contrary to Langen’y) that St. The father survived the council of 754, the time of his death is attributed to some of the years between this and 787, when the 7th Ecumenical (Nicene) Council was convened, which already proclaimed “eternal memory” to him. See Herzog in ed. 1880 and 1856; in Alzog (S. 476), etc. According to the architect. Philaret, he probably died in 777 (p. 197, vol. III). See Langen's solution to the question of the authenticity of this work; S. 187, 188, 192–194. At Migne; t. 94, ser. gr. Notitia ex biblioth. Fabric; pag. 37–38. Compare, however, a different (though not reasoned) opinion of the arch. Filareta: pp. 196–197. See Langen; S. 194 (note). In Migne ibid.; pag. 38–40. Arch. Filaret does not mention this work. Min's Latin title is: I. Damascene sive patriarchae Hierosolymitani opusculum adversus iconoclastas (from Galland. Vet. Patr. Biblioth.). t. 96. Langen; S. 265–267. Arch. Filaret does not mention this work. History of Christ. Churches - Robertson; v. 1; 1890; page 609. For the time of origin of the three words, see Langen: S. 140, 141. Wed. at Migne; t. 94; ser. gr.; Not. ex bibl. Fabric.; p. 25–26; in Alzoga: S. 478–481; at the arch. Philaret: pp. 194, 195... and others. Wed. Langen'a: S. 141. See Lequien's preface to three words about St. icons (in his edition of the works of St. I. Damascus). See 694th note. to the 3rd word and cf. title of the 89th excerpt. When compiling paragraphs: I–VII, we always kept in mind, in addition to the books indicated in their place, all the prefaces and discussions that found a place in the Lequien’s edition and were somehow related to us. In the Review of Russian Spiritual Literature, Archbishop. Philaret (1884; I; p. 160): in an article about Prince A. Kurbsky (No. 141) it is said that he translated the works of St. I. Damaskin: “Theology, Dialectics and up to 12 minor works”; but did he translate, in particular, these words of St. We don’t know the father, because we did not have the opportunity to see Kurbsky’s translated works, although we wanted to... There, under No. 223 (I volume, 1859) it is said that “Words about bowing. icons" were translated by Epiphanius Slavenitsky (in the half of the 16th century). We have not seen a translation of this either. About other translations into glory. or Russian language we don’t know (cf., however, partly ibid. No. 4...). Therefore, even such passages of “words” about icons that were found in them above are again cited by us, since St. himself did the same. Father, which is also followed by publishers like Marci Hopperi, Zini, etc., especially since famous passages are not always repeated “literally.” With this attitude to the matter, every word receives completeness and integrity. See, for example, Herzog (S. 40; 1880 J.), Archbishop. Philaret (vol. III “I. study on O. Ts.”, p. 197), etc. Wed. 580s approx. to the 3rd word. “Διαβάλλω” = calumnior (Hedericus) = I blame. This is how the archbishop translates the word. Filaret (see “History, teaching about the Fathers of the Church”; 1882; vol. III, p. 200). It is possible, however, to translate it with the word – abiicio (see the Latin translation in the edition of Lequien’a = I reject, reject, as the word is translated, by the way, by E.I. Lovyagin (see his “Selected passages from the Greek writings of the Holy Fathers of the Church” ...; part 2; 1885; p. 339) ... “Εἰκών” = image, image, likeness, statue... We usually translate this word either by the word: image, or by the word: image, or simply by the word: icon..., depending on where and which of these meanings is more appropriate. In the Long Christian Catechism, Metropolitan. Philaret in the section on the second commandment of the 10th word we read: What is an icon? This word... means image or image. In the Orthodox Church, sacred images of God who appeared in the flesh, our Lord Jesus Christ, His Most Pure Mother and His Saints are called by this name. At St. I. Damascene verb cost not in the 3rd l. (active voice, subjunctive 1st aor.), but, obviously, in the 2nd person (general voice, subjunctive 1st aor.), since - as further, instead of: in it (glory text) we read: in you. Hab.2:4. Wed. Hebrews 10:38. Reading: “τῷ ἀτόπῳ”, in our opinion, gives the place a better shade than: “τῷ ἀπόσῳ”, although this latter is generally convenient. The line above - instead of: “ἐπίμενον” they offer another reading: “ἐπίμωμον” = reprehensible (i.e., an injection), which also gives a good meaning. See sub. note at Lequien's. Instead of “οἰκείας” it is more convenient to read: “οἰκείαις” (i.e. “χερσίν”, as it is read in the Migne edition... Compare Latin translation (in the Lequ. edition): propriis manibus. However, the reading itself is not entirely inconvenient: "οἰκείας" (i.e. "τὰς ἡνίας"). Exodus 23:22. Deut.7:6, 14:2, 26:19 ... Of course: the society of Constantinople Christians headed by Art. Patriarch of Constantinople - Herman (Lequ.). In Deuteronomy: ours, etc., it is spoken on behalf of Moses. At St. I. Damascene: Worship the Lord thy God or: thou shalt worship (indic, fut. imper. aor.). About “ἀκαϑαιρέτως” cf. lat. translation in ed. Hopperi: nec divisionem ullam admittens... See above: note. 41 and 42. The reading: “λατρεύσεις” (as above (see the beginning of section IV)) is more consistent with the parallel verb: “προσκυνήσεις” than the reading: “λατρεύεις”. Deut.4:12, 15, 16, 17; 2Cor.3:6. Ex.20:3; Deut.5:8, 9. Instead:... I am the Lord your God in St. I. Damascene stands: ...yours. Deut.12:3; Ex.34:13, 14, 17. That is, St. Gregory Nazianzen; see his Orat. 39 (Lequ., note). At St. I. Damascene stands alone. h. (: “προσκυνήσεως” = worship), which is better translated into plural (as, for example, in the Latin translation by Lequ. and Hopper): through this the meaning of the place will be expressed more clearly, and the essence of the matter will not only not lose, but on the contrary, it will gain somewhat. For what was said above about the meaning of the passion of Christ, cf. approx. 338 to the 3rd word. Gen.23:7, 9 ... Wed. Acts 7:16. Dionysus. Areop., cap. 5, de div. nom. (see Lequ.). Dionysus. de coel. Hier., p. 2 (see Lequ.). Then the following negation in the text: οὐ unnecessary: ​​cf. 387th Ave. 3rd word. Orat. 2 de Theologia (see Lequ.). Μss.: “ἡ βάτος τῆς παρϑένου καὶ ϑεοτόκου” (see Lequ.). The word in the original: “Θεός,” according to Lequien (see his subnote), we consider unnecessary, and therefore we left it without translation. Grigor. Nazianz: orat. 40 (see Lequ.). Bas. lib. de Spir. sancto ad Amph. cap. 18 (see Lequ.). We read not “παραχωρήσεως”, but “περιχωρήσεως” (see about this sub-note in Lequ.). Rom.6:14; Ibid. 5:1; Gal.4:8; 1 Timothy 1:9. 2 Peter 1:19; Gal.4:3 etc. The word in the text: “οὐκοῦν” is superfluous. See Lequ (note). Grieg. Name: orat. 38 (see Lequ.). Instead of - “πνευματικῶν” we read: “πατρικῶν” (see in Lequ.: in the note and in the Latin translation). Instead of – “διαλαβεῖν” (together with Lequien) we read: “διαβαίνειν”. Instead of – “ταύτῃ” (with Lequien) we read: ταῦτα (as we see in St. Dionysius the Areopagite himself in the appropriate place). This is an excerpt from the first chapter of the work of St. named in the text. Dionysius the Areopagite. St. I. Damascus takes only the first term of the period. The second (see the work of Dionysius the Areopagite: de diuinis nominibus, cap. 1) begins like this: “then, when we become incorruptible and immortal.., we will always be with the Lord”... (in accordance with the first half of the period given by St. I. Damascene, beginning with the words: “while now”... Compare the text of this place and its Latin translation in the edition of the works of St. Dionysius the Areopagite, made by Balthasar Corderius (1644), with the text and its Latin translation in Lequien’s edition. The Greek text of this passage generally has a confusing structure (pay attention to the punctuation marks and arrangement of words in the original! ..); the Latin translation (especially printed by Lequien) serves as an excellent explanation of it. St. I. Damascus speaks here, of course, ironically. In some publications (for example, Hopperi) it is added: “τῷ λόγῳ” - “in a word.” Basil. homil. in init. 1 Psalm. (see Lequ.). Basil. in. S. Gordium (see Lequ.). Τοῦ ἀναπληρωματικοῦ-supplementi (see Lequ.: Latin translation; cf. and note). Instead of “τὼ ποδέ”, some read: “τῷ παιδί” (“τῷ παῖδι” (?) in the Hopperi edition). Although the first reading is convenient, the second, comparatively, is even more convenient (cf. the Latin translation when published by Lequ. and Hopperi). Compare, however, the corresponding place in the 3rd word: VIth Holy Father. certificate. Instead of “ἐν σώμασι” both here and below (see note 116 {Not in the source text, numbering error Edited by A.V.}), in accordance with the parallel: “ἐν χρώμασι” (see note 115 {Not in the source text, numbering error Edited by A.V.}), it’s better to read: “ἐγχρώμασι” (see Lequien’s side note). {Not in the source text, numbering error. Edited by A.V.}. This is explained in more detail in act. 4 syn. 7 (see Lequ.). At St. I. Damascus we literally read: for he is holy (i.e., the Lord God) = glory: for he is holy. Like, for example, Isaiah (according to church tradition). Wed. Hebrews 11:37. Like, for example, Jeremiah (see his book: Jer. 38:6, etc.). Ref. chapters 7, 8..., 14, 15, 17. Gen. 22:13 (Cf. note y Lequ.). Ex.3; “a bush that burned and did not burn, as if drenched in some kind of dew” (see Lequ.). Wed. lat. translation in published Hopperi: "indicatum a Deo" (i.e. Ephod). Instead of “τοῦ σωτῆρος” it should read: “τοῦ σταυροῦ”. See the 2nd and 3rd words, where the same place is given and where instead of what is here: “τοῦ σωτῆρος” there is “τοῦ σταυροῦ”. See Lequ. lat. translated; Wed note Wed. Greek text and lat. translation in published Hopperi: “τοῦ σωτῆρος” = (on the feast of the renewal of the church) of the Savior. “A similar thing seems to be read in the biography of the same Basil, who bears the name Amphilochia, where, however, no mention is made of the image”... See Lequ. (additional note). “This is told by George of Alexandria and the anonymous (I don’t know which) author of the biography of Chrysostom.” See Lequ. (subnote). “Βαλὼν μετάνοιαν” here means: “reverentiam exhibere, inclinato corpore salutare.” See Lequ (subnote). “The Spiritual Meadow was written by John Moschus and dedicated to his disciple Sophronius, who later was the bishop of Jerusalem”... Excerpt taken from St. I. Damaskin from the 45th chapter of “Meadows”. Wed. Act. 4 et 5 sept. syn. See Lequien (note below the line and on the side of the text). Wed. 358 approx. to the 3rd word. Here, a little higher, and also now further, at the request of the Russian language. and in accordance with the peculiarities of Greek syntax, present tenses are translated into future tenses in two or three... cases. Instead of “πόρνην” it is better to read “πορνεῖον”, as we see in the Hopperi edition and in Lat. translation in Lequien’s: “prostibulum”, although the reading – “πόρνην”, giving literally the same meaning, fits quite well with the general grammatical structure of speech. This is where the conclusion of the first word begins. It was opened on August 8, 449. See “Histor. Christ churches" by Robertson; vol. I, p. 433. 1 Corinthians 13:12. Literally at St. I. Damascene we read: in the mirror and fortune-telling... See sent. Galatians, ibid. Literally: the same... John 1:18. The word: “πώποτε” with negation means: never (glor. nowhere). Ex.37 [near the beginning of the chapter and then in the middle of it (we do not indicate the verses, since “there is no number assigned to the verses”)]. Exodus 37 (in the middle of the chapter). “Τὴν ἀναστροφήν” = image of Life... (= glory: the end of life; synod. Russian translation: the end of their life). In glory Bible: a man is a warrior... See note. 220. Rom.13:7. The order of the parts of the verse in St. I. Damascene is not the same with their order in Greek, glory. and Russian Bibles. Nothing like this has been written about Jezebel, as Billius correctly noted: our Damascene made an error of memory, telling about the queen what Scripture, according to the LXX interpreters, conveys about her wife, Ahab; among them (i.e., interpreters) “we read (1 Kings 22:38): and he licked the swine and the dog’s blood, and the harlots were washed in his blood.” See Lequien. And here St. I. Damascene made an error of memory, “since it was not Antipas who died, eaten by worms, but Herod of Ascalon and his grandson Agrippa. See Jos. book 17 Antiquity. Ch. 8 and book. Chapter 19 7 and also Acts 12:23.” See Lequien. “What is said about Herman is worthy of attention. For Theophanes and other Byzantine historians, as well as the Greek Menaion, say that the excellent patriarch, when he could not break the stubbornness of Leo, placing an amice on the altar, of his own urge, renounced the bishopric and retired to a monastery. Damascus, however, is favored as a writer of the life of St. Martyr Stephen the Younger, where it is testified that St. Herman by the servants of Leo πυγμαῖς καὶ ὀνειδισμοῖς, pugnis et convitiis throno fuisse deturbatum,” and some others, etc. See Lequ. At St. I. Damascene literally stands: bring... a coin; and when they brought it... At St. I. Damascus we read: they will bring it. See note. to the first word: 98. “Theophanes and Nikephoros Constance, son of Heraclius and father of Constantine Pogonatus, are also called Constantine”... Lequ.; note Instead of - “ἐγράφως”, as required by the flow of speech, it should read: “ἀγράφως”, “for the apostles preached the Gospel without scriptures,” walking from one country to another; Their creations did not appear suddenly and for the most part for special reasons - each time. See Lequ.: note. and lat. translation Greg. Nas. orat. 5 ad Greg Nyss. See Lequ. Wed. first word, dep. XXV, Wed. also note. Loquien'a to the XVIII department. second word. In some publications there is a direct mention of the name of the “cruel and ferocious Leo...” See Lequ. note “Λατρεύουσι” – “denotes some kind of slave cult.” Lequ. In Greek The Bible reads: “ἣν ἐποίησα (= created) (in St. Damascus: “διεϑέμην) τοῖς πατράσιν αὐτῶν (= them). "Λατρεία". “Damascene has in mind the words of Paul: δικαιώματα λατρείας (Heb. 9:1), which actually designate sacred rites and religious rites, through which honor is given to God”... etc. See Lequ. Quotes to those patristic excerpts that are repeated by St. I. Damaskin in the second half of the second word, see in the corresponding places of the first word. The following story about Abgar, king of Edessa (see the first word, where the opinions of the Holy Fathers and Teachers of the Church are given, section III before section IV), in the second word of St. I. Damascene is omitted (only Zinus cites it). See Lequ. There is a difference here between the first and second words. “Κατεφάνησαν” = conspicui fuerunt (Latin translation in Lequ. and, of course, Migne) = sese ostenderunt (Latin translation in the Hopperi edition). The excerpt is fragmentary: who appeared is not stated in it... Meanwhile, in the editions of the works of St. We did not find Ambrose of this message (see ed. Erasmus Rott., Gelenia... from 1567; see also ed. Andr. Argentina from 1516)... Wed. lat. lane in Hopperi: rei alicuius. Instead of: δόξαν in some publications there is: τιμήν. Both readings are good. 1 Corinthians 13:12. See also 184th note. to the second word. Greg. Nas. orat. 2 de Theolog. (see Lequ.). See note. 189 to the 2nd word. John 1:18. See 194 more notes. to the second word. See 40th note. to the first word. Literally: you will worship (indic, fut instead of imper. aog.; cf. 41st note to the first word). See 50 notes. to the first word. Literally: . ..become that which is also the Sanctified One. Literally: being identical with the Word in hypostasis. See notes for the first word: 41st, 42nd. Compare, by the way, 51st note. to the very first word. See 56th note. to the first word. See 58th note, to the first word. In note Lequein'a to this place of the 3rd word is indicated, however, not 39 orat., but 37 orat. Literally: you will do. Literally: you will pretend. Ἀπήλικος = qualitatis exsors (Lequ.). Literally: passions that served as mediators of dispassion. Wed. also in the 1st word (VII-e is separated, at the beginning of its 2nd half). Ex.37; near the beginning, as well as in the middle of the chapter (“the number of verses” is “not allowed”). Ex.37; in the middle of the chapter. Ex.37:17. Here, as in many other places, οὐ ποιήσεις (= you will not do), etc. expressions in the Slavic Bible are translated will command. tilt (which may well be explained by the peculiarities of the Greek language). Together with Lequien we read not: αἰσχύνη and not: δόξα μὲν τῶν ὑπ’ αὐτοῦ... (a line above the words: αἰσχύνη), but, “as the meaning requires,” αἰσχύνην and δόξαν. So in the second word, department X. 1 Peter 2:13, 14. Literally at St. I. Damascus we read: ... sent through them (i.e. through the kings, although the word: βασιλεῖ is higher and placed in the singular. Obviously, there is agreement in meaning). Luke 20:22–25; Matthew 22:17–21. At St. We literally read I. Damascene: is it possible to give... bring... a coin; and they showed Him the denarius... Greg. Naz. orat. de Bapt. (see Lequ.). Instead of πανί (in Lequ.) it should read: πάνυ (in Hopper.). Wed. corresponding place in the first word. “Praesens” here, as in some other places, can be translated (not contrary to the peculiarities of the Greek language) “futur.”; Wed accordingly place in the 1st word. See 171st note. to the first word. Literally: do not bow; the same in the corresponding place of the first word. Literally: why did the icon appear? Literally: member (singular). Plural h. more consistent with the meaning of the place. Wed. ed. Hopperi: nec membra movet (Latin translation). Together with Lequien we add: γάρ; Wed lat. lane in Lequ.: nam; lat. at Hopper.: enim. Literally: ... it is necessary to be that which is in accordance with nature, and then that which is in accordance with decree and imitation. – Tῷ φύσει, And τῷ κατὰ φύσιν = illi quod secundum suae naturae conditionem et ordinem exsistit (y Lequ. note; cf. and the rest of it). Wed. lat. lane at Hopper.: prius esse necesse est id, quod natura constat, deinde id, quod arte imitationeque conficitur. Literally: Hanp., first of all, a person must be in accordance with nature, and then - in accordance with the decree through (κατά = in Lequ. in Latin translation: per) imitation. In lat. translation Hopperi: Ut homo prius naturalis existat oportet, quem Deinde ars imitando exprimat et effingat. John 1:18. Wed. 194th approx. to the second word. In glory Bible: no one... Place text: φύσει γὰρ νοούμενα, λόγος ἄγγελος. Lequien notes: “here, it seems, something is missing, and together with Billius, I think it should read like this: φύσει γάρ, νοῦ μὲν λόγος, ἄγγελος.” Lat. translation in Lequ.: Sermo quippe ex sua natura cogitationis est nuntius. Lat. lane in Hopper.: Cogitationis nuntius est sermo. Literally: always existing in the same way. Dion. de div. nom. cap. 1 (see Lequ.). Literally: for how can he who is created be of the same nature with the Uncreated, unless... [Ἀλλά here = ἀλλ’ ἤ = nisi = unless . See Lequ.]... Wed. lat. lane in Hopper.: nisi per similitudinem (= likeness) et imitationem (= imitation) (= ἀλλὰ κατὰ μίμησιν). Literally, only the following is fragmentary: also by free will and the ability to control. See lat. lane at Hopper.: similitude in eo item apparet, quod homo libera praeditus est voluntate, quodque imperandi facilitate obtinet. Literally at St. We read I. Damascus and may they possess it. Wed. lat. lane in Lequ.: saltem (very appropriate). Wed. lat. lane at Hopper's. sine...figures. Literally: strong. And Lequ. in lat. transl.: peritissimus; at Hopper's. in lat. transl.: exercitatissimus. Dion. de div. nom. cap. 1. The following negation: οὐ – “unnecessarily” (Lequ.) both here and respectively. place of the first word (department XI; near the beginning). Greg. Nas. orat. 34 (see Lequ.). Compare, however, 68th note. the first word. Exodus 16:33; Numbers 11:9 ... Instead of: τοὺς καταργήσαντας, obviously, one should read with Lequien: τὸν καταργήσαντα. Compare, moreover, the corresponding place of the first word, where we see the same thing. Ex.14. Wed. 72nd approx. to the first word. Ex.16:34, 34:28; Hebrews 9:4. Παχέως. – Παχύς, by the way, has the meaning = big, huge (cf. Gratsinsky’s words; Moscow; 1878). Literally: transformation, transformation. Wed. lat. translation at Lequ. and Hopper., where it is expressively added: inquam. Wed. lat. lane in Hopper.: alioquin quomodo = otherwise in what way (= Greek: ἐπεὶ πῶς...). Wed. lat. lane at Lequ. and Hopper. Literally: intending to be in the future. Wed. translation of this entire passage in Lequ. and in Hopper, (lat.). The words placed in our translation: Christ and the Holy Mother of God were introduced by Us following the example of Lequien, as required by the meaning and as existing in some manuscripts. See Lequ. Wed. partly Eph.2:6 and 1Pet.1:4... Instead of: συγκαϑεύδοντες with Lequien (and Mss.) it is “much better” to read: συγκαϑήμενοι... Hebrews 1:14 et cf. partly previous poetry. See lat. translation at Hopper's. For the entire section following the 424th note up to the 425th inclusive, see the passages of Holy Scripture: 2 Timothy 2:12; Rom.8:16, 17; Luke 22:30; Matthew 13:38; 1 John 3:1, 2; John 17:22 and others. Δουλείας. The word "means slavery and service"; δουλεία “is actually obedience, rendered by servants to masters voluntarily or against their will... Λατρείαν requires only the true Divinity; δούλευσις, as far as necessary,” takes place both in relation to God, and, “as far as permissible, is rewarded to people,” etc. See Lequ. (note). Δεδοξασμένος ἐστί. Perfectum denotes that an action has happened and that its result now exists. Hence, this expression can be translated: glorified and glorified. See our published Greek Syntax. language (St. Petersburg, 1891) (Chapter VII: Usage of tenses). Col. 1:17. Synodal (Russian) translation: and everything They stand directly corresponds to the Greek. text: πάντα... ἐν αὐτῷ συνίσταται... Matthew 5:45. At St. I. Damascus, the order and letter of the text are somewhat different:... it shines on the righteous and the unrighteous, and rains on the evil and the good. Greg. Naz. orat. 2 et 40. See Lequ. Lat. lane at Hopper.: gratia. So here the meaning of the place requires. Literally: by position or decree, or adoption... (= ϑέσει). Wed. Dictionary. Gratsinsky. Wed. lat. lane 1) Hopper.: ad bonum ipsum consequendum; and 2) in Lequien: fert auxilium ad bonum perficiendum. 1 Cor.3:16, - Literally from St. Damascus we read: we are churches of God, and the spirit of God lives in us. Matthew 10:1. Literally at St. I. Damascus we read: ... so that they can drive them out ... and heal every disease and every bodily weakness. John 14:12. Literally at St. I. Damascus we read: what I do, you will do, and even more than this you will do. Rom.8:17. At St. I. Damascene’s words: There are no words for him either in the first or in the second cases. Wed. This is precisely the interpretation of the word: παῤῥησία in lat. lane at Lequ. Literally: they receive petitions. Wed. lat. lane at Lequ. and Horrer. Literally: an arrogantly proud spirit. Wed. lat. lane at Lequ. 2 Kings 2:23, 24. – Τοῖς (not ταῖς) ἄρκτοις (see Lequ. and Hopper.) = for bears. The Slavic Bible, meanwhile, speaks of bears. Literally: according to which. Literally: not for the purpose of my salvation - Cf. lat. lane Lequ. Ps.131:7. At St. I. Damascus we read: bow... Ps.98:9. Literally at St. I. Damascus we read: towards His holy mountain. Lequien thoroughly notes: this should be translated “because of the author’s purpose” and in view of “the preposition εἰς, corresponding to the Hebrew prefix: לְ = ad.” Daniel 5:2ff. Art. 26–28. Literally at St. I. Damascene we read: ... so that the crowd serves itself [ὑπηρετηϑῆναι = in Lequ. and Hopper.: ministrari; a ministro, by the way, means: “about food and drink, to serve, set, pour” (see Dictionary of Lebedinsky and others; Moscow, 1862)] through sacred vessels. Δέ stands instead here; γάρ (cf. Gracinsky Dictionary). “One” codex (Regius) has: σταυροῦ = cross, which is “not bad” (see Lequ.). Παγκόσμιος. The whole expression does not mean: the tabernacle was an image equipped with “every kind of decoration” (Tilmanus), or:... “most beautiful and most perfect” (Zinus, Norperus...), - but, according to Philo, Joseph and St. To the Fathers, “the tabernacle was the image of the universe.” See Lequ. Wed. lat. translation at Lequ. and Norper. See note. 63rd (to the first word). See note. 116th (to the first word). Literally: don’t take it away. "Evoke": a translation that is more in keeping with the progress of the case. The essence of the latter, of course, does not change at all. Λαβράτοις = images (=imagines: in the Latin translation in Lequ.). This word is sufficiently explained by the following excerpt: “Lauratis et iconibus, quae míttuntur ad ciiviitates vel regiones, obvii adeunt populi cum cereis et incensis, non cera perfusam tabulam, sed Imperatorem honorantes”... Some read: λάτροις; Wed lat. translation in Hopper.: ministros (in the Greek text in Hopper., however: λαβράτοις). The meaning will be quite good even with this last reading... See Lequ... Literally: A Christian is faith. Wed. lat. translation in Lequ: Christianos ex fide censetur. In lat. translation in Hopper.: Christianus fide censetur. Λήψηται – in Lequ. More precisely: λήψεται, as in Hopper.; since, although syntactically it would still be possible to explain why there would be a subjunctive here. nakl., but an etymologically similar form is completely uncommon: in futur. subjunctive No; aor. The 1st (the subjunctive of which could be: λήψηται) does not occur from this verb... At St. We literally read I. Damascus: he preaches the gospel. Basil. de spiritu sancto. See Lequ. See first word; approx. 130. In general, for notes on those excerpts that were given in the first or second words and which are repeated in the third, see above: in the corresponding places of the first and second words. “Barlaam the martyr was a Syrian, not a Cappadocian, whom I. Chrysostom praised”... See Lequ. After the word: πράγματα stands: (without stress τα (and further: μέλλοντος αἰῶνος), obviously, instead of: τοῦ (see the corresponding place in the 1st word). Literally: and I think that he is the one. This is how the title of this work is translated by Bl. Theodoret, for example, archbishop. Filaret of Chernigov (see his “Historical teaching on the Fathers of the Church” St. Petersburg; 1882; III, 99: “God-loving History or the lives of saints” ...). Others translate: “The History of the Bogolyubtsev” (not literally, incorrectly) (see, for example, the work of Mr. Glubokovsky about Blessed Theodoret; 1890; II; 412). The denial by some that this commentary belongs to St. Vasily, not justified by its very content, etc., is devoid of serious grounds. See Lequ. for more details on this. Literally: devastated, exhausted. To the 13th chapter. See Lequ. Literally should translate units. number: in [form] question and answer. “What is called the 38th chapter here is the 39th issue in the editions” (Lequ.). About these Quaests. ad Antiochum, see our introduction to the translation of these words by St. I. Damascene about St. icons (see the introduction section, which discusses their authenticity). Wed. also Lequien's remarks in the footnote. to this place in the text of the words of St. I. Damaskina. Or: Treasures [as (i.e. singular) translated by the archbishop. Filaret Chernig. (III. 83; see his work, op. in 501st note)] = “an extensive work on the Holy Trinity”... Πρὸς τὰ ἀρχέτυπα = exemplaribus similes (see Hopper.)... Πρός p. accus. may have a corresponding meaning. Instead of αὕτη, it seems better to read: αὐτή. Euangelica demonstratio (in Lequ.). At St. I. Damascene we literally read: ... evidence found in the Gospels. Ex demonstrationum (?), quae sunt in Euangeliis (in Hopper.). Literally: contemplated... In Lequ.: sic pictura repraesentantur. In Hopper.: pictura sic expressi. Διά, which does not have a case dependent on it (genitive or accusative), is obviously an adverb here (which is what all Greek prepositions originally were), and has the meaning: between, in the middle (in this meaning it was originally used by ancient writers). See published. us Syntax. Greek language (1891, p. 26). Εἴη ἄν: gelatin. incl. instead of the indicative “to express a modest judgment” (see our edition of Synth. gr. language; pp. 48–49). – “Instead of: “this is” or “will be” they often say: “this may be” ... See Synth. gr. language - Mr. Grigorevsky (1884, St. Petersburg, p. 81)... Meanwhile, in Hopper, (in the Latin translation) we read: qui divinis oraculis credunt... “I,” we read in Lequien, “consider it true that these were neither Jews nor Christians; but the pagans or Edomites, who kept the ancient tradition better than they believed the words of Scripture.” For the word: χρονογραφία, see Passow (Handwörterbuch der griechischen Sprache... Zweiten Bandeszweite Abtheilung. Leipzig. 1857). About Malala, see our introduction to the works of St. I. Damascene, concerning St. icons (see the introduction section, which discusses the authenticity of these words). In this case, what is said there is enough. Wed. Lequien has some details (in the footnote). Εἰς s. accusat. sometimes it is used “instead of ἐν” and precisely “in the meaning of being in place” (see Gracinsky). Πρὸ ὀκτὼ Καλανδῶν Ἰουνίων = ante 8 Calen. Iunii (in Hopper.) = die octavo ante Kalendas Iunias, i.e., on the 8th day before the Kalends of June. According to the rule, the days considered here are: June 1st (= June Kalends), May 31st. 30th, 29th, 28th, 27th, 26th and 25th (which will be 8 days). On the 8th day before the Kalends of June - this means May 25th. See Lubker's “Real Dictionary of Classical Antiquities” (edited by members of the Society of Classical Philology and Pedagogy; St. Petersburg, 1885); "Appendix on the Roman calendar." See lat. grammar Nikiforov (compiled according to Stegman); App. III: O Roman. calendar (Moscow; 1891). Wed. Christ. Readings for 1892 (November–December), pp. 603–604, approx. 25 to the article by V.V. Bolotov about some holidays, which, by the way, also talk about the time of year... to which the fact of the beheading of St. I. Baptist. Wed. lat. lane at Lequ. and at Hopper. See lat. lane in Lequ., where we read: both Berenice (Bernica) and Bernice (Bernica). Σεβαστός = augustus, cognomen Imp. Rom. (Hedericus: Graecum Lexicon... Petropoli, 1834) = “Sovereign” (see Gracinsk.) (cf. Passow). Literally: and the rest of the virtues. Literally: “yours” (instead of: yours) to express the greatness of the king. At Hopper.: tuae... Literally: turning away. Luke 8:45–46. This excerpt from the chronicle of John of Antioch literally contains the words: power has gone out of Me. Luke 8:48. In general, the story of the bleeding wife is set out in Art. 43–48. There are plurals in the text. numbers. Wed. explained. this in the 528th note. In lat. translation at Hopper, and Lequ. costs unit. h. Literally: through a request... Literally: without caution. Wed. lat. lane at Lequ. Literally: (together) with words. The same in lat. translation at Lequ. and Hopper., where we read collocavit... = “placed in churches” [i.e. that is, as under the line in Lequ.: Deorum or idolorum, although even without that ναός can mean: capiche (see in Gracinsk). Literally: what is on earth not made by hands, what is worshiped? Wed. lat. translation at Hopper's. Wed. partly lat. translation at Lequ. The excerpt (like some others) is extremely sketchy. In Hopper, it is partly explained; Based on this explanation, we made an increase enclosed in angular brackets. Literally:... “we draw someone through historical” sketches (cf. Dictionary, compiled according to Benzeler; Kyiv; 1881). Wed. lat. translation at Lequ. Διέτρεχεν. This word is not in the text, but, according to the requirements of the meaning, it should be; it is “supplemented” by publishers “from Eusebius.” See Lequ. Wed. lat. translation at Lequ. Literally in the excerpt we read: he told (ἱστορεῖ – praes. histor.) about himself through portraiture... Compare, by the way, standing at Lequ. on the margin (against this excerpt) a note: “sar. 47" (?), while in the title of his excerpt we read: ... "sar. 69". This excerpt, like many others, is fragmentary. We are obviously talking about Tsar Constantine and his descendants who occupied the royal throne... Πολυχρονίου; not longaevi, as some thought (eg Hopperus). This is a proper name, as can be seen from the surviving “fragments”, “in which there is the very place that” is quoted here by Damascus. “And Theodorit doesn’t find anything like that. That” (i.e. Polychronius) “was the brother of Theodore of Mopsuet, whom Theodoret always valued very highly, and the bishop of Apamea in Syria.” See Lequ. Ezek.4:1–2. Put... (in the Greek text futur. instead of imperat. aor.)... Yes write... yes dasi... yes cogradish... yes put... yes uchinishi (in the Greek text fut. instead of imper. aor.)... Around it = (literally in it; the second time the expression encountered: around it more literally could be replaced by another: near or nearby... We seem to indicate other readings of this place. at Lequ. in interlinear note, in this case they give a worse meaning than that given in Greek. text that is available in the publication. Leqnien'a. Literally: fenced off. Wed. lat. translation at Hopper's. We read (with Lequien; see the reading indicated by him below the line): ταῦτα γὰρ μηνύει τὰς βελοστάσεις, and not: τὰ τείχη γὰρ ταῦτα μηνύει (as in the Greek text itself in the same Lequien), because the first reading is more appropriate. Instead of: αὐτῆς τὴν παρανομίαν (see text in Lequ.) “better”: αὐτοὺς (i.e. people) τῆς παρανομίας (see subscript note in the same Lequ.). Here and below (partly above) in this passage we use. praes. histor. Here: τῇ ἐλάφῳ... in doe, but above and below: ὁ ἔλαφος..; therefore, here we translate: into a deer, and not into a doe (for the purpose of unity of translation)... Instead of: ὀνομάτων (in the text of Lequ.), we read (with others and the same Lequien: see his interlinear note): ὁμοιωμάτων = likenesses or images, because this kind of reading is more consistent with the general meaning of the whole place. For the church seen by Ezekiel, see his book: 41:18–20... For the tabernacle of Moses, see Exodus, especially ch. 37 (about Cherubim...), and other chapters: both previous and subsequent. For Solomon's Temple, see 1 Kings 6. Wed. lat. translation at Hopper's. Νάβλαι = nablia (see Latin translation in Lequ.). “Nablium is a stringed instrument, maybe a harp” (see Lat. Lebedinsky Dictionary and others). Literally it would be necessary to translate the units. number. Wed. lat. translation at Hopper's. It should read: “Θεοδώρου = Theodora, that is, the Reader; for, by the time of Emperor Anastasius, Theodoret was no longer alive. This story, which is presented here, is mentioned by Feofan and Svida.” See Lequ. Regarding this place, the following should be noted. 1) Θρησκεία = factio (see Latin translation in Lequ.) = party... (see Lebedinsky’s Dictionary and others). 2) Instead of: τὸν βαδιστὴν παραχορεύοντα (as in this place by St. I. Damascus; ed. Lequ.) we, following the example of Lequien and friend. (see Lequien’s footnote for this and another opinion on this issue), we read: τὸν βαδιστὴν παραχορεύων (the word actually means: to dance in a round dance and therefore refers to Olympius). 3) Κατὰ τὸν προμαλάττοντα = ίη cella tepidaria (see Latin translation in Lequ.), especially since μαλάττω has, by the way, the meaning: to make soft, weak... (cf. Dictionary, compiled according to Benzeler). 4) Δόξα = dogma (Hedericus). Here δόξα is used. in this exact sense. 5) After: παραχορεύων there should, in our opinion, be a comma; before γενόμεος it must be destroyed and can be placed (however, a colon will convey the matter more clearly) after this word (cf. the placement of punctuation marks in the Latin translation in Lequ.). Τὸ ἀναγκαῖον = αἰδοῖον (see Passow: ersten Bandes erste Abtheilung; Leipz.; 1841). Wed. also lat. translation in Lequ.: virilibus, in Hopper.: membris corporis necessariis... Literally: to kill (praes.), which, however, is completely indifferent to the essence of the matter. Literally: using the entrance to warm baths. Literally should have passed sets. number; however, for the essence of the matter this is indifferent here. Here, as in very many other places, I used. praes. histor. In general, there are many typographical errors in Lequien’s edition, but they are either self-explanatory, or can be corrected in another edition, which we always had at hand (i.e. Hopperi) [We are not talking about the Migne edition, which introduces many corrections to the typographical errors of Lequien’s edition, since in itself it is a repetition of Lequien’s: both the Greek text of the latter and the Latin, that is why in our notes we usually limit ourselves to references only to the editions of Lequien and Hopperi]. But in this case, both Lequien and Hopper. we read: τῆς νεροφόρου. In the Greek Lexicons, even such as, for example, Passow, this word is not present, although it [especially in view of its second half] is undoubtedly Greek. Isn't it a distortion of the word: ὑδροφόρου, which would correspond to the Latin word: labrum (as it is translated in the Latin text by Lequ.) = pond, bath. In Hopper., meanwhile, the word is not translated, but only rewritten from Lat. letters, and he writes it with a capital (initial) letter: Neurophorum... Instead of: σίκλας should read: σίτλας = situlas (see Lequ.). See lat. lane at Lequ. and at Hopper. Literally in this place we read: those who differed from him (οἱ αὐτῷ διαφέροντες) (διαφέρω = differo; see Hederic.), i.e., in the doctrine of the Consubstantial One, and who, therefore, could be in community with him only out of necessity. Lat. translation (in Lequien and Hopper.), as expressing the general spirit of the place, although it deviates from the letter, we therefore prefer, indicating to those who wish it, a literal one. Τυλίσσω = twist, roll up; ἀποτυλίσσω = unwinding...=removing. Συνεξέπαιρον, perhaps: συνεξεῇρον (Lequ.) = lacerarunt (Lequ.), dilacerarunt (Hopper.). Βασιλίς: not only the capital, but also imperium (Latin translation in Lequ.) or regnum (Latin translation in Hopper.). Literally: at some times. Literally: service or worship. Ἔκδικος = defensor (Heder.; Latin translation in Lequ.) = curator (Latin translation in Hopper.) (cf. Lebedinsky’s Dictionary and others). Literally: if someone else (then, therefore, he...)... Wed. lat. lane at Lequ. Literally in this place we read: although it has crossed the present tense... Τῷ διαιταρίῳ... = aedium praefectus. See lat. translation at Lequ. Genitivus absolut. (by which subordinate clauses are translated) we translated the main clause, since, on the one hand, the meaning did not suffer from this at all, and on the other, we avoided too long a period by dividing the latter into two parts. We see the same thing in lat. lane at Lequ. and Hopper. The text says: παρα... It is assumed that it should read: παραγαύδει. This word means “the kind of clothing that” some writers “mention”... See line. note at Lequ. In lat. lane in Lequ.: fulgenti veste. At Hopper's. (in Latin translation): splendido vestimento. Κινήσω = interpellabo (Latin translation in Lequ.). O meaning lat. words cf. Lat. - Russian Schultz's dictionary (1885). Imperf. instead of aor., which sometimes happens with St. I. Damaskina. And in general, times at St. The Fathers and Doctors of the Church are not strictly “followed.” Literally: freedom characteristic of rest (= which occurs during rest). Literally: producing all kinds of dirt... Σαγίταν = sagittam (see Latin translation in Lequ. and Hopper.). Lat. the word is rewritten from Greek. letters. Literally: we didn’t come to our senses. Wed. lat. translation at Lequ. and Hopper. resipuerunt. Literally: they were exterminated. Wed, by the way, note. at Lequ. Literally: when his breathing was blocked (in Greek: pluralia) (genit. absolut.). See lat. lane at Lequ. and Hopper.: decoratam. Literally in Greek. in the text we read: δοξαζομένην = glorified.... Βήλων = lat. velis (in Lequ. and Hopper.). See lat. lane at Hopper's. Literally in this place we read: take away (i.e. the people) the life (= kill) of the one who did (accusat. person with infinitiv) this... Wed. lat. lane in Hopper.: cohibere = φέρειν. Περιάπτειν = munire (see Latin translation in Lequ.). Orat. 15 de statuis (see Lequ.) Literally: we were afraid... having irritated the king. It is better, however, to translate it the way we translated it, because St. I. Chrysostom, of course, could not include himself among those who irritated the king with the criminal act in question. Both Lequ. and Hopper understand the matter as we do. (Imperatore). Paes, instead of futur., which one would expect after the verb: promise (see our publication Syntactic Gr. Language § 84). Συνανασχεϑέντες (= detained together). The word gives a good meaning; but the reading (rather carefully suggested by Lequien in the footnote): συναναχϑέντες gives an even better one, in view of the fact that the word: ἁρπασϑέντες (standing in front) already indicates the capture of these people, while συναναχϑέντες indicates something more different, namely what followed this seizure. Literally: with those (we say: with the first to avoid the awkward repetition of the indicated pronoun). Tίς - an indefinite pronoun - before adjectives usually has the following meanings: somewhat, almost, quite, to some extent... (see Dictionaries - Gracinsk, Benzelera...), but here these Russian meanings will express the thought of Blessed Theodoret more than weakly. Therefore, it is better to translate: very... Cf. lat. translation at Lequ.: a pessimo daemone... Στηλῶν... = statuas (see Latin translation in Lequ. and Hopper.). "This Palladius succeeded Peter Fullon." See Lequ. Συμπληγάδες... “In Eusebius” (completely “correct συμπληγάδων”. See Lequ. “This and other things that follow” (see excerpts LIII and LIV), as “belonging to Theodore the Reader, Valesius published along with fragments of the same Theodore that exist”... See Lequ. In the text the word: “heretic” refers to Macedonia (= μετὰ Μακεδόνιον, αἱρετικόν); we see the same thing in lat. translation at Hopper's. But it is better (with Lequien) to read: αἱρετικοῦ, by which one should mean “precisely Timothy, who inherited Macedonia. For we are not talking about the Dukhobor Macedonius, but about the one whom Emperor Anastasius expelled for his right belief in two natures, putting in his place the wicked Timothy, an enemy of the Council of Chalcedon, and whom Theodore and soon after Damascus honored as a holy man.” See Lequ. In the text it is also in parentheses: τοῦ καὶ Αἰλούρου; the expression is translated as follows: (about Timothy), who was also called Elur (see Latin translation by Hopper). Lequien resolutely rebels against this addition as completely inappropriate, “for,” he says, this excerpt “refers to Timothy of Constantinople, the successor of Macedonius, and not to Elur.” Lequ. Συγκροτέομαι = consentio (see Latin translation in Hopper.) or couvenio (see Latin translation in Lequ.). The verb: ἠνάγκαζε stands in one. h., but here, obviously, we are talking about both: Julian and Timothy; therefore, according to the meaning, it is better to translate the plural part (see the Latin translation in Hopper.). Ἀφιέναι, by the way, means: not to kill (see Gracinsky Dictionary). The literal translation of the place is: if you do not want not to kill = if you certainly want to kill (litotes) - if you do not want to accept (cf. in the Latin translation from Hopper.: admittere). Lequien has a comma after ἀναθεματίσαι; meanwhile, it must stand (as in Hopper.) before ἀναϑεματίσαι - a word that refers to: τὰς τῶν ἐπισκόπων εἰκόνας. – Ἀναϑεματίσαι and further: ἀπαλεῖψαι stand instead of imperativ’a (which, however, is in accordance with the peculiarities of the Greek language). Literally: taking advantage of. Wed. lat. lane at Lequ. (“sequentes”). Here and further there is a constructio κατὰ σύνεσιν. Literally: from Patriarch Flavian... Against the doubts expressed by some about the belonging of this conversation to St. I. Chrysostom Lequien claims that it was written “in the age of Chrysostom,” and concludes “on the basis of one of its passages, which contains attacks on the Arians,” a passage which, he believes, “points to the times of Valens,” an emperor contemporary with Chrysostom. For more information on this, see Lequien. Wed. lat. translation at Lequ. and Hopper. Infinite. instead of and in the meaning of imperative. Literally: and after I was filled with love for beauty, having found an adviser, I am not able to say who, either some wise person, of course, or myself... “Clement of Alexandria named the Church Canon against the Judaizers after Alexander of Jerusalem; why couldn’t he name Stromata after him?! For their beginning perished,” and therefore nothing sustainable can be said against that assumption. “Otherwise”, instead of πρὸς Ἀλέξανδρον “must” say: “Ἀλεξάνδρείας”, i.e. Clement of Alexandria... See Lequ. Wed. partly, by the way, this passage in lat. translation at Lequ. and Hopper. Instead of: καὶ ϑείς (in the text by Lequ.) Lequien (in his note) suggests “read: καὶ αὖϑις statim.” Καὶ ϑείς, indeed, does not grammatically fit with the rest of the translation, although the meaning would allow it: (namely =) and after he put (model), the young servant... John 10:38. Literally in this excerpt (from St. Athanasius) we read: that you may understand that I am in the Father and the Father is in me. Literally: closer... Literally:... image is form and appearance... See lat. translation at Hopper's. Quaest 39. See Lequ. Wed. above: 506 approx. to the third word. Wed. lat. lane at Hopper, and, by the way, cf. interlinear note at Lequ. Φησί is used here. impersonal: they say... Wed. in Gracinsky, regarding: φέρεται, φασί and φησί. “Μὴ γένοιτο = absit – Ambrose does not.” See Lequ. Wed. Greek text from Hopper. Published together with the “works of St. I. Chrysostom." See Lequ. Wed. “Historical. uch. about the Fathers C." archbishop Philareta: § 96; 1859 This case is fictitious. See Lequ. (note). See the story about this from the archbishop. Filar. in "Ist. uch. about O. Ts"; 1859; § 170; pp. 292–293. Literally: ... betray your soul... until it comes... "Not Jerome of Stridon, but some Greek with the same name." This passage is from a “dialogue between a Christian and a Jew,” which is inscribed: περὶ ἁγίας Τριάδος = De Sancta Trinitate... See Lequ. Simeon a monte Thaumasto [which was near Antioch and on which Simeon led an ascetic life on a pillar, under the emperors: Justin the Younger, Tiberius II and Mauritius (their reign falls on the years: “565–578, 578–582 and 582–601”; see Robertson in Lopukhin’s translation: “Histor. Chr. Ts."; 1890; vol. I; p. 1064)] wrote many letters to Justin the Younger de imaginibus, demanding punishment for the Samaritans, who during the uprising showed cruelty against Christian sacred rites and icons of Christ and saints. See Acts 5 7th Council. The passage which (by Damascene) is quoted is taken from a work which no longer exists. See Lequ. note on 386 pp. and 378 pp. With “τοῖς χροιδίοις” one should read: “ἐναπομένομεν”, i.e. non enim in coloribus immoramur; or something like that (thinks Billius; see Lequ.). Instead of ἀμώμου we read (with Lequien): “ἄμωμον, as in the acts of the 5th Council.” Literally: full of horror. Ὀλίγωροι = (literally careless, inattentive... (see Passow, Hederic., Benzel., Weisman, Gracinsk...). Here κατηφεῖς καὶ ὀλίγωροι, in meaning, rather correspond to the Latin translation: tristes demissoque vultu (in Lequ.). Same. Wed. lat. translation at Lequ. and Hopper. Indicat. instead of imperat. Wed. lat. lane at Lequ. and Hopper. Ὀλιγωρήσας... = moerens (in Lequ.). Wed. 680s approx. to the third word. Literally: allowed. Wed. pateat (in Lequ. and Hopper.). See 681st note. to the 3rd word. See 681 notes. to the 3rd syllable Wed. lat. translation at Lequ. and Hopper. Indicat. future instead of imperat. aor. “This title” is incorrect, and “should be understood as follows: the saint of the fifth-sixth council, which was under Justinian II” (“more likely: in 691,” or, according to some, in 692 or 686, or 706; see Robertson: “Ist. Chr. C.”; vol. I; 1890; p. 576; in the translation by Lopukh), “for this rule (= 82nd) is not the rule of the fifth or sixth council, but that which is called Πενϑέκτη (= fifth-sixth) and Trullo and which, they say, was convened by Justinian the Younger. This is precisely the rule that Pope Adrian I had in mind when, in his letter to Tarasius and the 7th Council, he wrote the following: Ut ergo perfectio etiam per colorum operationes in cunctorum oculis depingatur, agni Christi Dei nostri, qui tulit peccatum mundi, secundum humanam figuram per imaginem hominis pro veteri agno depingi definimus, per ipsum Dei Uerbi humilitatis celsitudinem considerantes, et ad memoriam eius in carne conversationem revocantes. Therefore, in a letter to Karl Vel. until the 7th Council he intends to defend this rule.” See Lequ. Ἀναστηλοῦσϑαι = exprimendum... (see Latin translation in Lequ. and Hopper.). There are a lot of typos, as we have already said (see, for example, the note to the 3rd word: 580s) in the edition. Lequ. For the most part, we did not find it necessary to indicate them: they are clear by themselves, etc. Here, as in a few cases above, we consider it necessary to make such instructions. In Lequien we read: τῶν ἐξ ἀτίμων τιμιωτέρας, instead of which, in accordance with the grammatical and logical meaning, we read in Hopper: τῶν ἐξ ἀτιμωτέρας, i.e. e., ὕλης. Literally: made (perfect). However, according to the requirements of the meaning, it is better to translate praesens, especially since the essence of the matter will not suffer at all from this.