District message

Athanasius wishes to rejoice in the Lord to local co-servants, beloved masters. 1) What we suffered is terrible and unbearable; There is no way or memory to convey this in a way worthy of it. But in order to quickly understand the horror of what happened, I considered it best to bring to mind a legend from Scripture. One day, “a man of Levi,” whose wife was insulted (and she was a Jew and from the tribe of Judah), seeing the excess of the crime, and struck by the iniquities that they dared against him (Judg. 19), breaking his wife’s body into pieces, sent to all the tribes of Israel so that everyone would be convinced that in this crime they would see an insult not to him alone, but to everyone in general, and if they were compassionate, they would take revenge, and if will remain indifferent, and will bear the shame of having already become participants in causing offense. Those sent reported what had happened; and everyone who heard and saw said, “Nothing like this has ever happened since the day the children of Israel came out of the land of Egypt.” Why did all the tribes of Israel move, and everyone, as if they themselves had suffered an insult, gathered against the criminals. Finally, those who committed lawlessness were persecuted by war and became rejected by everyone; because those gathered did not look at the same tribe, but had in mind crime. You know, brethren, this is the legend and the details of the case depicted in Scripture. I do not intend to dwell on this further; because I am writing to people who know, and I hasten to point out to your reverence real events that are more important than those. For this is why I mentioned this legend, so that, having compared what was then with the present, and realizing how much the latter surpasses the ancient in cruelty, you would be even more indignant than the Israelites at the lawless people of that time; because the severity of the persecution brought against us is much greater; and the calamity of the Levite is of little importance in comparison with what is now being ventured against the Church; better to say, this has never been heard of in the universe, and no one has experienced such evils. Then one woman was insulted and one Levite suffered violence; and now the whole Church has been desecrated, the sanctuary has been insulted, and, what is even more important, piety has been persecuted by wickedness. Then each tribe of Israel, seeing the severed member of one woman, was horrified; and now the dissolved members of the entire Church are visible, and those sent, partly to you, and partly to others, inform about the reproach and insult that they suffered. Therefore, I beg you, move too, as if the offense was inflicted not only on us, but also on you; Let everyone give help, as if they themselves were suffering, so that both the rules of the Church and the faith of the Church will not soon be damaged; because now both are in danger, if God does not soon, through you, correct the disorder that has occurred, and the Church will not be protected. Rules and regulations were not now given to the churches, but were beautifully and firmly handed down by our Fathers; Faith did not begin now, but it came to us from the Lord through His disciples. Therefore, let it not perish in these days that which was observed in the churches of old and before us, and let it not be collected from us that which was entrusted to us. Move forward, brethren; because you are the builders of the mysteries of God, and you see how they are plundered by others. You will hear details from the letter submitters; and I hastened to depict briefly, so that you can know for sure that nothing like this has ever happened to the Church, since the day the ascended Savior commanded the disciples, saying: “Going... teach all tongues, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit” (Matthew 28:19). 2) And what was done illegally in relation to me and to the Church was this: According to custom, we gathered peacefully, the people rejoiced at our meetings, and everyone prospered in living according to God, my fellow servants in Egypt, Thebaid and Libya, maintained love and peace both for each other and for me; suddenly the Egyptian diocese publishes writings that look like a decree that a certain Gregory from Cappadocia becomes my successor, according to the royal will. This rumor threw everyone into confusion; it was something new and only heard for the first time. The people all the more began to gather in the church, and through this they learned even more that neither they themselves, nor the bishop, nor the presbyter, nor anyone else at all, had ever brought complaints against me; Gregory and I saw only Arians, and learned that he himself was an Arian, sent by like-minded Eusebius. And you know, brethren, that like-minded people of Eusebius have always been patrons and accomplices of the wicked heresy of the Arianists, and through them they have always plotted intrigues for me, and were the culprits of my removal to Gaul. Therefore, the people were rightly indignant, everyone cried out, testified by other judges and the whole city, that; Since there was no complaint against me from the clergy, this was done to desecrate me by the Arian heretics, then this is clearly an innovation and a violation of church laws. Even if any complaint against me really had any force; then not to the Arian, not to anyone who adheres to Arian wisdom, but - according to church rules and according to the word of Paul - the assembled people and those who received power from the Spirit, “with the power of our Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Cor. 5:4), had to legally investigate and carry out everything, in the presence of laymen and clergy expressing their demands; an outsider, with the assistance of the Arians, as if having bought the name of a bishop, where they did not ask, did not have the intention and did not know the matter at all, should not have invaded the church, through the intercession and coercion of lay judges. For all this violates church rules and forces the pagans to blaspheme and suspect that our orders are not carried out according to Divine law, but as a result of purchase and intercession. 3) So, the installation of Gregory by the Arians was strange and had such a beginning. What kind of lawlessness was produced and how many evils were the cause of his entry into Alexandria - you can learn about this from what is written and ask those who come. When the people, at such an innovation, expressed their displeasure, and therefore gathered in churches, so that Arian wickedness would not be mixed with the beliefs of the Church; Philagrios, who had previously insulted the Church and her virgins, and now became the eparch of Egypt, this apostate, compatriot of Gregory, a man of dishonest morals, and moreover, having like-minded Eusebius as his intercessors, and therefore strongly acting against the Church, with his promises, subsequently fulfilled, wins over to his side and irritates pagans, Jews and disorderly people; and suddenly he unleashes them with swords and daggers on the people in the churches. And what came of it is not easy to say, and it is not even possible to fully depict; No one will remember even a small part without tears and sobs. For where were such deplorable events described by the ancients? Or, has anything like this ever happened during persecution and war? The church and holy baptismal area are engulfed in flames. Suddenly, in the city there are complaints, screams, crying; citizens are indignant at what happened, cry out at the city governor, and testify to the violence being committed; because holy and immaculate virgins were naked and suffered impermissible acts; and those who resisted were in danger of their lives; the monastics were trampled underfoot and died; Some were thrown with lead circles, others were killed with swords and darts, others were wounded and beaten. And at the Holy Meal what wickedness and lawlessness were committed! They sacrificed birds, burned pine bark, praising their idols, and blaspheming in the very churches of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, the Son of the Living God; books of Divine Scripture that were found in the church were burned; God-killing Jews and godless pagans, entering the holy baptismal without fear (what audacity!), exposed themselves there, did and said such abominations that it is shameful to even retell them. And some wicked people, imitating the cruelty of persecution, grabbed virgins and fasting women, dragged them by the hands, and, dragging them, forced them to blaspheme the Lord and renounce Him; and those who did not renounce were tormented and trampled under foot. 4) And moreover, this wondrous and solemn entry of the Arian Gregory, amused by such disasters, as if offering retribution and reward for such a lawless victory to the pagans, Jews and everyone who did this to us, betrays the church to plunder. And as soon as such lawlessness and outrage were allowed, they acted worse than in war, and with greater bitterness than robbers. Some plunder everything they come across; others rob things that some have set aside for safekeeping; the wine, of which there was quite a lot, is drunk, poured, carried away; the standing oil is plundered; everyone takes doors and bars as prey; candlesticks attract and at the same time are placed near the fence; Church candles are lit in front of idols. In a word, there is robbery and murder in the church. And the evil Arians were not ashamed of such deeds, but added something even worse and more cruel. The elders and laity were tormented; the virgins without veils were taken to the court before the city governor and thrown into prison; Some had their estates described, and they themselves were scourged; It was forbidden to give bread to clergy and virgins. And all this happened on the most holy Pentecost, around Easter, when the brethren were fasting, and the wonderful Gregory, imitating Caiaphas and his hegemon, Pilate, cursed those who piously worshiped Christ. On Friday, having entered one of the churches with the city governor and a crowd of pagans, as soon as he saw that the people were looking with disgust at his violent invasion, he forced the cruel city governor to publicly flog and throw into prison thirty-four people - virgins, married wives and noble men; among them was a maiden who loved reading; she was still holding the Psalter in her hands when they ordered her to be publicly flogged; the book was torn out by the executioners, and the maiden herself was imprisoned. 5) After all this, they did not calm down, did not spare or anything else, but set out to repeat the same thing in another church, where I was most present in those days. They tried to extend their fury to this church as well, in order to catch and kill me. So it would have been with me if the grace of Christ had not helped, so that, having avoided destruction, I could at least retell at least a little. For seeing that their violence was reaching the extreme, and deeming it best that the church should not suffer harm, that the virgins should not suffer in it, that murder should not occur again, and that the people should not be insulted another time, I hid from the people, remembering the Savior. Who says: “When... you are persecuted in this city, flee to another” (Matthew 10:23). From the atrocities they committed in another church, I knew that they would not give up cruelty in this one; because they were not ashamed even of the Lord’s day on the holy holiday, but even on that day they locked up the church people in prison. When the Lord freed everyone from mortal bonds; then Gregory and those who were with him, as if in opposition to the Savior, relying on the patronage of the mayor, turned this day of freedom for the servants of Christ into mourning. The pagans, respecting this day, rejoiced; and Gregory, perhaps fulfilling the orders of Eusebius, brought Christians to the point of crying, burdened them with bonds. With such violence, the city governor took away the churches, and having taken them away, they handed them over to Gregory and the Arians. And those who have been excommunicated by us for wickedness rejoice in the theft of churches; and the people of God and the ministers of the conciliar church are forced to either join in the wickedness of the Arian heretics, or not to enter the church. Gregory even did a lot of violence and coercion to shipbuilders and other seafarers through the city ruler, subjecting them to torture, beatings, chains and imprisonment so that they would not contradict his iniquities, but even accepted letters from him. Not content with this either, but in order to be satisfied with my blood, he prompted his cruel accomplice, the city governor, as if on behalf of the people, to write a representation to the most pious king Constantius in reproachful terms against me, as a result of which I should not only flee, but also expect thousands of deaths. This idea was written by an apostate Christian who shamelessly worshiped idols; and the pagans, the servants of the idol temples, signed, and with them the Arians. And in order not to spread the word, I will write: Here is persecution of the Church, such persecution as has never happened before. For during the persecution before this, at least those who fled could pray and be baptized in secret: but now the cruelty is great and is likened to Babylonian atheism. As it was then with Daniel; So now the wonderful Gregory informs the city governor about those who pray in houses, and watches the clergy, persecuting them with all sorts of insults; why, as a result of such violence, many are in danger of dying unbaptized; Many in illness remain without spiritual visits, and complain about such a disaster, considering it more painful than the illness itself; because, during the persecution of the ministers of the church, those of the people who abhor the wickedness of the Arian heretics prefer to be so ill and be in mortal danger, rather than allow the hand of an Arian to rise on their head. 6) So, Gregory is an Arian and was sent by the Arians; for no one demanded it except they alone. And therefore, as a mercenary and as a stranger, through the mayor he causes disasters and grief to the Christians of the cathedral church, as those who do not belong to him. Previously, when like-minded Eusebius appointed a certain Pistus to the Arians, as I soon wrote to you about him (all of you bishops of the cathedral church know this), you rightly anathematized him and excommunicated him for impiety. For this reason they now sent this Gregory to the Arians; and so as not to remain in shame next time, after I again write to you against them, they used external force against me, thinking that by taking possession of the churches they would avoid suspicion of Arianism. But they were mistaken in this too; because none of the church members act in concert with them, and on their side there are only heretics, also those excommunicated from the Church for their guilt, and those who are hypocrites under duress, fearing the city ruler. This is what was produced by like-minded Eusebievs! They had planned and planned this for a long time, but now they found an opportunity to carry it out, with the help of slander, with which they slandered me before the king. Of course, they won’t rest on this either; They are so eager for my death, and they show themselves so terrible to my acquaintances, that everyone takes flight and expects death from them. But therefore, you should not remain inactive in the face of their iniquities; on the contrary, we must intervene in the cause and be indignant at such innovations against us. For if, when one member suffers, all members will sympathize with it, and according to the word of the blessed Apostle, one must weep with those who weep (Rom. 12:15); then, when such a Church suffers, let everyone, as if they themselves were suffering, join in the cause. For they blaspheme our common Savior and they violate the rules common to all of us. If, while you are sitting in church and reproachfully gathering the people, someone suddenly came, by decree declaring himself the successor of one of you, and something similar happened to you; then would you not be indignant, and would you not want them to intercede for you? Therefore, it is right for you to become indignant, so that if you remain silent, such evil will not befall every church, and our school will not finally turn into a place of buying and trading. 7) You already know about the Arians, beloved; because they were repeatedly excommunicated for their wickedness, both individually and all in general; You know that like-minded people of Eusebius, as I said before, adhere to the same heresy, which is why they have been plotting against me for a long time. Now, through them and from them, the disasters that befell us, the most severe disasters of wartime, I described to you, so that you, in accordance with the legend mentioned at the beginning, having embraced the zeal that hates wickedness, pluck out those who commit such wickedness against the Church. If last year, when this had not yet happened, the Roman brethren wrote to establish a Council on previous deeds in order to punish them, and like-minded Eusebius, fearing this Council, warned to disturb the Church, and wanted to kill me, so that, without having an accuser, they would fearlessly do what they please; How much more, after committing so many iniquities, should you be indignant and pronounce condemnation on them, since you have added this to the previous ones? I beg you, do not ignore this, and do not tolerate the famous Alexandrian Church being trampled upon by heretics. Both the people and the clergy, naturally, cannot act together; they are silent, fearing violence from the head of the region, but they are disgusted by the wickedness of the Arian. So, if Gregory, or anyone else around him, writes to you, do not accept his writings, brothers, but excommunicate and shame those who delivered these letters, as ministers of wickedness and wickedness. If he dares to write in the form of reconciliation, do not accept this either, because those who took it out of fear of the mayor, as a result of his many violence, will deliver it to you. since, probably, like-minded Eusebius will also write to you about this, then for the same reason, I remind you in advance - and in this case, imitating God's impartiality, drive away those sent by them, because, according to their mood, at such a time the pagans and Jews carried out persecution in the churches, corruption of virgins, murder, looting of church things, fire and blasphemies. But the wicked and frantic Gregory cannot deny that he is an Arian, having as an accuser a signatory to his epistles. For this signer is Ammon, who long ago, for many bad deeds and impiety, was expelled from the Church of blessed memory by Alexander, a former bishop before me. For the sake of all this, deign to write to me and condemn the wicked, so that, just as the clergy and people who are here, seeing your Orthodoxy and your hatred of wickedness, now rejoice in your unanimous faith in Christ, so those who decided on such an illegal act against the Church, having been enlightened by your writings, although someday over time, could repent. Greet your brotherhood. All the brothers who are with me greet you. May the Lord keep you healthy and mindful of me, truly beloved of the Lord! You might be interested in: