Message to the Monks

A message to all who, everywhere in this region, strive in the monastic life, are confirmed in the faith of God, are sanctified in Christ and say: “Behold, we have left everything and are dead after You” (Matthew 19:27), beloved and highly valued brethren, I wish to rejoice greatly in the Lord 1) Yielding to your goodwill and based on repeated convictions from you, I wrote briefly about what both I and the Church suffered, to the best of my ability I exposed the nasty heresy of those infected with Arianism and showed how far it is from the truth. But what happened to me when I wrote this, I recognized it necessary to make known to your piety, so that from this you could see, as the blessed apostle rightly said: “O the depth of the riches and wisdom and understanding of God” (Rom. 11:33), and therefore excuse me, a weak man by nature. As soon as I intended to write and forced myself to think about the Divinity of the Word, every time knowledge receded far from me, and I realized that I was left behind to the extent that I thought to comprehend. For I could not write what I apparently imagined with my mind, and what I wrote became weaker than even that small shadow of truth that was in my thoughts. 2) Therefore, seeing what is written in Ecclesiastes: “Reh, I will become wise: and this is far from me than he, even the depth of the deep, whoever will find it” (Eccl. 7:24-25), and in the Psalms: “Your understanding was amazed at me: if I am strong, I will not be able to reach it” (Ps. 139:6 ), and that Solomon says: “The glory of God covers the word” (Proverbs 25:2), more than once (believe me) I intended to hold back and stop writing. But so that it does not seem that by silence I upset you and encourage those who asked you and persist in their opinion in wickedness, I forced myself to write a little and sent it to your piety. For although the comprehension of the truth in itself is now far from us due to the weakness of the flesh, it is nevertheless possible, as the same Ecclesiastes said, to understand the madness of the wicked, and having acquired it, to say: “there is something bitter than death” (Eccl. 7:26-27). Therefore, I wrote how I know how and can obtain this, knowing at the same time that for the faithful, the condemnation of wickedness is already sufficient knowledge to piety. For although it is impossible to comprehend what God is, it can still be said that He is not. We know that He is not the same as man, and that it is impermissible to imagine about Him anything characteristic of creatures. So it is about the Son of God, although by nature we are very far from comprehending Him, it is also possible and convenient to condemn what is said by heretics and say: this is not the Son of God, and similar to what the heretics say, it is not permissible to even think about His Divinity, not only to speak with the lips. 3) Therefore, I wrote as much as I could. And you, beloved, accept this not as a complete presentation of the doctrine of the Divinity of the Word, but as a denunciation of the wickedness of those who oppose Christ, which serves and gives those who wish it a reason for the piety of a sound faith in Christ. If anything in what is written is incomplete (and I think that everything is incomplete), then forgive me for this with a clear conscience and pay attention only to the courage of the intention to stand for piety. And for the complete condemnation of the Arian heresy, the judgment of the Lord, accomplished in the Aryan death, 104 which you already know in advance and from others, is sufficient. “For the holy God hath counseled who shall destroy” (Isaiah 14:27). And whom has the Lord condemned, who is his justifier? From such a former sign, who would not finally understand that this heresy is hated by God, even if people patronized it? After reading this, pray for me and convince each other to do the same, but also immediately return it to me and do not give the list to anyone at all, do not copy it for yourself, but, like skilled traders, be content with reading it, reading it more than once if you wish. For it is not safe to leave to future generations what I have written, to the dumb and ignorant. Greet each other with love and all those who come to you in piety and faith, for if anyone, as the apostle said, does not love the Lord, let him be cursed. “The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you” (1 Cor 16:22–23). Amen. You might be interested in: