Врачебное искусство

Just as every aid of the arts against the infirmities of nature is given to us by God, for example, agriculture, because what naturally grows from the earth is not sufficient to satisfy our needs, the art of weaving, and similarly architecture, because the use of coverings is necessary for decency and for the sake of the harmfulness of the air, so is the art of medicine. Since our body, which is disturbed by everything, is subject to various types of damage, both occurring externally and generated internally by the food we eat, and is rendered exhausted by both excesses and deficiencies, God, who controls our entire life, has allowed us the art of medicine, which, as an example of spiritual healing, has the goal of ridding us of what is superfluous and replenishing what is insufficient. Just as if we were still living in a paradise of sweetness, we would not have the need for agricultural inventions and labors, so if we were not subject to suffering due to the gift that was given to us at creation and was preserved by us until the fall, we would not need the benefits of the medical art to relieve ourselves. But just as after our exile to this place, after it was said: by the sweat of your brow you will eat bread (Gen. 3:19), in order to alleviate the painful consequences of the curse, through long-term experience and many labors on the earth, we developed the art of agriculture, because God gave us intelligence and the ability to comprehend this art, so, since we were commanded to return again to the land from which we were taken, and since we are associated with painful flesh, which for sin is condemned to incorruption and through this was subjected to these infirmities, then we were given the help of medical art, although to some extent provided to those suffering from illnesses. For the herbs that are useful for this or that disease did not grow by themselves, but, obviously, by the will of the Creator, they were produced for the purpose of serving for our benefit. Therefore, the properties contained in roots, in flowers, in leaves, in fruits and in juices, and in metals and in the sea of ​​openly usable flesh - all this is similar to the invention of food and drink. But what is refined, unnecessary and requires long labor and, as it were, turns our whole life into caring for the flesh, should be forbidden to Christians. And we must try to use art in such a way, in case of need, that we do not place it alone as the cause of health or illness, but accept the benefits it offers for the glory of God and as a model of care for the soul. Given the lack of medical benefits in this art, we should not place all hope for the relief of sorrows, but, on the contrary, know that the Lord either will not allow us to be tempted more than we can bear (see 1 Cor. 10:13), or, as in that time, having created clay, anointed the eyes and ordered to wash in Siloam (see John 9:6, 7), he limited himself to one will, saying: I want, be cleansed (Matthew 8:3), but he allowed others to fight difficult illnesses in order to make them more skillful through testing, so sometimes he touches us invisibly and imperceptibly, as soon as he finds it useful for our souls, and sometimes he deigns that we should use material benefits in our infirmities, through the duration of healing, rooting in us the remembrance of grace, or, as I said, pointing out some model for caring for soul. For just as it is necessary for the flesh to remove what is alien and to fill in what is missing, so in our soul it is necessary to remove what is alien to it and to accept into it what is appropriate to its nature, because God created man upright (Eccl. 7:29) and created us for good works, which God predestined for us to do (Eph. 2:10). And just as there, to heal the body, we endure sections, cauterizations, and the taking of bitter medicines, so here, for spiritual healing, we must accept the harshness of an accusatory word and the bitter medicine of punishment. And to those who do not understand, the prophetic word says reproachfully: Is there no balm in Gilead? isn't there a doctor there? Why is there no healing for the daughter of my people? (Jer. 8:22). And if in chronic illnesses we wait a long time for healing from painful and varied benefits, then this is a sign that the sins in the soul must be corrected by hardworking prayer, long-term repentance and strict behavior, the sufficiency of which for healing has already been shown to us by the word. So, on the grounds that some do not use the art of medicine well, we should not avoid all use of it. For on the basis that those who are immoderate in their pleasures to invent luxury use the arts of cooking, or baking, or weaving, overstepping the limits of necessity, we should no longer reject all arts in general, but on the contrary, by their correct use we must expose what is damaged by them. Likewise, in the discussion of the art of medicine, there is no reason to condemn the gift of God because of its crafty use. It would be bestial to hope for health solely from the hands of a doctor, which, as we see, is the case of other miserable people who are not ashamed to call doctors their saviors. But even this will be stubbornness if, in any case, you avoid using the art of medicine. On the contrary, like Hezekiah, a layer of figs (2 Kings. 20:7) did not consider the first reason for his health and did not attribute the healing of his body to this, but to the glorification of God he added thanksgiving for the creation of figs, so we, receiving blows from God, who arranges our lives with goodness and wisdom, will ask Him first to know the reasons why He strikes us, and then deliverance from sorrows, that is, that He, too, in temptation, will grant relief, so that we can transfer (1 Cor. 10:13). Let us accept with gratitude the grace of healing given to us either through wine and oil, as was the case with the one who fell among the robbers (Luke 10:30), or through figs, as was the case with Hezekiah. And let us not make a difference whether God’s care came to us in an invisible way or through something bodily, although the latter often brings us more strongly to the consciousness of the Lord’s mercy. Often, when we fall into illnesses that serve as punishment for us, we are condemned to endure treatment by painful means as part of the punishment. Therefore, sound reason suggests not to give up either sections, or cauterizations, or the unpleasant taking of sharp and difficult medications, or staying without food, or the exact fulfillment of all strict instructions, or abstinence in everything that upsets health, however (I repeat again), without losing sight of the goal - spiritual benefit, that is, so that the soul in all this, as in the example, learns to take care of itself. But there is a considerable danger of falling into this false idea that every illness requires medical help, because not all illnesses occur naturally and happen to us either from an incorrect lifestyle, or from some other material principles, in which cases, as we see, medical art is sometimes useful, but often illnesses are punishments for sins imposed on us in order to encourage conversion. It is said: whom the Lord loves, he punishes (Prov. 3:12); and: this is why many of you are weak and sick, and many are dying. For if we judged ourselves, we would not be judged. Having been judged, we are punished by the Lord, so as not to be condemned with the world (1 Cor. 11:30-32). Such people must in silence, leaving medical care, endure the illness sent to them until they recognize their sins, following the example of him who said: I will bear the wrath of the Lord, because I have sinned against Him (Mic. 7:9). They must show their correction by bearing fruits worthy of repentance, and remember the Lord, who said: behold, you have recovered; Sin no more, lest anything worse happen to you (John 5:14). It sometimes happens, at the insistence of the evil one, that the humane-loving Lord gives over another great ascetic to him to fight and overthrows his high position 29 with the high patience of His servants, which, as we know, happened with Job. Or, as an example of the impatient, God torments people who are able to endure sorrows even to death - such was Lazarus, who was covered with many scabs and about whom it is not written that he asked anything from a rich man or was dissatisfied with his position, for which he was honored with repose in the bosom of Abraham, as having accepted evil in his life (see Luke 16:25). We find that the saints have another reason for their illnesses, like the apostle: so that they would not think that he transgresses the limits of human nature and so that no one would conclude that he has something special in the natural order (as the inhabitants of Lycaonia did, bringing crowns and bringing oxen (Acts 14:13), in commemoration of human nature he had a long-term illness. What would be the benefit? such people from the art of medicine? Isn't it more dangerous for them to deviate from their sound mind to care for the body? And those who, through a bad lifestyle, have themselves acquired illness, should, as was said before, use bodily healing as some kind of model and example for caring for the soul. For according to the medical law, it is also useful for us to abstain from what is harmful, to choose those who serve for the benefit, and to comply with prescriptions. And let the very transition of the flesh from a painful state to a healthy one serve as a consolation for us, so that we do not despair in the reasoning of the soul, as if it could not return from a sinful state through repentance to its characteristic perfection. Therefore, just as one should not completely shun the art of medicine, it is also inappropriate to place all one’s hope in it. But just as we use the art of agriculture and ask the Lord for fruits, or entrust the helm to the helmsman and pray to God to save us from drowning, so when we bring in a doctor when reason allows it, we do not give up our trust in God. But it seems to me that this art contributes a lot to abstinence. For I see that it cuts off voluptuousness, does not approve of satiety, rejects as something unhealthful, variety in foods and excessive inventiveness in seasonings and in general calls insufficiency the mother of health. Why, in this regard, his advice is not useless for us. So, whether we ever use the prescriptions of the medical art, or reject them for any of the above reasons, may the goal be preserved - pleasing God, may spiritual benefit be achieved and may the commandment of the Apostle be fulfilled, who said: whether you eat, drink, or whatever you do, do everything to the glory of God (1 Cor. 10:31) (5)! How wonderful is wisdom in other respects, and in the fact that it does not allow its pets to use expensive medicine, but the same thing serves as both a supply for the table and a sufficient benefit for health! (6) All of you who practice medicine have one thing in mind—philanthropy. And it seems to me that whoever prefers your science to everything that interests us in life argues in accordance with reason and does not shy away from his duty, because the most precious good of all - life - becomes hateful and painful if it is impossible to have health, and health is given by your art (6). Elevation is pride, high self-esteem. 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