120. 1493 г. Послание игумена волоколамского монастыря Иосифа к Нифонту, епископу суздальскому, о еретичестве митрополита Зосимы, необходимости казнить еретиков градскими казнями и недействительности проклятия, изрекаемого иepapхами-еретиками

From the Moskov manuscript. Synod. Library XVI century No. 453, l. 1–16. Here, as in the list published in Moscow. General East. and Ancient 1847, No. 1 (in the Mix), the message to Niphon has been merged, at the end with a message to Abbot Bassian, Joseph’s brother: in this edition this addition is omitted. In other lists (Publ. Bibl. Q., department XVII, No. 68, l. 244 vol. and No. 50, l. 16. Moscow. Synod. Bibl. No. 791, l. 59) the message ends at the end of the second part (about the need to execute heretics), where in our list there is the usual final doxology. For considerations about the time of writing and the original form of the message, see Khrushchev in a study of the writings of Joseph, pp. 123–129. To the Lord Sovereign, the Most Reverend Bishop of Suzdal and Toru, Nifont, sinful monk Joseph, your beggar, sir, I strike with my forehead. You know, my sovereign, the current great misfortune that has befallen the Russian land and all of Orthodox Christianity: in the great church of the Most Pure Mother of God, shining like the second sun in the midst of the entire Russian land, and on the holy throne, where the divine saints and wonderworkers Peter and Alexei and many other great Orthodox saints were seated, on the same throne now sits a nasty and evil one a wolf, clothed in pastoral clothing, who by the rank of a saint, and by the will of Judas, a traitor and a participant in demons, who desecrated the great holy throne, teaching the slaughter of Judaism to all, and desecration of Sodom to others: the destructive serpent, abominations, desolation in the holy place, an apostate of Christ, even though he himself apostatized from Christ and the devil cleave, but he teaches others to reject Christ, the first apostate among the saints in our land, the forerunner of the Antichrist, who awaits the Antichrist, who lives a swinish life, who is a perishing son, who trampled upon the Son of God, and blasphemed the Most Pure Mother of God, and despised all the saints, and the icon of our Lord Jesus Christ and His Most Pure Mother, and denouncing all the saints as fools, and He places all ungodliness and stumbling and temptation on the immaculate Christian faith, and rejects the Gospel traditions and the apostolic statutes and all the holy scriptures: “there is no second coming of Christ, there is no kingdom of heaven for the saints; died, dei, and died, and there he was”: - there was never such a villain among the ancient heretics and apostates! And my brother Vasian told you himself, my sovereign. And now, sir, there is no one to stand firm about this, but you, our sovereign; If you strive for Christ and for the Most Pure Mother of God and for all Orthodox Christianity to become strong, many will take advantage of you, sir, and everyone will be strengthened about you: for you are the head of all, and we see everything in you, and with you the Lord will cleanse the whole church and all Orthodox Christianity from the Jewish and destructive and nasty heresy. Truly, sir, with the first confessors and saints, with Herman and Nicephorus and Methodius, you have been granted the kingdom of heaven by our Lord Jesus Christ. Remember, God-venerable master, how many years you have lived, by the grace of the great God and our Savior Jesus Christ and His Most Pure Mother and the prayers of all the saints, in peace and order and in all prosperity and honor. Even if in times of peace we rejoice with Christ, but also in times of persecution we will suffer with him; If in times of prosperity Jesus was loved, and in times of war, let us not be his enemies. Jesus crucified for our sake, the sinless one, but for the sake of him who was crucified, will we not suffer to death? What is this most blessed thing to suffer for Christ and for the Most Pure Mother of God? If we die with him, then we will be glorified with him. If we do not die now for truth and piety, little by little we will die. Now is the time for buying, the time for labor, the time for change, the time for flow and exploits. Remember, O venerable ruler, the God-bearing Fathers and Teachers, the Patriarchs-Confessors, who labored to the point of blood about the piety of those who labored. Behold and see what their glory and splendor are now: having been buried in peace, their graves are adorned with incense, and their relics bloom like a fragrant flower 3078, and the Lord reigns in them, and their soul is in the hand of the Lord. And as then there were many confessors and martyrs, with joy and joy, shedding their blood for our Lord Jesus Christ and for the immaculate Christian faith, but now this has become scarce to the end: for this reason it is fitting to strive for this even more now, even to the point of death, in these last years and in times, the most cruel of all times, about which the great Apostle Paul spoke: “in the last days times of cruelty will come; retreat and then the son of destruction will appear.” Behold, now apostasy has already come: many have apostatized from the Orthodox and immaculate faith of Christ and are living as Jews in secret. Previously, heresy was heard below the ears in our land, even before the rising of the sun of Orthodoxy, now in the houses, and on the roads, and in the marketplaces, monks and worldly people are all in a huddle, everyone is torturing about the faith, and not from the Prophets, nor from the Apostles, below from the Holy Fathers, but from heretics and apostates of Christ, and from the damned at the council, from the archpriests children, and his son-in-law, and from their disciples, and make friends with them, and drink and eat, and learn Judaism from them, and do not leave from that very satanic vessel and the devil, the metropolitan, and sleep with him. Truly, the apostasy has come: people have retreated from the truth and from righteousness, they have retreated from brotherly love and love of poverty, they have retreated from chastity and purity, and have been seduced by pleasures, looking at the nasty shepherd, always defiled by worldly filth, and also teaching Judaism and rejection: behold, the apostasy has already come; This is the forerunner of the Antichrist and the son of destruction, who appeared in due time. Unless that second Judas the traitor is eradicated, little by little he will become stronger and apostasy will come to all people. For this reason, blessed is he who is not lazy, now relaxed, for he is greater than the first martyrs and more glorious, as the Holy Martyr Blessed Hippolytus, Pope of Rome, said: “Most blessed are those who strive for sincerity.” This is what the merciful and generously loving Lord asks and seeks from us, so that other people may use us and come to their senses and strive for the pious Christian and immaculate faith even to the point of death. Now, God-approved ruler, I am writing to you about these things, not as if I were teaching and punishing your wit and God-given wisdom (nothing is wrong for us to forget our faith and dare to do so), but as a student to a teacher, as a servant to the sovereign, I remember you, and I pray that you punish and teach all Orthodox Christianity, even if they did not come to this defiler and apostate, neither accept blessings from him, nor eat or drink with him. If anyone begins to come to him, for the sake of blessing, or to eat or drink with him, knowing his Judaism, he will be tortured at the Last Judgment of Christ and will be condemned with him to eternal fire, as a criminal and a scoundrel of the apostolic traditions and from the Holy Fathers of Scripture. The great Apostle Ivan the Theologian says: “If anyone does not confess Jesus Christ when he comes in the flesh, he is a flatterer and the Antichrist, and do not accept him into your house, and do not say to him to rejoice: tell him to rejoice, he will partake of his evil deeds.” And the holy Apostle Paul says: “Thou shalt turn away from the heretic of man, knowing that such a one has turned aside.” And Saint John Chrysostom says: “beloved, I have spoken to you many times about godless heretics, and now I pray not to copulate with them in eating and drinking, neither in friendship nor in love; By doing this, he is making the Church of Christ a stranger to himself. If anyone lives a disembodied life and does not profess the dogmas of Orthodoxy, we turn away and flee as if from the serpent.” And others, sir, say: “We haven’t heard anything from him”; and only, sir, are there reliable witnesses against him, other than what you yourself heard. It is also written in the Mosaic Law: “If anyone denies the Mosaic Law and begins to say that I have not denied myself, and if there are two or three reliable witnesses against him, then we kill without mercy.” And the divine Apostle testifies, saying: “Whoever rejects the law of Moses, without mercy, according to two or three witnesses, he dies.” But with the stake of 3079, it seems, he will be worthy of bitter flour for trampling the Son of God? Do you see that now you are worthy to receive bitter torment, who trampled down the Son of God, more than he who then rejected the Law of Moses? And others, sir, say that it is a sin to condemn a heretic: otherwise, sir, the bishop has not only ordered to condemn them, but also to execute them and send them to prison; and the pious kings were given over to death by the Jews and by the heretics of many who did not repent. The Orthodox Tsar Heraclius issued a command throughout his entire kingdom: if the Jews are not baptized, they will be killed. Likewise, the Amirite king Avramei ordered the killing of the Jews who did not want to be baptized. According to the same, Ustin and Tiberius, the most pious kings, ordered the beheading of Eparch Adda and Eletherius Samchia, champions of the “incorruptible imaginary” heresy. Theodora the queen and her son Michael the pious Annius the heretic, Patriarch of Constantinograd, ordered to be sent into captivity, and there he ordered his eyes to be twisted, then, by the entreaty of Patriarch Methodius, he did not twist his eyes, but ordered him to be given two hundred wounds with a belt. Then the Babylonian king Moab, in holy baptism was named John, who was baptized by Theodore, Bishop of Edessa, ambassador to Edes, by the command of Saint Theodore, and commanded the Nestorians and other heretics to be expelled from the city, and the Manichaeans commanded to cut out the tongues. And you will find much of this in the divine scripture, even if you yourself weigh more than us, with God-taught wisdom and much intelligence, according to the saying: “Give wine to the wise, he will be wiser; tell the righteous, and he will apply to accept and understand the law, the thoughts are good. In this way, Vladyka, you will live many years and these years will be added to your life,” holding the statutes according to the apostolic tradition, in honor and glory and worship of the consubstantial Trinity, and in praise of the Orthodox faith, with all the Christians who obey you, whom you teach and shepherd by the command and authority of the Holy Spirit, by the word and statute 3080 of the Great Bishop, our Savior To Jesus Christ, to whom be glory and dominion forever. And what did you, sir, write to me: “if a heretic curses a Christian, will divine judgment follow him? Is this heretical curse a curse or nothing?” Otherwise, you yourself, sir, know that many heretics cursed Christians, and the divine judgment did not follow them, but their oath returned to them. If a patriarch, or metropolitan, or bishop curses a heretic, divine judgment will not follow him. And we will find much evidence of this in the divine scriptures. Dioscorus the heretic, Patriarch of Constantinople 3081, together with Eutychos, convened a council with bishops of the same wisdom, and cursed blessed Flavian, patriarch of Constantinople, and the divine judgment did not follow them, but they themselves were cursed from God and from men, and blessed Flavian was numbered with all the saints. Then Copronymus with his patriarch and with the bishops of the same wisdom cursed the great Herman and all those who worshiped holy icons, and they themselves were cursed, and blessed Herman with the Apostles and patriarchs and confessors were counted. See, the divine judgment will not follow the heretical curse, but all heretics, cursing Christians, curse themselves. If the one who curses Abraham is cursed, according to the divine voice, how much more is the heretic and renegade of Christ who curses a Christian himself cursed. And many heretics cursed Christians, and divine judgment did not follow them, but they themselves were cursed. Our Lord Jesus Christ speaks to his sacred disciples and Apostles, saying: “Receive the Holy Spirit; The sins of whom you forgive, they will be forgiven to them, and whose sins you hold, they will be held by them.” And again he said: “If you bind him on earth, he will be bound in heaven; If you permit it on earth, it will be permitted in heaven.” Do you see that by the Holy Spirit you both knit and loose, and forsake sins and hold? Apart from the grace of the Holy Spirit, there is nothing powerful that anyone can do from the sacred. Heretics have within themselves an unclean spirit and Satan: how can they bind and decide in heaven and on earth? The great Ivan the Theologian says: “If anyone does not confess that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh, he is a flatterer and an Antichrist.” The theologian called the Antichrist a heretic, then how can one follow the divine judgment of the Antichrist? Then he says: “Do not accept him into the house and do not tell him to rejoice, and tell him to rejoice, he will partake of his evil deeds.” If you receive a heretic into your home and tell him to rejoice, and partake of his evil deeds, what is it like to receive mercy from someone who has communed with the heretic and is poisonous with him? The Divine Apostle Paul said: “But if we or an angel from heaven brings greater good news than those who brought good news to you, he will be cursed.” And again he said: “Turn away the heretic of man, you knower, if you have been seduced by such a person.” The Great Apostle Peter says: “For sometimes there were false prophets among people, just as there will be false teachers among you, who will bring heresies and destruction, the Lords who redeemed them will be rejected. And many will follow them with uncleanness, defilers and helpers, feeding on their flattery, having eyes full of fornication and unceasing sin.” Isn’t it revealed about today’s heretics that the divine Apostle Peter is? And again he says: “whose judgment will not touch from time immemorial, and their destruction will not rest.” And again the blessed Apostle Jude, brother of James, says: “Beloved, I pray that you strive, O devoted to the faith of the saints alone. For some people, who of old were attributed to this sin of wickedness, asked the grace of our God to be carried away into filth, and the only Lord and God of our Jesus Christ to be swept away.” And again: “They don’t lead the tree, they blaspheme; But by nature, like dumb animals, they lead and become defiled. Just as Sodom and Gomora and the cities surrounding these, having similarly committed adultery and followed the trail of other flesh, are presented as a testimony to the eternal fire, the judgment has risen: likewise these slaughter, Soniya seeing, they defile their flesh, and their dominions are swept away.” Paki says: “But you have mercy on everyone with reasoning, save everyone with fear, admiringly from the fire, and reprove with fear, who hate even the defiled robe of the flesh.” It is also appropriate to add some evidence of this from the divine scriptures. From the life of Saint Simeon, also on the wondrous mountain: “The Great Simeon, also on the wondrous mountain, a wonderworker, a certain presbyter, having been overcome by envy, was cursed, and having seen many demons come to him, and having tied his guards with his hands, as if he was not able to read the Holy Gospel from there.” See, even if he curses or binds unworthily, he will curse or bind himself, like a presbyter.” Saint Dionysius the Areopagite: “if the saint excommunicates rather than the will of God, divine judgment will not follow him.” Great Basil: “if anyone makes someone without blessing to be untimely, let him himself be without blessing.” John Chrysostom: “if the saint commands a depraved person, even if there is an angel, do not repent to him.” Saint Athanasius Alexandrian: “walking on an unlovely, life-giving path, let us cast out not the sensual, but the intelligent eye, that is, even if a bishop or presbyter, the real eyes of the church, live inappropriately and seduce people, it is fitting for them to pervert them without those to gather in the church of prayer, not to be with them, as with Anna and. Caiaphas, into fiery hell." St. Anastasius of Sinai: “When you enter a house, say: peace to this house. And if there be that son of 3082 peace, your peace will rest on him; If you are not worthy, your peace will return to you. 3083 If the world, however, returns to one, which is not worthy of being found, much more unblessing and an oath will return to the head of the unrighteous sender, as if I were innocent of this acceptance, to whom it was sent quickly. Anyone who does not bless and curse in vain does not bless and curses himself. Solomon says: “Like flying chicks, a vain oath will not dwell in a single one.” I allow God, like the fool, to come against the wise, and the wicked against the pious, and the unrighteous against the righteous, humiliatingly and offensively.” From the holy rules: “Whoever has excommunicated the episcopate for the sake of heresy for the sake of certain communion with himself, such will not be subject to proper prohibition, but will also be awarded the due honor of the Orthodox. Not by a bishop, but by a false bishop and a false teacher, we did not tear apart the church unity, but tried to save the church 3084 from discord and division.” 3085 Behold, the divine Apostles and sacred teachers, the holy patriarchs and the seven holy ecumenical councils, in which there were two thousand holy Fathers, and many holy local councils, condemned all the heretics to a curse, and also commanded us to curse them and turn away from them and flee. She clearly showed us that if they curse us, they do nothing to harm us, but they curse themselves more than anything else; then what kind of mercy will he receive from God if he drinks and poisons with them and says that divine judgment will follow the heretical curse? In the holy rules it is written: “if a heretic enters the church, let the divine service not be sung, until he leaves.” 3086 If the Holy Fathers did not command the heretics to enter the church, then how will divine judgment follow them when Christians are cursed? - From the holy rules: “those who neglect the sacred and divine rules of our holy Fathers, yes will be cursed.” 3087 See that the heretics blaspheme the Holy Fathers, and they are cursed: and how can God listen to the heretics? It is clear that when heretics curse us, then we are blessed by God, just as our Lord Jesus Christ said to his disciples and Apostles: “When you kill everyone, you think you are offering service to God.” Just as then the Jews and Greeks, killing the holy Apostles, wanted to offer service to God, and for the sake of this service they were condemned with the devil to eternal fire, while the holy Apostles were honored with the heavenly kingdom with Christ God: so the heretics who curse Christians were condemned and will be condemned with the devil to eternal fire; Their Christians, for the sake of the oath, will be honored with the heavenly kingdom from Christ God, as our Lord Jesus Christ said: “Blessed are you, when they revile you and say all sorts of evil words, lying against you, for my sake.” And again he said: “I did not come to give peace, but an army and a knife; For I came to separate a man from his father, and a daughter from his mother, and a man’s enemies from his own household.” This is a warrior and a knife: when a father, or mother, or son, or daughter turns away from the right faith, it is proper to hate them, and turn away and run from them, as if we would not perish with them. The words: like a fragrant flower, omitted from the synodal list, were taken from others (see legend). In the synodal list according to the great - erroneously. The first letter of this word (оу) ends the text of the message in the three lists indicated in the legend. In the synodal list Spas is erroneous. To the synod. and drag Church lists: corrected according to the Greek text of the rule: ἐσπούδασαν ῥύσασθαι. See next. note. The second half of the 15th rule of the double council of Constantinople is given, in full text. Wed. Laod. personal right 6; Timof. Alexandrian 9. This is one of the anathemas with which the famous Volume of Conjunction ends in the Greek original. See Σύνταγμα κανόνων, vol. IV, p. 10. You might be interested in: