7) Архимандрит (ныне архиепископ) Сергий (Страгородский).

Orthodox teaching on salvation. The experience of revealing the moral side of salvation on the basis of Holy Scripture and the works of the patrists. Ed. 2nd, Kazan, 1898 1095 It's him. The question of personal salvation (Speech before the defense of the dissertation). 1096 Since the first chapter of our study is devoted to revealing the question of each person’s assimilation of the salvation accomplished by Jesus Christ, we have a scientific duty, albeit briefly, to determine the relationship of our work to the named master’s thesis 1097 of the right reverend author. The purpose of the author's research is to highlight the general and main features of the Orthodox teaching about the assimilation of Christ's salvation by each person, in comparison, mainly, with heterodox confessions. 1098 “Legal Life Understanding”, its incorrectness constitutes the starting point of the named study 1099 and is noticeably reflected in its further plan. As for the 1st chapter of our study, in it we tried to depict the gradual progress of the religious and moral rebirth of man for “eternal life”, the main, fundamental and essential moments of this process. Hence the completely different plan of the chapter, compared to the dissertation of the Reverend. Sergius, and a slightly different perspective. This dissertation does not cover all aspects of the issue and deliberately focuses, almost exclusively, in accordance with its title, on the subjective factor - on the activities of the person himself. Meanwhile, our dissertation seeks to present both of these moments in their inextricable interaction. Accordingly, man’s participation in the kingdom of Christ has, as we sought to show, two aspects: morally free, active, on the one hand, and mystical-religious, contemplative, on the other. The mutual relationship of these two moments is also characterized by their inextricable interaction. The composition and scope of the first moment also includes “asceticism”, as a necessary, obligatory assumption, as one of the necessary conditions for its real implementation. At the Reverend Sergius, the mystical and ascetic moments are not sufficiently differentiated, and their mutual relationship is not presented accurately enough. The Reverend himself the author says that “the basis” of his “research is the idea of ​​the identity of bliss and virtue, moral perfection.” 1100 But this judgment is not accurate. The concept of “moral perfection” is already the concept of “salvation.” The latter presupposes and includes, of course, this last moment, but it is far from being exhausted or limited to it alone. Moral perfection is a necessary condition for salvation, but the essence of this latter lies in real, closest communication with God, that is, in a still objective moment. However, in the final result, both of these moments coincide, since God, with whom a person enters into communication, is Love, that is, the essence, basis and content of moral perfection. In general, the Reverend Sergius, pursuing polemical goals, leaves aside everything external, objective and consistently highlights only one subjective side throughout the entire work. According to the Reverend. author, “man is preparing for the kingdom of God, but this kingdom is inside the soul; 1101 “salvation... is an action, or better, a certain experienced mood, arising and developing in the soul... 1102 As a result, speaking only about the salvation of the spiritual essence of a Christian, about its participation in the assimilation of “eternal life,” Rev. Serius leaves aside the question of the salvation of the “body” of a Christian, of the participation of the “eternal life” of the whole person, his entire nature, albeit in an ennobled and enlightened form. We tried to highlight this side of the issue. In this regard, we also reveal the Orthodox teaching according to which the habitat of the glorified and resurrected man will be “new heaven” and “new earth,” i.e., the entire external environment will fully correspond to his internal perfection. Wanting to highlight more clearly the features of the Orthodox teaching on salvation in its difference from the legal one, Rev. Sergius finds a complete, diametrical, irreconcilable opposition between them, not only in the general understanding and interpretation of the matter of “salvation,” but also in all positively specific elements included in its content. The desire to highlight the differences between the Orthodox and legal understanding of life sometimes leads to the fact that more is proved than it should be. Thus, in the essay we encounter, for example, the author’s statement that “retribution is a natural conclusion from human behavior.” 1103 It would be more accurate to say: the Lord will determine and grant to everyone such a fate that will exactly correspond to his moral mood, will be determined in its quality and degree by the direction and state of his life, will exactly correspond to his spiritual needs and requests, his ability to communicate with God, which will be the basis, essence and source of bliss itself. And in general, in the depiction of what is usually called “retribution” by the Reverend. the author, if he wants to highlight the falsity of the legal point of view, another extreme slips through, which, however, sometimes approaches jurisprudence. “Man is constructed in such a way that he can be a member of the kingdom of God, then he is placed on the right side; is not arranged, then he is sent into eternal fire.” 1104 In these words one can hear the tone of the most strict, inexorable legalism. Meanwhile, according to the general meaning of the patristic teaching, “Truth. God” will take into account, so to speak, all the external circumstances that led a person to this or that internal dispensation. 1105 We repeat that the puzzling points we indicated are explained by the task that the author set himself, his main point of view. We indicated them, meaning to clarify the relationship of the work of the Reverend. Sergius to the 1st chapter of our dissertation, to justify its scientific right after a dissertation specifically devoted to the disclosure of the same subject and achieving its goal in general very successfully. The general point of view of the Reverend. We completely agree with Sergius. According to him, “salvation is a person’s free and grace-filled transition from evil to good, from life according to the elements of the world and from enmity against God to a selfless life and to communion with God.” 1106 The points that are disclosed in the dissertation of the Reverend. Sergius in detail, we outline in Chapter I only in general terms; others, which in the said dissertation did not find a detailed disclosure or regarding which we have new data from patristic writing, allow us to highlight individual aspects of the subject more clearly, are revealed by us in more detail. In any case, when revealing each point, we tried to introduce at least a few new touches or shades. In conclusion, we cannot remain silent about the fact that the study of the dissertation under review served as one of the motivations for us to undertake a real study and helped us understand the general patristic point of view on the subject. Now there is a third edition (published in 1903), but, in comparison with the 2nd, it is no different. Theologian. Vestn. 1895 September, pp. 265–274. Reviews about it from official reviewers - Arkhim. Antonia and Prof. V. A. Sokolov, see the minutes of the Council of the Moscow Theological Academy. Theologian. News. 1895 December - 1896 January. See Introduction, pp. 12–55; esp. page 13. See chap. 1st: “Legal understanding of life before the court of Holy Scripture and Tradition.” Abba Dorotheos expresses especially clearly and characteristically the ascetic teaching about Divine justice. According to this ascetic, God alone belongs (the power) to justify and condemn, for only He knows the spiritual disposition of everyone and the strength, aspirations and talents, physique (temperament) and abilities, and according to this, judge everyone, as He Himself alone knows (Θεοΰ μόνου έστί, τό δικαιώσαι καί τό κατακρΐναι , τ o υ ειδότος καί τήν κατάστασιν εκάστου , καί τήν δύναμιν , και τάς άναστροφάς , καί τά χαρίσματα , και τήν κράσιν , καί τήν έπιτηδειότητα προς έ᾿να έκαστον τούτων κρίνοντας καδώς οίδεν αυτός μόνος ). For God judges differently the affairs of a bishop and differently of a (secular) ruler (τά του αρχοντος), differently He judges the affairs of an abbot and differently of a disciple, differently of an old and differently of a young one, differently of a sick person and differently of a healthy one. And who can know these judgments (ταΰτα τά κρίματα) except the One, who created everything and leads everything? – Ava recalls a trail to illustrate her thought. the incident he heard (πράγμα τοιοΰτον). A ship with slaves came to one city, including two very little girls. One of them was bought by a certain “holy virgin” who “was very attentive to herself.” The other fell into the hands of a “harlot,” “completely depraved.” The “holy virgin” raised the little one in the fear of God, instructing her in every good deed, teaching her monastic life, and generally guiding her in every possible way to success in God’s holy commandments. The harlot, having taken another “unfortunate” girl, made her “an instrument of the devil” (έργαλεΐον τοΰ διαβόλου), since she could not teach her pupil anything other than “the destruction of her soul” (την απώλειαν τής ψυχής αυτής ). So, what can we say about this terrible fate? Both girls were small, both were sold, not knowing where they were going - and one ended up in the hands of God, and the other fell into the hands of the devil ( άλλη ένέπεσεν βίς τάς χειρας τοΰ διαβόλου ). Can it be said that God will exact the same punishment from both the one and the other? How is this possible? If both fall into fornication, or into another three, is it possible to assume that both of them will undergo the same judgment, although they both fell into the same sin? Is this possible? One called about judgment, about the kingdom of God; the other, unfortunate, has never seen or heard anything good, but always, on the contrary, only bad things, only devilish things: how is it possible for both to be judged by the same court, with the same severity? (... So no man can know the destinies of God, but He alone knows everything and can judge the sins of everyone, as He alone knows ( κριμάτων τυΰ Θεοΰ , αλλά αυτός μόνος έατίν ό καταλαμβάνων πάντα , και δυνάμε – νος τά καθ ’ έκαστον κρίνοι , καθώς μόνος έπίσταται ). Doctor V Ι . pp. IV-V, col. 1686D-1689C. Thus, according to clear ascetic teaching, the court of Divine Truth is based on Divine omniscience, which evaluates not only the current religious and moral state of this or that person, but takes into account (humanly speaking) the degree of consciousness and freedom manifested in this or that life structure of a person, as well as the nature and strength of the influence, sometimes irresistible, of all external circumstances, the objective conditions of his life. Divine “Truth” acts inseparably from Divine boundless love, endless condescension towards man. For more details, see Chapter 1. our works., pp. 188–189, 190 et seq. Wed. page 29.