Слово 31. Послание к царю Иоанну Васильевичу всея России

To the most pious, most illustrious and God-protected great and glorious autocrat of all Russia and other peoples, Mr. John Vasilyevich. I, a pitiful monk of Svyatogorsk, a pilgrim of your strong kingdom, dared to announce this to you with heartache and bitter tears. After all, this bleeding wife, who secretly stole the healing of her long-term illness, was not reproached by the common Lord of all, the Savior of men and the Physician of souls and bodies, but, on the contrary, praised her for her great faith. Also, He did not completely reject the Canaanite woman who asked Him to heal her daughter, but because of her great humility, that she, being equated with dogs, listened with pleasure and endured this righteous reproach, He had mercy on her, saying: O woman, great is your faith, let it be as you wish (Matthew 15:28). Likewise, he did not let go of the leper who bowed and asked for cleansing without healing, but mercifully said to him: I want you to be cleansed (Matthew 8:3). And I, the accursed one, knowing the philanthropy and mercy of that Master, dare to fall with hope at your sovereign feet, begging your pious power: deign to show mercy and heal the long-term illness of my accursed soul, suffering from the deprivation of a silent and saving stay in the Holy Mountain, where I labored for ten years both physically and mentally - with the hope of laying my bones there. The faithful and illustrious city of Moscow no longer needs me for anything. What they wanted to receive through me, a sinner, they have already received, I mean, the inexhaustible and saving treasure of reason, contained in a collection of interpretations of one hundred and fifty divinely inspired psalms. May your blessed power be pleased to reward my labors, which I incurred during the translation, by freeing me from the many years of forced detention in which I am being held, and by releasing me to the Holy Mountain. Justice demands, it is decent and useful for your blessed power - to show mercy to me and let me go in peace to where my ever-memorable sovereign, yours, sovereign, parent, Grand Duke Vasily Ioannovich of All Russia, took me with his letter and sovereign word. This is required by justice, since I, having been called by him, did not disobey his royal command; This is fitting, for I suffered a lot of labor and suffered many disasters on the way until I reached here; it will be useful, for, having shown mercy and released me to your pilgrims, my fathers and brothers, the pious power of your majesty will receive incomparably greater fruits from their prayers. May your royal majesty be the common King and Lord of all for endless centuries in all peace and quiet and may he strengthen you with glorious victories against every enemy and adversary. And as from the common Lord of all, we have a command: Do not appear empty before Me (Ex. 23:15); instead of Him, you were appointed by Him as king, sovereign and ruler on earth, to rule His property - Orthodox people - with all righteousness, providing for them in a godly manner: therefore, I, a weak-witted and poor worshiper of your God-protected power, bring to it with hope a small offering - notebooks of words, from which your God-protected power can verify what kind of sinner I was. a willing pilgrim and servant of the blessed Russian state, which by the grace of Christ I remain and will remain until my death. You might be interested in: