Святителя Фотия, патриарха Константинопольского, свидетельство о книге преподобного отца нашего Марка

We read the book of Mark the Monk, [consisting] of eight words, of which [the first] has the title “On the Spiritual Law” and is useful for those who have the will to go through an ascetic life; as well as the subsequent [second word], which says that those who think to be justified by works fall into vain thoughts, and especially proves that such an opinion is very sinful; These [words] also contain other advice appropriate to spiritual life and the law. The third [word], correcting the concept of repentance, which is always appropriate for everyone, rises to the same degree of benefit [as the previous two]. [These conversations] are clear because of their intelligibility and because [the first and second words] are divided into chapters, although the purity of the Attic language is not always strictly observed in them. If darkness is visible anywhere in them, then this does not happen because of the darkness of the presentation, but because the truths expressed in them are usually better understood through doing something consistent with them, and cannot be explained in words alone. This turns out to be not only in the words mentioned, but also in others; and it is not in the writings of only this man that an image of such obscurity is seen in places, but almost in all those who took pains to set out ascetic laws, and passions, and testaments, which are more understandable from the deeds themselves. For knowledge [acquired] from deeds itself cannot be fully explained through words. But enough of that. The fourth word, presented in the form of questions and answers, shows that through saving baptism, freedom and cleansing from sins were mysteriously granted to us, and the grace of the Most Holy Spirit was infused into us, and the like. Fifth, it depicts the mind proclaiming to its soul, as it were, advice, in which it is clearly proven that it is not others who are guilty of our sins, but ourselves. Also, the sixth takes the form of a conversation, depicting a certain scholastic talking with Mark. The chapters of this word [contain the following topics]: that the offended person should not take revenge and condemn those who offend him, but should respect the troubles caused by others for the consequences of his own sins, and how evil a deed is man-pleasing, and that prayer should be preferred above all to any bodily deed, and that there is the will of the flesh. The seventh (not presented in the form of answers) concludes with a discussion about fasting. Eighthly, written to a certain Nicholas the monk, he teaches by what means irritability and anger are most lulled or completely abolished, and by what means carnal lust is used. Although these eight words differ more or less from each other, they all lead to active wisdom. [...] The order of the spoken words is not kept the same in all lists; but in some the words are placed before, and in others, on the contrary, they are after, so that in other originals the first words are assigned the last place 4 . PG 103, 668C-669D. See glory. transl.: St. Paisiy Velichkovsky. Enthusiastic classes are food for the soul. M., 1849. pp. 49–50. – Note. ed. You might be interested in: