Послание 27. К Никите, патрицию

Others, perhaps, sometimes human favor elevates to the heights of merit, but you, our most pious and beloved master, not some kind of favor, but truly virtue raised you to great dignity, moreover, not for a while and not in one area, but forever and in many, taking you like some kind of gold, and making you in all respects an adornment to our pious kingdom. And this state of affairs is obvious, even if we didn’t say it. Therefore, our Christ-imitating Emperors have now done a commendable thing by placing you in our days as an image of their goodness in this reigning city. This is our response to the greeting now sent from your piety through the bearer of the letter. May the Lord our God preserve you for the future, unharmed in soul and body, in leadership and power, so that your very deeds will testify that power has been given to you from God. But since, out of condescension to our humility - for we think this way and not otherwise - your piety talked with your brother about hair, with which we act in a certain way, and about the fact that we should observe the time, and act according to the rules, and not exceed our limits, when the patriarch presides here, then we offer true justification, bringing you gratitude in advance for the fact that you are busy and concerned about our affairs. And rightly so, for this very thing serves as a sign and evidence of your kindness of heart, which we proclaim; and maybe, due to kinship 47, there should be some special disposition compared to all the others. So, sir, there are divine laws and rules that govern every pious person, in which nothing can be added or subtracted. They guide us, humble ones, although we make mistakes many times, both in other subjects and in relation to those who grow hair. And just as your power tries to observe what is established by our pious rulers, now reporting about what is happening, now fulfilling what is ordered, concluding and expelling, and doing the rest, without fear of anyone - neither small nor great - and what it hears and what is ordered, it hastens to fulfill immediately, for there is no small danger from a little delay - so exactly and even more disastrous and dangerous for us, who have achieved priesthood, not to fulfill everything prescribed by the King of all God through the divine rules and the venerable Fathers. And that there is a divine command about hair, this is, firstly, shown by the Apostle (1 Cor. 11:14), then by the decrees 48, then by Chrysostom, who proves that it is an undoubted sin for men to grow hair, 49, finally, by the rule of the Holy Sixth Council, which prescribes excommunication for those who disobey 50, which I am enclosing, so that you, having read it yourself, know that we, Sinners, we do nothing without rules. And it is not now that we began to adhere to this rule, but a long time ago. This was also known to the previous patriarch, for he, too, properly talked with us, not condemning, but approving - for how could he condemn when there is a rule? At the same time, I mentioned this, although we were not listened to. We did not discuss with him regarding oikonomia; and until now we have spent our time in this way, not speaking out to others, because we are not bishops, but in our own church, being careful, because we are priests, and the Body and Blood of our Lord Jesus Christ should not be given to those who are clearly given over to sin - whoever it may be, if he does not promise correction. However, we have forgiven many, and continue to forgive until the first and second reminder, and even until the third; and beyond that - negligence and contempt for the rules, or even for God, who gave them. This is our justification before your high excellency, sir; and no matter what rumor comes, we ask you, as one who is to be judged and receive reward from God, not to forget what is due. For the idea that we dealt with someone here with our own hands is ridiculous and would be believed by any reasonable person. No way. But what we did was done with every admonition and condescension towards those receiving it, as well as cutting off the hair of those who had grown it almost to the waist and were devoted to carelessness, so that it would not seem that we were deviating from the rule in something small; and equally so that through this progress for the better occurs. So, pray, sir, that we may live righteously and peacefully, as far as possible contributing to our deeds on our part, so that if something good happens, your honest soul will participate in the good. He was a relative of St. Theodora. Apostolic Decrees. Book I. Chapter 3. Commentary on the First Epistle to the Corinthians. Creations in Russian translation. T.X, book 1. P.252. St. Petersburg, 1904. Council of Trullo rule 96. You might be interested in: