332. Беседа в Неделю Православия при праздновании Восшествия на Престол Благочестивейшего Государя Императора Александра Николаевича

(Said on February 24th; printed in the Works of the Holy Father, 1857 and in the collection, 1861) Already the verbs of the Holy Church, according to its rules, have taken up so much time that it is hardly possible to devote even a few minutes to an arbitrary word from the servant of the Word, without fear of tiring some of those who are coming. Let us say, however, something about the meaning of this celebration. Zealots of Orthodoxy, obedient to the Church, look at the triumph of Orthodoxy as an instructive triumph, filled with comforting memories. But those who, by obedience to the Church, do not limit the freedom to philosophize at their own discretion, look at the church triumph of Orthodoxy with some bewilderment. They are unpleasantly struck by some of the severe condemnations pronounced among the church; and they ask: is this sufficiently consistent with the meekness and love of mankind characteristic of Christianity? To resolve this question, let us also be allowed to propose questions to the questioners. Every week several times in the Divine Service you hear the saying of the Psalmist: “Curse those who turn away from Your commandments” (Ps. 119:21). Do you think for this strict judgment to accuse the God-inspired Psalmist of lack of love for mankind? You read in the letter of the Holy Apostle Paul to the Galatians, and you hear the saying read in the church: “If anyone preaches the gospel to you more than he eats, let him be accursed” (Gal. 1:9). Do you think of accusing the Inspired Apostle of lack of meekness? If you cannot help but admit that the Prophet and Apostle pronounced strict judgments in accordance with the wisdom given to them from God, then you must admit that even now the Holy Church pronounces the same judgments in accordance with the same wisdom. One must correctly understand the intention of wisdom: and then its work will not seem strange. When the legislator lays down a grave crime in law and proclaims a grave punishment: will you say that this severity lacks philanthropy? On the contrary, there is philanthropy in its very severity: strict punishment is prescribed, firstly, in order, if possible, to stop the criminal from committing new crimes, and, consequently, to save good people from him, and secondly, so that people who are not firm in virtue, and may be tempted to be carried away to crime, are supported on the good path by the fear of strict punishment. In a similar way, one must reason about the action of the Church, which seems intensely strict. Among her faithful children, she met people who, in the words of the Apostles, “went out from us, but did not run away from us” (1 John 2:19), who “conceive the heresies of destruction, ... the Lord who redeemed them is swept away” (2 Peter 2:1). What could be done otherwise than to cut off the infected and infecting members from the healthy body and do this so openly that those infected with evil teaching could easily see their destruction, and resort to the all-healing medicine of repentance, and those who were sound in the faith would undoubtedly know who and what they should beware of; and how to be vigilantly guarded. And this, like everything else in general, is done by the Holy Church, not out of its own thoughts, but always on the basis of the word of God and sacred tradition. She has a command from Christ the Savior Himself: “if anyone ... disobeys the Church, let him be as a pagan and a publican” (Matthew 18:17), that is, let him be a stranger to the Church of Christ, and, consequently, to the grace that is with her. On this basis, the Church not only can, but must also excommunicate people who are “disobedient” not only to her, but also to God himself, who speaks in the Holy Scriptures. And how does she fulfill this duty? She does not want to utter a heavy word on her own: she pronounces a strict judgment through the mouth of the Apostle Paul: “whoever preaches the gospel to you more than he eats,” who preaches the destructive teaching of not believing in one God in the Trinity, in the incarnate Son of God the Savior of the world, who rejects the providence and judgment of God, “let him be anathema.” And in the fact that this judgment of Orthodoxy is not punitive, but only accusatory and protective, is proclaimed at a certain time conciliarly, the Orthodox Church follows the example set by God Himself in the Old Testament Church. There was a command from God through Moses: “give a blessing on Mount Gerizin and an oath on Mount Ebal” (Deut. 11:29). And this was fulfilled in a national council. “The Levites... with a great voice” pronounced a curse; and the people confirmed it with the word: “wake up” (Deut. 27:14, 15). But the Orthodox Church, fulfilling a difficult duty, did not fail to take advantage of the pleasant part of God’s command: “may you give a blessing.” Having pronounced judgment on the people who threatened her with destruction, she joyfully “gives” a “blessing” to those who, through the means given by God’s Providence, have contributed and are promoting her strengthening and the spread of peace. Thus, at the Triumph of Orthodoxy, she blesses the memory of Constantine the Great, who was the first of the kings to decisively put an end to the hostile relations of state power towards Christianity and turned them into patronizing ones, who elevated Christianity in his person to the throne and began to sanctify the kingdom with Christianity, who deserved the name Equal to the Apostles especially because, having convened the first Ecumenical Council, he made it possible for him to establish a firm support Orthodoxy in the Nicene Creed. Thus the Church blesses Theodosius the Great, who with firmness continued the transformation of the pagan Roman Empire into a Christian one, and by convening the Second Ecumenical Council helped the Church complete the Nicene and - it must be said in fairness - the universal creed. The Orthodox Church also blesses our Grand Duke Vladimir, in truth Equal to the Apostles: for through him Russia became a Christian and Orthodox state. The Orthodox Church also blesses the other most pious Russian sovereigns, to whom she is just as rightly grateful for their concern for her good, as they rightly should have been grateful to her for her concern for the good of the state and the people. Finally, at the present Triumph of Orthodoxy, the Church honored and blessed the now blessedly reigning Most Pious Sovereign Emperor Alexander Nikolaevich: and if they asked us what thought animated us when pronouncing this blessing, then we would answer that the word that came from the heart of His Majesty echoed and is echoing in our hearts: “This is Our first most living desire, and the light of saving faith, illuminating minds, strengthening hearts, preserves and improves more and more public morality” (High. Manif. March 19, 1856). After this, I hope, and before my reminder, it already occurs to you how opportunely, on the day of Orthodoxy, we celebrate the accession to the Throne of our Orthodox Autocrat, the Anointed of God, called by God in difficult times to give help and protection to the Orthodox Church within and outside the Fatherland. “Let us lift up our eyes and our hearts “to Him who dwells in heaven” (Ps. 122:1), and let us intensify our prayers, so that the eternal Bishop Himself, who has passed through the heavens, our Lord Jesus Christ, “will give His blessing” and add His mercy to the Orthodox Church and our Orthodox Autocrat; may the right faith remain in the soul and in the irresistible power of both the Church and the Kingdom; may faith penetrate and animate private and public life, reflecting and driving out the spirit of vanity and untruth; may the Church and the Russian State be entirely and inseparably the inheritance of the kingdom of God. For only earthly kingdoms allied with the kingdom of God can be firm and truly prosperous. Amen. You might be interested in: