О святителе Тарасии Константинопольском

Our divine father Tarasius lived during the reign of Constantine and his mother Irina, and then under Nikifor Genik. On December 21, 795, at the insistence of Empress Irene, he was elevated from the rank of laity to the see of Constantinople, after Paul of Constantinople 395. Having spent 21 years and 2 months on the patriarchal throne 396, he accomplished a truly great deed: with his exhortations he convinced the emperors to convene the holy VII Ecumenical Council, and with petitionary letters addressed to Pope Adrian and the Eastern patriarchs, he convinced them to send their representatives to the Council. Tarasius was the uncle of His Holiness Patriarch Photius. Along with his other messages, he also wrote a present message against the Simonites and sent it to Pope Adrian, since this vice was widespread in Rome. The Church recognized this message as canonical; it is found in the Synodikon (vol. 2) and in the Pandects (vol. 2) 397. In the saints of our father Tarasius of Constantinople. Message to Pope Adrian Repeatedly and in various ways 398 from the Gospel, apostolic and paternal instructions, we learn to have a non-money-loving disposition when consecrated to the priesthood and not to take gold or silver at the ordination of any initiate, as we will show in the sayings below from the Divine words of Scripture and paternal instructions. After all, those who lay hands are ministers of the Holy Spirit, and not sellers, for those who received such boldness from the Lord’s voice declared that those who freely receive the grace of the Spirit should freely give it to those who receive it from them (see Matt. 10:8). If anyone is convicted of having bought grace for gold, he is declared expelled from the sacred rank. After all, although by name he received the priesthood, in reality his designation is false, because no one can serve God and mammon (Matthew 6:24), which we learned from the Gospel. And since we hear God through the prophet calling: Priests, speak to the heart of Jerusalem (Is. 40:2), and then threatening: If the guard sees the sword coming and does not sound the trumpet, and the people do not guard themselves, and the sword that finds takes away the life of (one of) them... I will require her blood at the hand of the guard (Eze. 33:6), then we, fearing condemnation for silence, proclaim to all our leaders churches, so as to boldly tell us in the words of the divine apostle: We are pure from the blood (see Acts 20:26) of those who violate the regulations of the rules, and especially of those who ordained or ordained for money. Divine Ap. Peter, whose see your brotherly holiness inherited, rejected those like Simon the Magus. Therefore, we do not shy away from proclaiming the truth, preserving and observing what was taught in the rules of the holy apostles and our illustrious fathers, and if anyone has violated any of this, we abhor such people. Your fraternal, sacred bishopric, legally and by the will of God leading the hierarchical service, enjoys glory among all. For the Great and First Bishop Christ our God spoke through the prophet: As I live, I will only glorify those who glorify Me (see 1 Samuel 2:30). I know, man of spiritual desires, that the wicked heresy of Macedonius and his Doukhobor followers is more tolerable than this. After all, those absurdly rant about the fact that the Holy Spirit is the creature and servant of God and the Father, and these, it seems, make Him their slave. Thus, every owner, if he wants, sells what he has, whether it be a servant or something else that belongs to him. In the same way, the buyer, wanting to become the owner of what he is buying, acquires it at the price of silver. Therefore, those who commit the lawless deed of simony overthrow the Holy Spirit, falling into the same sin with those who blasphemed about Christ, as if He casts out demons by the power of Beelzebub (see Matt. 9:34), or, more correctly, they are likened to Judas the traitor, who sold Christ to the deicide-Jews at the price of silver. But the Holy Spirit is consubstantial with Christ our God, and therefore it is clear to everyone that the same fate awaits them, as has been proven. After all, if the Spirit is easily sold (and it is absolutely clear that this cannot be), then the grace of the Holy Spirit is not in them, that is, the shrine of the priesthood, they have not received it and do not have it. Let such people remember St. Peter, who said to the one who attempted this: You have no part or lot in this (Acts 8:21). In fact, if the dignity of the priesthood is for sale, then, consequently, a pious lifestyle and staying in purity and virtue are unnecessary for them. Also superfluous for them is Paul, the divine apostle, who teaches that: a bishop must be blameless, chaste, honest, teachers, self-controlled, sober, holding to the true word, consistent with teaching, so that he may be able to instruct in sound doctrine and reprove those who resist (see 1 Tim. 3:2; Titus 1:8-9). For the one who sells and the one who buys, the priesthood all this disappears. The following passages, selected from the Holy Scriptures, show that he who gives or receives at any time, whether before or after ordination, is completely alien to the priesthood. For to take, whenever it may be, means to take. In addition, these passages prohibit the production of any ecclesiastical degree for money. 29th Rule of the Holy Apostles If a bishop, or presbyter, or deacon takes possession of this dignity for money, let both he and the one who ordained him be deposed; and let him be cut off from fellowship, like Simon the Magus, by me, Peter. Simon, seeing that the Holy Spirit was given through the laying on of the hands of the Apostles, brought them money, saying: Give me this power too, so that whoever I lay my hands on will receive the Holy Spirit. But Peter said to him: Let your silver perish with you, because you thought to receive the gift of God with money. You have no part or lot in this, for your heart is not right before God. So repent of this sin of yours, and pray to God: perhaps the thoughts of your heart will be forgiven you; for I see you filled with bitter gall and in the bonds of unrighteousness (Acts 8:18–23). And Jeroboam did not leave his bad path, but continued to appoint priests of high places from among the people; whoever wanted filled his hand and became a priest of the heights. This led the house of Jeroboam to sin and destruction and its destruction from the face of the earth (1 Kings 13:33–34). And Naaman returned to Elisha, himself and all that accompanied him, and he and the flock came before him, and said: Behold, I have learned that in all the earth there is no God except among Israel; and now accept the gift from your servant. And Elisha said, As the Lord liveth, before whom I stand! I won't accept it. And he forced him to take it, but he did not agree (2 Kings 5:15–16). And a little further: And Gehazi the servant of Elisha said, Behold, my lord refused to take from the hand of Naaman the Syrian that which he brought. The Lord lives! I'll run after him and take something from him. And Gehazi pursued Naaman (2 Kings 5:20–21). And a little lower: And Naaman said, Take two talents. And he tied two talents of silver into two bags and two changes of clothing (2 Kings 5:23). And further: And Elisha said to him: from where, Gehazi? And Gehazi said, Thy servant went nowhere. And Elisha said to him, Did not my heart go with you when that man turned to meet you from his chariot? And now you have taken money to buy gardens and olive groves and sheep and oxen and male and female servants. Let the leprosy of Naaman stick to you and your descendants forever. And he came out from him as white with leprosy as snow (2 Kings 5:25–27). Saint Basil from the interpretation of the book of the prophet Isaiah (from the interpretation of the 8th chapter) For He gave the law to help, so that they would not speak like this word 399 of a ventriloquist, for the law was not invented for deception, like those words, but he is a teacher of truth. They prophesy for silver, and the funniest thing is that those who are deceived pay in silver as a reward for lying. But this word of the law is not such that gifts should be given for it, 400 because no one sells grace. It is said: Freely you have received, freely give (Matthew 10:8). Do you see how indignant Peter was with Simon, who offered silver for the grace of the Spirit? “Let your silver,” he says, “perish with you, because you thought to receive the gift of God with money (Acts 8:20). So, the word of the Gospel is not like the corrupt words of ventriloquists. For what worthy reward can be given for it? Listen to how David says in bewilderment: What will I render to the Lord for all that He has given me (Ps. 116:3)? So, it is impossible to give gifts for the word of the Gospel that are equivalent to the grace given from it. One gift is worthy - preserving what was given. The one who gave you the treasure does not require reward for what was given, but worthy keeping of what was given. His, from the message subordinate to him to the bishops, i.e. from canon 90 They think that they do not sin because they do not take it before ordination, but after it. But whenever you take it, it still means take it. Therefore, I beg you, leave this income, or better yet, this entrance to Gehenna, and, by desecrating your hands with such profits, do not make yourself unworthy to perform the holy sacraments. From the life of St. John Chrysostom The culprit of our lengthy speech, the accuser of six other bishops, Eusebius, addressed all the bishops, asking them to accept him into communion. Some of the bishops objected that he should not be accepted as a slanderer. To this he, begging, said: “Since the case has been largely investigated for two years and a reprieve has been given for witnesses, I ask your love for God, may I be allowed to immediately present witnesses today. After all, although Bishop died. Antoninus, who took the gold and ordained it, but those who gave it and those who were ordained live.” The Council present recognized the fair consideration of the case. The examination begins by reading the records of what has been produced before. The witnesses entered, and the six who gave money for the ordination also entered. At first they denied everything. But since the witnesses, both laymen and elders, on whom they apparently relied 401, stubbornly insisted on their testimony, the accused, although at first denied, but when the witnesses began to denounce, reminding them of both the place and the time, naming the types of deposits and their quantity, then, due to the reproaches of a troubled conscience, they voluntarily admitted without much coercion: “We gave the money.” 402 and became clergy, believing that this was the order in order to be freed from public service 403. And now we ask: if it is impious for us to remain in church service, then at least let the gold given to us be returned to us, because we gave away some of the things of our wives.” To this, John made a promise to the Council: “I will free them from the secular court, begging the emperor, and you tell them to receive what they gave from the heirs of Antoninus.” The Council commanded that they receive their gold from the heirs of Antoninus, receive communion at the altar, but be outside the priesthood, so that, if you forgive them, the Jewish or Egyptian custom of selling and buying the priesthood would not arise. They say that the destroyer and false patriarch of the Jews changes the leaders of the synagogues every year or every other year for the sake of collecting silver; His imitator, the patriarch of the Egyptian Jews, does the same, so that the prophetic word may be fulfilled: His priests gave answers for a fee, and his prophets cast magic for money (Mic. 3:11). Rule IV Omni is also cited here as evidence. 2, read it in its place and in Gennady’s previous message. From the district message of Patriarch Gennady So, let him be and is rejected, and alien to all priestly dignity and service, and subject to the curse of anathema, whoever thinks to acquire grace for money, and whoever promises to teach it for money, be he a clergyman or a layman, whether he is convicted of this matter or not. After all, it is impossible for the irreconcilable to ever be reconciled, for mammon to come into agreement with God, or for those who serve her to serve God. The following indisputable saying belongs to the Lord: You cannot serve God and mammon (Matthew 6:24). 22nd rule of the VI Ecumenical Council We command that bishops and any clergy who are ordained for money, and not after testing and election for their way of life, be deposed, as well as those who ordained them. Let us hear this and listen with attention to everyone - not only the bishops, but also those counted among the clergy, and everyone living throughout the universe. We must be especially attentive to what we hear so as not to fall away. (Heb.2:1). Knowing that we were not redeemed with corruptible silver or gold from the vain life handed down to us from our fathers, but with the precious Blood of Christ, as a spotless and spotless Lamb (see 1 Pet. 1:18–19). So teach us, most sacred man, to follow the commandments of Scripture, the Gospel, the Apostolic Epistles, canons and fathers. For we obey the words of your mouth. Rise on high, lift up your voice with power 404, walk freely 405, preach with boldness, so that ordination for money and everything that follows it due to such love of money, injustice and trade for the sake of shameful gain may be destroyed and completely disappear. And when it itself and that which accompanies it will be exterminated from among the chosen people, named by the name of Christ and freely receiving redemption, then all the filthiness that follows this vice will be eradicated and the priests will flourish like a phoenix 406, fanning those who are being saved with the fragrance of Christ 407 and singing a victorious song in honor of the Church: The Lord has forgiven your iniquities (Zeph. 3:15), and also making the reaped fruits sweet, multiplying them in an honest old age 408 and showing them as heirs of that blessed 409 and immaculate life. And the present message, like the message of Gennady, speaks of simony and begins with the fact that many things teach us not to take silver or gold for the ordination of any clergyman - both the Gospel, and the apostles, and the divine fathers. Therefore, the bishops who perform ordination, being ministers of the Holy Spirit, and not sellers, just as they themselves received the grace of the Spirit freely, without money, they also determined in a similar way that it should be given freely to others and those who received it from them, and in this they followed the Lord, who says: Freely you have received, freely give. And anyone caught buying grace for money is expelled from the priesthood, and although such people bear the name of priests, they are not actually priests, because no one can simultaneously serve God and mammon (i.e., wealth). So the prophet Isaiah calls on the priests to speak to the heart of Jerusalem, and God, through Ezekiel, threatens to exact human blood from the hands of the guard if he, seeing the enemy coming, does not tell the people about it in order to warn. Therefore, we, fearing to be condemned for silence, expose this sin to all bishops in order to warn against it, and so that we can say with the apostle that we are pure from the blood of those who transgress the divine rules and ordain or accept ordination for money, while the apostle. Peter sent Simon the Magus, who was the first to commit this sin, to perdition. Then the saint turns to the pope and tells him that the wicked heresy of the Simonites 410 is worse than the heresy of the Doukhobor Macedonius and his followers, because they called the Holy Spirit a creature and a servant of the Father, and the Simonites make the Holy Spirit their slave. After all, just as any owner sells the thing he has as he wants, whether it be a slave or something else, and just as someone who buys a thing buys it for money and becomes the master and owner of what he bought, so the Simonites dishonor the Holy Spirit and, like a slave, sell Him and buy Him, blaspheming like those who blasphemed Christ and said that He, by the power of Beelzebub, the prince of demons, casts out demons from people. Or better said, they are likened to the traitor Judas, who sold Christ to the Jews for pieces of silver, because they also sell the Holy Spirit, Consubstantial, Who, as God, has one nature with Christ. If the grace of the Holy Spirit is not for sale (and, of course, it is clear that it is never for sale), then there is no doubt that the grace of the priesthood does not remain with those who buy it, they did not receive it at all, and do not have it. Let them remember the words of the apostle. Peter to Simon: You have no part or lot in this (Acts 8:21). Indeed, if the priesthood were for sale, then the pious and virtuous behavior and life of purity and virtue that is required of those preparing for ordination would become superfluous and unnecessary for those who buy it. The wish of the apostle would be redundant and unnecessary. Paul, so that the bishop should be impeccable, chaste, honest, temperate, sober, teaching, capable of encouraging others to the knowledge of God and denouncing those who contradict, because those who sell and buy the priesthood for money count all this as nothing. Further, the saint cites evidence that shows that the one who receives or gives silver, before or after ordination, is alien to the priesthood. Moreover, there is evidence from the rules of Vasily the Great. 90, IV Omni. 2, from the message of Gennady, from VI Omni. 22 do not require our interpretation, because we have already explained them, each in its own place, where you can see them. We will briefly interpret other evidence that the saint cites from Scripture, from the words of Basil and from the life of Chrysostom. Evidence from the book of Acts says that Simon the Magus brought money to the apostles, asking them to give him power so that whoever he laid his hand on would receive the Holy Spirit. And Peter told him that his money should perish with him, because he decided to purchase the gift of God with it, and ordered him to repent of this evil, etc. Evidence from the book of Kings says that Jeroboam, the servant of Solomon (who captured the ten tribes and reigned in Samaria), appointed priests on the high places and anyone who wanted filled his hand (i.e., probably gave him money) and became the priest of the high places, etc. 411 Evidence from the 2nd book of Kings says that after Naaman, according to the word of Elisha, was cleansed in the Jordan, he returned to the prophet with all his army and wanted to give him gifts, forcing him to accept them, but Elisha did not accept. Then Elisha's servant Gehazi, seeing that Elisha had not taken anything, secretly ran after Naaman and asked for gifts. Naaman gave him two talents of silver for two bags and two changes of clothing. When Gehazi returned, Elisha accused him of taking money to buy orchards, olive trees, vineyards, sheep and oxen, male and female servants, and said that the leprosy of Naaman would come upon him and all his descendants. And immediately Gehazi became white as snow from leprosy 412 . The testimony that the saint cites from the interpretation of Basil the Great on the 8th chapter. books of the prophet Isaiah says the following. The law that God gave to help people is not like the words of sorcerers, in order to give money for its purchase (just as people who are misled by sorcerers buy words, because of which these people are truly worthy of ridicule: not only are they deceived, but they also pay for this lie), because the grace of God is not for sale. The Lord said: Freely you have received, freely give. Do you see how angry Peter was with Simon and said to him: “Let your silver perish with you, because you have decided that the gift of God can be purchased with money”? So, the words of the Gospel are not the same as the words of sorcerers, because what worthy price can a person give for them? Listen, how perplexed David is, he has nothing with which he could repay God for His good deeds, because no gift is worthy of God’s grace. Only one gift is worthy - if someone keeps the gift given to him, because He who gave you the treasure does not require reward from you, but the preservation of what was given. The testimony from the life of Chrysostom tells how a certain Eusebius in Asia accused the bishop. Antonin, who ordained six bishops for money. The trial in this case lasted two years because Eusebius said that he could present witnesses to this case. So, presenting them two years later, when Antoninus had already died, he told the Council that although Antoninus, who ordained him, had died, those who gave money and received ordination were alive. The council began to consider the case: documents drawn up at the previous trial were read, six bishops began to deny that they had given money for their ordination. But since the witnesses insistently pointed out the place, the time, the type of money, and its quantity, in the end the bishops admitted that they had given the money and received ordination in order to get rid of service with the emperor. They said that if they are allowed to remain bishops, then good, but if not, then let them return the money they gave, which was the jewelry of their wives 413. Therefore, the divine Chrysostom and the Council made a decision that the heirs of Antoninus give the money back, and the ordained bishops received communion in the holy altar, but were deprived of the priesthood, so that otherwise, if these bishops were allowed to officiate, the Jewish or Egyptian custom of selling and buying the priesthood would not arise in the Church of God. The false patriarch and chakham of the Jews changes the leaders of the synagogue every year in order to receive money; The Patriarch of the Egyptians does the same, imitating the Jews, so that the prophecy that says: “The priests of her [Jerusalem] were responsible for money, and the prophets for money performed magic.” Having said this, the divine Tarasius adds the following as a conclusion. All of us, bishops and clergy, as well as everyone living throughout the universe, must listen to this, keep what we hear and, at the call of St. Paul, heed this so as not to perish. And Pope Adrian St. Tarasius encourages with the words of the prophet. Isaiah to ascend to heights and raise his voice in order to destroy ordination for money and everything that follows it, which is done out of the love of money and for the sake of shameful gain, and to root out this evil and its vicious shoots in the people of Christ, who freely received liberation by the blood of Christ. Then the priests will flourish like a phoenix, covering the saving Christians with the fragrance of Christ and with the prophet. Zephaniah, saying to the Church: The Lord has forgiven your iniquities, will delight people who gather spiritual fruits, and show them as heirs of an immortal and blessed life. Dositheus. Twelve Books. P. 631. However, despite the fact that Tarasius was forced to become patriarch, at first he did not want to submit to coercion, pointing, firstly, to the greatness of the bishop’s dignity, secondly, to the fact that he was a layman and therefore was afraid, thirdly, to the fact that the Church of Constantinople was anathematized by heretical iconoclasts (ibid.). See: Greco-Roman law. P. 300. Note that the divine Tarasius denounces simony not only in this epistle, but also in the epistle that he sends to John the presbyter, abbot and hermit. This message is found in the Synodikon (vol. 2, p. 899). It says that the bishop, presbyter and deacon who will be convicted of having transferred or received the priesthood for money will be deprived of the priesthood, and that this is an invention of Caiaphas and Simon. In this message of St. Tarasius also points out that the one who ordained or was ordained for money, if he repents, is accepted by God for the sake of his repentance, but cannot perform the priesthood, but is alien to the priesthood and is deprived of it, since he is not blameless, according to the word of the Apostle (See 1 Tim. 3:2.). In other lists it is added: “as well as some wives.” In other lists it is added: “we confess.” In volume 2 of the Synodikon it is written like this: “so that we can free ourselves from public judgment.” In other lists: “long-term”. Please note that because of the excessive evil of simony, the Holy Father calls it heresy, as do Pope Gregory and Gennadius of Constantinople. This passage is quoted by the divine Chrysostom (Discourse 11 on the Epistle to the Ephesians in vol. 3, p. 823), saying: “If it is permissible for everyone, according to the ancient saying, to fill his hands and become a priest, then let them all come, and in vain is this altar built” (Ioan. Chrysost. Hom. in Eph. 11.5 // PG 62, 86.). And Theodoret, interpreting these words, says: “How should we understand what was said: whoever wanted, filled his hand (So in the Church Slavonic translation, which is more consistent with further interpretation.)? The meaning of this is explained by the following words: and he became a priest of the heights, that is, he performed sacred acts and offered incense with his own hands” (Theod. Sur. Quaest. in III Reg. 44 // PG 80, 713D-716A.) (Chain of interpreters on the Octateuch. Vol. 2. P. 735). Cyril of Jerusalem, interpreting this passage, says: “You sold healing from leprosy and you receive leprosy as an inheritance. I have fulfilled, says Elisha, the commandment of Him who said to me: Freely have you received, freely give; You sold grace, so get what was the reason for the sale” (Sur. Hieros. Catech. 16. 17 // PG 33, 944A.). Theodoret: “But he [Gehazi], being a lover of money, became a leper, and the host of prophets loved extreme poverty” (Theod. Cyr. Quaest. in IV Reg. 19 // PG 80, 760C.). Asterius of Amasia: “Remember with me how the Syrian Naaman was cleansed of leprosy by washing in the Jordan, and how the disease passed on to Gehazi, a young servant, a selfish and unwise youth, who sold a spiritual gift and a free healing performed by a teacher” (Aster. Amas. Hom. 3 // PG 40, 200AB.) (Chain of interpreters on the Octateuch. T. 2. P. 850). They were either first married, and later, having become widows, became bishops, or, having separated from their wives by mutual consent, they subsequently accepted the bishopric, according to VI Oec. 48. Or perhaps they call their relatives their wives.