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Question 1. What is the mark of a perfect Christian? 283 1. Right faith and works of piety, for a true Christian is the house of Christ, built through good deeds and pious dogmas. True faith is tested by works, because “faith without works is dead” (James 2:26), just like works without faith. Therefore, we should make every effort to keep ourselves clean from dirty deeds, so that it will not be said about us: “They say that they know God, but deny by deeds” (Titus 1:16). As a result, the Lord says: “If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word, and My Father will love Him, and We will come to Him and make our abode with Him (John 14:23). Therefore, by right faith and good deeds the house of the soul is created, and thus God dwells in us: “I will dwell in them and walk in them” (2 Cor. 6:16; Lev. 26:12). 2. The devil does not know whether Christ the Householder is in your thoughts or not. When he sees you angry, shouting, swearing, swearing, condemning, hating, doing lies to someone, arrogant, arrogant, laughing a lot and filled with pride, or not [striving] to constantly pray and not having the memory of death, then [the devil] understands that there is no God in your soul who protects you and cares for you. 284 And since there is no lamp of God in your heart, the evil one, like a thief, enters [secretly] into the house of [your] soul, robs it, “and the last thing [for a person] is worse than the first” (Matthew 12:45; Luke 11:26). Question 2. If someone is already old, or weak, or cowardly, [and therefore] unable to become a monk and do the works of a monk, then how can he repent and be saved? 285 1. Since the Lord says: “My yoke is easy and my burden is light” (Matthew 11:30), it is clear that it is possible for both the old and the weak to keep His law. After all, it is written: “For the ways of the Lord are right, and the righteous in them, but the wicked fail in them” (Hos. 14:10). 2. For [the Lord] did not prescribe for us either celibacy or separation from everything worldly, but [commanded only] to love God and our neighbor, [to acquire] humility, to sympathize with [people], to pray, to endure sorrows, to be meek and peaceful, not to bear a grudge, not to judge [others], not to lie. As the divine apostle says: “Let us cast aside the works of darkness and put on the weapons of light” (Rom. 13:12). Therefore, no one should “bear the guilt of sins” (Ps. 140:4), for the loving God “wants all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth” (1 Tim. 2:4). Question 3. If someone has sworn to do some good [deed], for example, not to taste wine for a while, or to observe a [strict] fast, or to abstain from cohabitation with his own wife, and then, due to his negligence, cannot fulfill what he has undertaken, then what should he do? 286 1. The blessed fathers, who created priestly prayers for us, also on this score provided a prayer through which the priest frees a person [from this kind of obligation]. For the true priests of God are told: “Whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven” (Matthew 18:18). 2. In addition, a person must reproach himself for his weakness and negligence, and also confess to God his own negligence and pitifulness. After all, if someone, having bound himself [by an oath] to the corruptible king, then breaks [this oath], then he does not dare to appear before the king until his death. How much more difficult it is to do this before God! However, repentance can heal everything. Question 4. If a person, who has grown old in sins, concludes a covenant in prayer between himself and God, saying: “Forgive me, Master, all my sins committed to this day, but from now on I will not commit these sins and return to them, but will confess in Your name,” and when a person, having made such vows, dies in a few days, then what should one think about his [fate]? 287 His intention was [favorably] accepted by God, and what he achieved was counted among them, 288 that is, [he was counted] among those who are saved through repentance. For it is up to man to repent and turn away from sin, but it is up to God to extend [his life] for a long time [or not]. For a person makes his plans [for the future], expecting to live a long time in repentance, but God, knowing in advance the depravity of our [nature] and our inclination towards sin, often ends his life: when He sees a person turning to repentance, he immediately takes him out of life and [thereby] saves him. As God, He foresees that if this person lingers in the world, he will soon return to sin again. Question 5. Some [people] often, having rejected sin for a while and repented, then again stumble and fall, falling into despair because all their hard work of repentance has gone down the drain. 1. Before God, no hard work of repentance suffered by a person perishes, and therefore he should not despair, but he must rise again and resist the enemy through good deeds and repentance. 2. For just as in the royal army the king, of course, is more favorable to that warrior who, while fighting, firmly resists the enemies, inflicting blows on them and receiving them himself, than to the one who flees and throws away his weapon, so he has more compassion for that soul that firmly resists the [spiritual] battle with demons and does not succumb to them than the one that does not enter into [such] warfare, but, having come into despair, then sins fearlessly. 3. After all, there is not one and the same [God's] Judgment on the one who sins daily and on the one who sins from time to time, just as there is not the same reward [awaiting] the one who does alms daily and the one who does it from time to time. Therefore, even if you sin countless times, repent also countless times, so that when [your] death comes, you will find yourself in repentance. Question 6: Some say that repentance is to turn away from sin and stop [committing] it. 289 1. Those who say this think incorrectly. After all, if someone committed ten murders and then stopped killing, would he be forgiven for the sins of [previous] murders? Or if someone committed fornication for a long time, and then, having grown old, stopped immorality, can he really be accepted as repentant? If forgiveness of sins consists in stopping sinning, then there is no need for prayer, fasting, almsgiving, crying [over one’s sins], renunciation of the world, suffering and vigil. 290 2. Therefore, repentance pleasing [to God] is that about which the Holy Spirit through blessed David said: “Turn away from evil and do good” (Ps. 33:15). “Turn away from evil” means to stop sinning, and “to do good” means that if yesterday you were drunk, then today you should be sober; if yesterday you committed adultery with someone else’s wife, today you must abstain from your own; and if you stole someone else’s property yesterday, then today you must give back your own. Question 7. What is true humility, thanks to which a person is forgiven his sins? 291 1. Some say that considering oneself a sinner is humility. I believe that every [person] who commits a sin considers himself a sinner, but, thinking so, he by no means receives remission [of sins] from God, since both the demons and the devil himself know that they are evil and sinful; therefore, as they knew that on the Day of Judgment they would perish in Gehenna, they shouted to Christ: “What have you to do with us, Jesus the Son of God? You came here before the time to destroy us” (Matthew 8:29). By saying “before the time,” they mean that when the Judgment comes, Christ will destroy them. 2. Thus, true humility, for which sins are forgiven, is when a person, living according to God and doing good deeds, considers himself a sinner, “dust and ashes” (Gen. 18:27), as Abraham said, or, as the prophet David said about himself, “a worm, and not a man” (Ps. 22:7), - this is the David who was “after God’s own heart” (1 Sam. 13:14) and did His will (Ps. 142:10). [This true humility also consists in] that in all the good deeds that a person does, he would not consider that he is doing something good, but would confess to God as a great debtor to Him, not repaying anything worthy for the [numerous] benefits given by God to him. This is true humility, which God loves more than all human blessings. David speaks about such humility: “A sacrifice to God is a broken spirit, a contrite and humble heart God will not despise” (Ps. 50:19). Question 8. What sins make our prayers to God inaccessible? 292 1. Pride and resentment. 293 For it is written: “The Lord resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble” (Prov. 3:34). And again the Lord says: “Amen, I say to you, if you do not forgive people their sins, then your Heavenly Father will not forgive you your sins” (Matthew 6:15; 18:35). 294 2. Imagine this [explanation of the Lord’s famous parable]: a certain debtor who owed thousands of talents [to his master] asked [him not to charge him anything], and the master forgave him (see Matthew 18:23–35). By “thousands of talents” you understand all kinds of sins: murder, poisoning, debauchery, adultery and all kinds of evil [deeds]. Since the debtor, who was forgiven [his debt] of thousands of talents, did not forgive the debt of fifty denarii, that is, the small sins committed by his neighbor against him, the Lord was angry with him and handed him over to punishment. And after all, only one memory of malice, which prevailed over all other sins of [the debtor’s] past life, led him to death. Question 9. Which of the passions, compared to others, are the strongest and most difficult to eradicate? 295 1. A crafty and long-term habit. For when a person has been accustomed to defilement for a long time, then he involuntarily and without wanting it is drawn to [such] sin, forcibly driven to it by a long habit. 2. That is why the blessed men conceived and chose removal [from the world] and a great exodus from the vain turmoil [of it] into the desert; some [of them], while still in the world in the midst of this bustle, often tried to stop [some of their] bad habits, but were unable to do this, although in a number of cases they could force themselves for a short time and force them to abstain; however, then they, like dogs, returned “to their vomit” (Prov. 26:11), again destroying what they had [with difficulty] erected. 3. After all, it is only possible for God alone to preserve unharmed one who walks [bare feet] on hot coals, He alone is able to preserve invulnerable one who is wading through thorns and thorns, and also to keep unspotted one who approaches swine rolled in the mud - in the same way, only the right hand of God can preserve unstumbling, blameless and unharmed the one who dwells in the midst of lies, glory and the bliss of worldly vanity, [constantly] sees depraved pictures, hears shameless speeches, is inflamed [by the sight of] destructive morals and [often] becomes attached to licentiousness. [And this applies] not only to the weak, but also to those who seem righteous, self-controlled and chaste. Question 10a. How should one properly partake [of the Holy Mysteries]: every day, or after a certain period of time, or only every Sunday? 296 1. [First of all, we should remember that] we must not approach the Divine and Most Pure Mysteries without preparation and unworthily, as Blessed Paul exhorts, saying: “Let a man examine himself, and in this way let him eat of this bread and drink of this cup” (1 Cor. 11:28). 297 2. If we stumble in small, human and easily forgiven things, caught [by the enemy] through the tongue, hearing and eyes, or stumbled as a result of [our own] vanity, dejection and irritation, then [then], having subjected ourselves to censure and confessed to God, we can, nevertheless, partake of the Holy Mysteries, believing that this communion occurs in the cleansing of such sins. 3. However, if we commit serious sins - prodigal, carnal and unclean, or cherish the memory of malice towards our neighbor, then we should in no case approach the Holy Mysteries until we bring repentance in a worthy manner. 298 The Law in Scripture also teaches us this, when David and his youths ate showbread in Bethlehem, which the high priest Abiathar did not let them eat until he asked if they were clean from sin [coitus] with women (see 1 Chronicles 21:2-6). 299 4. Since we humans, being carnal and weak, are mixed with many sins, not protecting ourselves from [infection with] sins, then God has given us many [types of] sacrifices for the remission of these sins; if we bring them to Him, then first we [should] cleanse ourselves in order to begin the Divine Mysteries. For alms is also a sacrifice that cleanses sins: “By alms and faith sins are cleansed” (Prov. 15:27). And the Scripture also says: “A husband’s charity forgives him great sins.” 300 5. There is also another sacrifice for the remission of [our] sins. After all, the prophet David says: “The sacrifice to God is a broken spirit: God will not despise a contrite and humble heart” (Ps. 50:19). Therefore, if we make such sacrifices, then even having [ordinary] human mistakes, we will be able, with fear, trembling, contrition and confession [of sins], to approach the Holy Mysteries, just as the bleeding woman approached Christ, crying and trembling due to [her] uncleanness of the bleeding (see Matthew 9:20). 6. “There is sin leading to death” (1 John 5:16) and there is sin leading to repentance; There is a sin for which a cure can be found, and there is a sin that cannot be cured. But true repentance can heal all [sins]. 301 After all, the [Christian] who with fear [of God], trembling, confession [of sins] and contrition approaches the Divine Mysteries has a different kind of forgiveness; and the one who approaches [them] without any fear and with contempt receives a different punishment. Therefore, brethren, let us approach the Divine and Most Pure Mysteries with all humility, confession [of sins], fear [of God] and trembling. For those who approach [them] unworthily and with contempt are not only not given remission of sins, but the devil attacks them even more. And those who approach the Divine Mysteries with the fear [of God] are not only sanctified and receive remission of sins, but also drive out the devil from themselves. Listen to this extraordinary story. 7. In our time there was a certain Jewish sorcerer [named] Daniel. When he was under investigation, before being sentenced to be burned, 302 exclaimed: “Oh, what [I am] under duress! An angel of God is torturing me, forcing me to say to Christians what I did not want to say. I swear in this hour of my [extreme] need that the poisons I prepared never had any power against a person who worthily and wholeheartedly partook of the Holy Mysteries every day.” 8. I [can] confirm this with other true narrations. We knew a certain servant of Christ who [had the gift of] entering into personal conversations with demons; he asked them about many secrets that could be useful to people. Of these secrets [one can note] two. For the man of God asked them if they were afraid of the Lord’s Prayer, the ninetieth Psalm and the prayer: “God is with us, understand the Gentiles, and submit.” The demons answered him: “These prayers do not harm us.” But when he wanted to ask the demons about the beginning of the sixty-seventh psalm, which reads: “Let God rise again, and let His enemies be scattered” (Ps. 67:1), then as soon as he began to pronounce this psalm, they cried out: “Don’t say this, otherwise we won’t tell you anything else. For there is no other prayer among people that could destroy our strength like this.” 9. Then the man of God asked them: “Of all the things God has given to Christians, what do you fear most?” The demons answered him: “Christians essentially have three things that powerfully oppose us. The first of these is what you eat [at the Eucharist]; the second is what you hang around your neck; the third is that you wash yourself [in the bath of rebirth].” By these three things the crafty demons meant Holy Communion, the Holy Cross and Holy Baptism. Next, the man of God asked them, “Which of these three do you fear most?” They replied: “If you observe the power of what is eaten [at the Eucharist], then we cannot approach a person at all, nor harm him.” Question 10b. How should one properly partake [of the Holy Mysteries]: every day, or after a certain period of time, or only every Sunday? 1. Just as Judas, after accepting a piece of [bread] from the Lord, was abandoned [by God] and fell under the power of Satan (see John 13:27) 303 so those who test the Lord and unworthily begin to commune with Him, after accepting the [Eucharistic] bread are also abandoned [by God], but not in order to fall under the power of Satan like Judas, but so that, being graciously brought up, 304 they would not have been judged and condemned along with Judas. 2. And on those who approach [Communion] worthily, the Spirit of the Lord rests and dwells in them; they rejoice in Him, as it is written: “He who eats My Flesh and drinks My Blood abides in Me, and I in him” (John 6:56). 3. Therefore, in my opinion, it is useful for those who are in sin and foreseeing a quick Judgment [of God over themselves] to abstain from Communion and benefit from education, so that if they approach [Communion] with disdain, they will not receive harsher admonition and so that they learn not to neglect the Holy Scriptures, but to learn [the lessons of] patience. The Apostle Paul correctly instructs: “Let a man examine himself, and in this way let him eat of this bread and drink of this cup. For whoever eats and drinks unworthily eats and drinks condemnation for himself, not considering the Body of the Lord” (1 Cor. 11-29). 4. Let those who do not notice anything bad in their conscience partake continuously and unhindered, so that the grace that multiplies in them would prepare [them to become] more capable of [accepting] the fruit of Truth. 6. If, being unworthy, they seek the Sacrament not for any [selfish] human considerations, but in order to gain [spiritual] benefit, then we should not reproach them for choosing [such] benefit; We should not, as if we hated them, keep them from this intention, but we must keep in mind only their own benefit. Let them turn away “from their evil deeds” (Acts 3:26) and not walk in their ways, but show “fruit worthy of repentance” (Matthew 3:8), so that, having become tested, they may be worthy of Communion. 6. On the other hand, let those who have been awarded Communion not fall into carelessness, but turn to prayer with even greater fear of God and become more diligent in it, so that envy does not darken their eyes, and deceit does not deceive their hearts, and so that, having stumbled on the [mean] step of the [evil one], they are not knocked off their feet and the chaste purity of Communion, as it is written: “For the zeal of evil is darkened by a good one, and the soaring of lust is replaced by a gentle mind” (Wis. 4:12). Question 11. If a wife spends the night with her husband or a husband with his wife and intercourse occurs between them, can they partake of the Holy Mysteries or not? They should not [do this] immediately, since the apostle says: “Do not depart from each other, except by consent, for a time, to practice fasting and prayer, and then be together again, so that Satan does not tempt you with your intemperance” (1 Cor. 7:5). Question 12. If desecration happens to a layman in a dream, should he partake of the Divine Mysteries or not? 305 1. If passion for a woman possesses him, then no, but if Satan tempts him in order to excommunicate [a person] from the Divine Mysteries under such a pretext, then he must receive communion, since the tempter will not stop attacking him just at the time when he should receive communion. 2. As for those who have experienced involuntary nocturnal discharges, they too must examine their own conscience and decide whether they themselves are guilty of this or not, as in the case of food, [about which the Apostle Paul says:] “But he who doubts, if he eats, is condemned” (Rom. 14:23). However, in such [things] every [person] moving towards God must follow his inner consciousness in the fullness of conscience and trust [towards God]. Question 13: For those who are legally married, on which days should one refrain from [physical] communication with each other, and on which days is this communication permissible? 306 1. I now tell you what was already said by the apostle: “Do not depart from one another, except by consent for a time” (1 Cor. 7:29) etc. If necessary, one should abstain on Saturday and Sunday, because on these days a spiritual sacrifice is made to God. 2. As for the external ones, 307 they believe that purity and [the desire to] be pure consists in a man abstaining from another man’s woman, and a woman from another man’s husband. And for church chastity [it goes without saying that one should abstain] during prayer from one’s own wife, in order to approach God clean and so that [the words] may be fulfilled in us: “They who have wives must be as if they do not have” (1 Cor. 7:29), “for the will of God is your sanctification” (1 Thess. 4:3). As it is written: “Do not deviate from one another except by agreement for a time” (1 Cor. 7:5). I believe that this time is nothing other than the time most suitable for prayer, or the period of Lent and Easter. For those who thirst to receive communion every Sunday, I consider it worthy to first cleanse themselves starting on Friday, as the Old Testament well prescribes, which reads: “For three days you shall not enter among women” (Ex. 19:15) and “I abstained from women yesterday and the third day” (1 Sam. 21:5). 3. If someone, seething with love for God, can, by pacifying and enslaving his body (see 1 Cor. 9:27), take up his cross (Matt. 16:24; Mark 8:34; Luke 9:23) and partake of [the Holy Mysteries] every day, then this [deed] is pleasing to Christ and “worthy of all acceptance” (1 Tim. 1:15, 4:9). [Scripture] reads: “For as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the death of the Lord” (1 Cor. 11:26). And if someone, due to bodily weakness, succumbs to some kind of carnal pleasure and spiritual passion and cannot, as the apostle says, by consent to abstain (1 Cor. 7:5), for “the flesh desires what is contrary to the spirit, and the spirit is contrary to the flesh; they oppose each other” (Gal. 5:17), then it is absolutely necessary for [such a person] not to partake of the Mysteries of Christ until, if possible, he is cleansed through intense prayer and three days of abstinence, that is, he is cleansed from the defilement that happened to him. And this is so that he does not fall into hypocrisy, neglecting the Divine commandments. After all, [Scripture] says: “Cursed are those who turn away from Your commandments” (Ps. 119:21) and “[cursed] is everyone who does the works of the Lord carelessly” (Jer. 31:10). 4. So, you see, beloved [brother], that not only the glutton, the empty boaster and the slanderer [are unworthy of Communion], but also the one who is subject to irascibility, as well as the one who [often] yields to the bothersomeness of shameful thoughts. If even one who is exposed to the nightly flows as a result of vain spectacles is unable to approach the Divine Mysteries, then all the more is it not rightly forbidden to [attempt them] to someone who has had intercourse [with his wife] on the same day? For “holy” is not for the defiled and unworthy, but only for the “holy” and worthy. 308 Question 14. How does a person know that God has forgiven him of his sins? 309 1. In our prayer, when no one sees or hears us and we stand alone before God, then the soul knows how God is disposed towards it and how it is towards God. For there are seven ways of prayer and differences [in it]: three of them arise from fear of [eternal] punishment, 310 and four [others] are characteristic of those who are being saved and having a part in the Kingdom of God. 2. [The first method] is when a person, immersed in pleasure, stands before [God] in prayer as a condemned person, deprived of freedom and subject to death. The second way is when he stands before God and turns to Him as a debtor. The third method differs from the two [first]: a person approaches [God] like a slave to a master, but [one should remember] that a slave is (subject to) fear and [is afraid of] blows.The fourth method is when a person relates to God as a mercenary: he is free from slavery and expects to receive a reward from God, as a result of [His] love for mankind. The fifth method is better than these four, since a person stands before God as a friend and converses with Him. And the sixth way is higher than this - when [a person] freely turns to God as a son, [following the words:] “Az reh: you are gods, and all are sons of the Most High” (Ps. 81:6), 311 - [naturally, this is meant] everyone who desires this. The seventh method and [peak] of prosperity is the highest of all; it is to become brother with Christ, 312 “who became the firstborn among many brethren” (Rom. 8:29) of the faithful. [And He did this] so that they might become “heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ” (Rom. 8:17), as [the Apostle] Paul exclaims. 3. If someone, praying, turns to God as a condemned person, or as a debtor, or as a slave, in trepidation [awaiting] scourging, then he does not become free from his sins; but where the Holy Spirit appears, there [arises] freedom from sins. For our Lord also commanded this, saying: “He who loves Me keeps My commandments, him I will love and will appear to him Myself” (John 14:15, 21). 313 Therefore, the true sign of forgiveness of sins for a Christian is the appearance of Christ occurring in the soul. [The Gospel] says: “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God” (Matthew 5:8). Question 15. How should we understand the saying of the Lord, who says: “Make for yourself friends with unrighteous wealth, so that when you become poor, they will receive you into eternal abodes” (Luke 16:9)? 1. Our Lord does not admonish us and does not command us to collect money unrighteously and does not say that from this [money] we should do alms, but knowing how the whole world is in unrighteousness, and also that almost all the wealth of the rich and powerful has its source in unrighteousness - in interest, robbery, bribes and deception, he spoke these words so that a person through comparison could choose the lesser of evils. 2. It is good and pleasing to God to give alms from one’s righteous and sinless works and efforts. This is exactly what those did who, imitating 314 Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and Job, [created it from the income received] from cultivating the land, growing grapes, raising livestock, righteous trade, rent, skillful agriculture and similar inventions. If it turns out that wealth came to us as a result of some untruth, then it is better to spend what we collected from bad [deeds] on good [deeds], and not turn it back into evil deeds: luxury, fornication, drunkenness, exquisite dishes, golden-domed dwellings, silk robes and other delights of life. Question 16. If someone does a good deed not with all his soul, but by forcing himself, does he have a reward [in heaven] or not? 1. The perfect sacrifice is one that is offered not grievingly, not out of necessity, “for God loves a cheerful giver” (2 Cor. 9:7; Proverbs 22:8). However, since we hear the words of the Lord that the Kingdom of Heaven belongs to those who force [themselves] “and those who use force delight it” (Matthew 11:12), then we believe in His goodness [and hope] that by forcing ourselves in something, we will receive a reward for it [in heaven]. 315 2. For those who strive in virginity force both nature and themselves. Likewise, those who labor for a long time, abstaining from wine, meat and other [similar things]; those who go into seclusion, remain in [voluntary] solitude, sleep on bare ground and renounce [the world] - also force themselves. And they will all receive a reward from God for such compulsion. Question 17. How should we partake of the Holy Mysteries without temptation if we have heard or seen that the priest has fallen into any of the bodily sins? 1. Conducting an inquiry and judging a priest is the job of only a bishop, not a layman, even if some currently indulge in dreams that they can do this. If we dare, guided by our own understanding, to condemn the life of the priests, then Satan will take care to arrange everything so that they give rise to temptations in all [things] - in this way we will harm our souls and will be left without Communion. But if a priest needs condemnation or correction, then we must bring our [accusations] of him to the bishop. For us, who belong to the order of sheep, it is impossible to judge the shepherd, except in the event that he sins in faith. 316 2. If we are worthy of the Holy Mysteries, then Communion will enlighten us, and the unworthy life of a priest cannot harm us in any way. And if we are unworthy of the gift and Communion of the Holy Mysteries, then even if an Angel presented them to us, we would still not receive any benefit. After all, even Judas, having received [Communion] from the divine hands of Christ, did not gain any benefit. 317 A sinful priest is like a man whose hands are infected with leprosy and who gives away money: the leprosy remains with him, but the gold and those who took it remain intact and unaffected by leprosy. 318 Listen to the soulful story of what happened under Arcadia, who became a bishop fifty years ago. 319 3. At a distance of about fifteen mileposts 320 from Constantia there was a place called Trachiades. In this place lived a certain presbyter, who, under the influence of the devil, fell into delusion and became a sorcerer, and so wicked that, together with harlots and whores, he ate and drank from sacred vessels. 321 After some time this was learned and reported [to the authorities]; [the priest] was defrocked and detained. The assistant governor of the province, who was subjecting him to inquiry, addressed him with the following speech: “Tell [me, man] unhappy and unworthy of any love of humanity, but worthy of all punishment and retribution, it is clear that you treated the future Last Judgment with contempt and did not think about our judgment. But how were you not horrified before the awe-inspiring throne in the altar, offering the Terrible and Bloodless Sacrifice? Have you ever thought that fire would come down from heaven and burn you, or that the earth would open up and swallow you up?” 4. To this the sorcerer replied: “I swear by God, Who is now punishing me with your hands and Who in the future will punish me with His own hand, that since I retreated from God and became a sorcerer, I have never made the Holy Offering and did not give communion to the people, but the Angel of the Lord entered the altar, tied me to a pillar here, brought [Bloodless the sacrifice] and gave communion to the people; and after he said: “We will go out in the peace of Christ,” he untied me, and I could go out. However, none of the [believing] people saw this secret, but only I: the people believed that it was I who offered [the Sacrifice] and gave communion to people.” 5. No less worthy of written mention is what the blessed scholastic Isidore, who died three years ago, told me. 322 He said that while he was still a layman in Alexandria, he had a son-in-law who, from birth, had a lump on his forehead the size of an apple. According to him, his son-in-law used to, as soon as he received Holy Communion, imprint this lump with the remnants of the Holy Blood [from his lips]. 323 6. One weekday, at noon, he came to the Church of the Holy Mother of God, in the Feona region, and, under the influence of the devil, looking through the door hole, he saw the rector of the church in the sacristy, copulating with a woman. Having moved away to some distance - so that he could see how the woman left, he began to reason with himself, without condemning [the abbot] at all and without being confused, like this: “If the cleric has sinned today, then it is quite possible that tomorrow he will repent and be saved. It is not my place to judge him until Christ pronounces [His] judgment on him. In any case, I believe that the Holy Mysteries are taught to us not by human hands, but by the hands of Angels.” And as soon as he began Communion, opened his mouth and said “Amen,” the lump on his forehead was immediately healed and disappeared. 7. If the truly damned [skeptics] say that [this kind of] stories are fables, then let them be ashamed by the Holy and Ecumenical Council of the Three Hundred and Eighteen Fathers and the story preserved in connection with it about the blessed and holy King Constantine. [This story reads]: after the condemnation of the wicked Arius and the definition [given in the Symbol of] the Orthodox Faith, the devil, unable to bear the spectacle of peace [reigning] in the holy churches, incited the bishops against each other, and they submitted written accusations to the king, in which each reproached the other for bodily, vile and wicked crimes. 8. Having received and read such wicked messages, Tsar Constantine, a God-bearing imitator of Christ’s love for mankind, gathered the bishops, and then ordered the charters to be brought, sealed with wax and burned. At the same time, he uttered the following words worthy of God: “If I saw with my own eyes a priest of Christ sinning, I would spread out my royal vestment 324 and cover it, so that Christ would cover my sins. For the one who, celebrating victory, exposes 325 the priest of God to general ridicule, ridicules both the faith of Christians and the Church [itself], bringing joy to the pagans and the enemies of the [Lord’s] Cross.” 326 Question 18. How can we not judge someone who openly sins? 1. [Always] meditate on the words of the Lord: “Judge not, and you will not be judged; do not condemn, and you will not be condemned” (Luke 6:37), as well as [over the sayings of] the apostle, who teaches: “If anyone thinks he stands, take heed lest he fall” (1 Cor. 10:12); “Let each one take heed to himself, lest he be tempted” (Gal. 6:1); and: “no one knows what is in a man except the spirit of man who lives in him” (1 Cor. 2:11). Indeed, often many who sinned in front of people, after that they secretly confessed to God, pleased Him, received remission [of their sins] and received the Holy Spirit. [And thus], those who are considered sinners by us are righteous by God. For we see their sin, but we do not know about their good deeds that they secretly perform. 327 2. Such was Philemon the flute player in Egypt, about whom the Divine voice gave a revelation to Macarius in the desert. This voice said: “You have not yet reached the measure [of holiness] of Philemon the flute player in such and such a city.” So, leaving [his desert], Holy Father Macarius [came to this city] and found Philemon at the wedding playing the flute and dancing. Taking him aside, Macarius began to question him privately, wanting to know about his successes. The same one called himself a sinner and a lost man, who had only recently moved from the life of a robber to the life of a professional flutist. According to him, he knows of only one good deed, which he committed when he was still the leader of a gang of robbers. [Once] he met a woman who had fled from her creditors after she had sold her children for fifty nomism. Philemon, taking this woman, brought her to his cave and gave her fifty nomism, without touching her or [committing] bodily sin. Therefore, in retribution for what he did to the woman and her children, Philemon was rewarded before God with the same measure and share [that he was awarded] to our holy father Macarius. 328 3. And indeed, it is necessary [for us] never to condemn [anyone], even if we see sin with our own eyes, because when the sinner moves ten steps away from us, we no longer know what he has done in relation to God or what God has done to him. At dawn on Thursday, Judas the traitor was with Christ and [His] disciples, and the robber was in the company of villains and murderers; when Friday came, Judas went “into outer darkness” (Matthew 8:12), and the thief began to dwell with Christ in paradise. Therefore, due to such unexpected changes, it is good [for us] not to judge a person until God pronounces [His] judgment on him. “For the Father judges no one, but has given all judgment to the Son” (John 5:22), as a result of which he who judges his neighbor steals the dignity of a judge from Christ, and such one becomes the Antichrist. 4. There are also many [people] who, as a result of various temptations, receive remission of [their] sins, but we do not know how this happens. Others are cleansed through bodily infirmities and serious illnesses. “The Lord punished me with punishment, but He did not give me over to death” (Ps. 11.7:18). 329 Some of us are judged by the Lord and punished here, so that there [in the next century] we will not be condemned along with the [sinful] world. About this, [the Apostle] Paul, addressing the one who had gone astray in Corinth, says: “Deliver such a one to Satan for the destruction of the flesh, so that the spirit may be saved on the day of Judgment” (1 Cor. 5:5). 330 Likewise, for those possessed by demons, if they endure it with gratitude, then such punishment benefits them. 5. There are still some who, through others - righteous men or their parents - receive forgiveness of sins. “The Lord has done the will of those who fear Him” (cf. Ps. 145:19). Others, like Ezskia, who reverently turned to God with tears during a mortal illness, receive [from Him] great mercy (see 2 Kings 20:1–5). Still others, [also during a fatal illness], having secretly concluded an alliance between themselves and God and made a vow to Him, depart from this life within a few days and are saved. Whatever [internal state] a person finds himself in, good or bad, is the state in which he departs [from earthly existence]. That is why God says through the prophet Ezekiel: “If a man has committed all unrighteousness, and then, having turned, began to do all righteousness, then I will not remember his iniquities. In what I find him, in that I will judge him.” 331 Because often, through the prayers of holy men, some obtain remission of sins, of which the Divine Scripture is a witness. For Aaron, who made the [golden] calf for Israel at Horeb, was forgiven through the prayers of Moses (see Exod. 32–34), just as through the prayers of [the same] Moses, his sister Miriam was cleansed of leprosy; in the same way, Nebuchadnezzar, through the prayers of the prophet Daniel, was awarded the love of God for mankind (see Dan. 4). 6. It would not be shameful to bring up the memory of one of the holy men of our time. Leontius, who became the Bishop of Naples, 332 told our fathers that when he lived in one of the monasteries of the East, the abbot was a certain holy man, a true servant of God, acquainted with the king of Mauritius. This same king Mauritius, prompted by the devil's action, made a [great] mistake by betraying [his] army to the barbarians. 333 Realizing [his sin] and repenting of it, he sent for the holy man and fervently asked him to pray to God for the soul of Mauritius and grant him forgiveness. 7. When this same Mauritius died, the monk asked God to reveal to him whether His prayer was accepted by Him and whether He had forgiven the sin of the king of Mauritius. And one night the servant of God found himself in a state of exodus 334 and saw a bright and glorious place like a huge church; inside it, in the altar, sat God and King Jesus, and seven veils in order, one after another, hid Him, making Him invisible. The elder, standing in front of the seventh curtain, heard the voice of the King Christ, like thunder, commanding and ordering [to bring in] those who were kings of the Romans. The voice, inviting, said: “Let Tsar Constantine come in.” And as soon as this was said, [the elder] saw the king entering, who, together with Saint Helena, carried the honorable and life-giving Cross. Then he heard the Heavenly Lord calling in order by name to each pious king to enter, and so each one entered. When King Tiberius entered, the monk heard the Lord Christ calling in a stern voice: “Okay, now let King Mauritius also come in, since the monk asked for him.” The king entered, and with him his wife and children. 335 Seeing the monk standing in front of the royal curtains, Mauritius says to his wife and children: “Fall at the feet of this master Abba, for [only] for his sake the only Good and Humane-loving Lord opened [the gates] before us.” We, the Lord is our witness, set out all this without any lies, in order to teach young judges not to condemn thoughtlessly and haphazardly [any] person. 8. I told this not just for the sake of vain verbosity, but knowing that the tongue of many [people] is “sharper than any two-edged sword” (Heb. 4:12), when the faults of others are condemned. For even if we see a countless number of good [qualities and deeds] in a person, but we see in him the smallest sin - since there is no one sinless, “but one God” (Mark 10:18; Luke 18:19) - then we neglect and do not pay attention to the countless number of good [deeds] and successes of a person, and bring into our language only a short sin of his, showering him with abuse him. 9. Through confession it is possible not only to obtain remission of sins, but also to acquire a reward, as the Lord said: “Whoever confesses Me before men, him will I also confess before My Father who is in heaven” (Matthew 10:32). Every person can know this: he who confesses Christ, despite the threats and horror set before him, will at that hour be forgiven all the sins that he has committed in [his] life. This is confirmed by one amazing story. 10. During the [rule of the same] Mauritius, there lived in Constantinople a most cunning and influential sorcerer named Mesit. Under the pretext of allegedly needing a notary, 336 he took in a certain young man who did not know that Mesit was a sorcerer. Wanting to also plunge the youth, who was a Christian, into [demonic] delusion and lead him to the devil, Mesit called him one evening; They mounted their horses and rode out of the city to a certain deserted and uninhabited place, located at the crossroads of three roads. 11. [Then] at a late hour they reached a certain area and saw a castle with an iron gate. When Mesit knocked, both he and the Christian youth entered and found themselves in a huge church, where golden lights shone and golden beds stood; on the right and left sides sat servants, all Ethiopians, and on a high throne sat someone of enormous stature in the robes of a king, also an Ethiopian. He joyfully received and greeted Mesit cordially, ordered to place a chair for him next to him and said: “It’s good that you came, Mr. Mesit, our most sincere friend and servant.” 12. After he sat down, and the youth stood behind the chair, Mesita, who sat on the throne like the king of demons, looked at the youth and asked Mesita: “Why did you bring this youth here?” He answered: “Lord, he is your servant along with me.” Then the seated king asked: “Tell me, young man, are you my servant?” To this the boy replied: “I am a servant of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.” And with these words, the one who was sitting on the throne immediately fell down, everyone sitting next to him fell down, and the lamps fell; This place was swallowed up [underground], the castle was swallowed up, everyone was swallowed up, and Mesit with them. There was only one boy and horses left. He rode back to the city on horseback. When some people began to ask the youth where Mesith was, he answered: “He went “into outer darkness and into unquenchable fire” (Matthew 8:12; Mark 9:43),” and then told about everything that had happened. 13. After some time, this same youth stayed with a certain patrician, 337 a servant of Christ, poor-loving and virtuous. One evening at a special hour, both the patrician and the youth came to pray to the honest and revered icon of our Lord Jesus Christ. And at that moment, when the youth stood to the left of the patrician, the icon of the Lord turned and began to look at the youth. Noticing this, the patrician moved the youth to his right, but the icon again turned back and turned its gaze to the youth. Then the patrick fell face down on the ground, sobbing, begging and confessing [his faith], and then asked: “My Lord Jesus Christ, why do You turn Your face away from me, Your servant? You know, Lord, that to the best of my ability, I [never] turned my face away from a person in need of mercy. Why do You, Lord, turn away from Your unworthy servant?” Repeatedly turning in this way [to the Lord] and confessing [Him], he heard a voice coming from the icon of the Master: “I thank you, because from what I gave you, you [always] brought me [reward]. And to this [youth] I owe it, because, finding himself under fear, he did not deny Me, but [on the contrary], confessed the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.” 14. However, there is another method of salvation, which can [lead us to the goal of spiritual] prosperity much easier than others - I mean (as was said above) [the way] not to judge [anyone] and not to bear grudges. After all, God does not turn away from anyone as much as from a vindictive person. Even if we have thousands of [spiritual] accomplishments, they are all accidental and in vain if we ourselves are vindictive. 338 Therefore, listen to a wonderful story, worthy of every mention and soul-helping, about what happened in our days and eyewitnesses of which, Christ is a witness, are still alive. 15. A certain man wearing monastic robes spent his life in carelessness and negligence, and then fell into a fatal illness. When the hour of his last sighs came, he was not at all afraid of death, but prayed to God with thanksgiving and fervor - and so he left the body. One of those sitting next to him [at his death, when the dying man was still alive], one of the most God-loving fathers, asked him: “So-and-so brother, believe me, while watching [you], we believed that you would end your life [as] carelessly and carelessly [as you spent it]. Where do you get such carelessness and gratitude in this terrible and terrible hour of the exodus, before which even the saints [men] tremble? 16. Answering this, the brother said: “Indeed, honest fathers, I spent my life with all sorts of negligence and carelessness. And at this [my death] hour, the Angels of God brought me a handwritten copy of my sins and read out all the sins that I had committed since my monastic tonsure. They said: “Do you recognize them?” - “Yes, they are truly mine, and I know them. However, my lords, from the time I renounced the world, I have never condemned any person and have not held a grudge against anyone. Therefore, I ask [you] that the word of Christ be observed in relation to me. For He said: Judge not, lest ye be judged; forgive, and it will be forgiven you.” 339 And as soon as I told the Angels this, they immediately tore up the handwriting of my sins, and now I am going to Christ joyfully and carefree.” And when the brother told this to the fathers, he immediately gave up his spirit [to God], giving full benefit and edification to the listeners, so that they would not judge anyone or fall into resentment, just like he, who had acquired similar virtues and [was worthy of] the fruit of such great grace. May we also be worthy of this grace and love for mankind of the Lord God and our Savior Jesus Christ; to Him be due glory and power, now and ever and unto the ages of ages. Question 19. How can we understand the words of the Lord, who says: “Every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven to man... If anyone speaks a word against the Son of Man, it will be forgiven him; But if anyone speaks against the Holy Spirit, it will not be forgiven him, either in this age or in the age to come” (Matthew 12:31–32)? 1. The Lord in these words does not set forth the Catholic teaching, but discusses the two opinions that the Jews expressed about Him. After all, when He healed the demoniac, the blind and the dumb (Matthew 12:22), the people were divided in two. Some said that He is “Christ, the Son of David” (Matthew 12:23), that is, a prophet, and the Pharisees argued that “He casts out demons no other way than by [the power of] Beelzebub, the prince of demons” (Matthew 12:25), giving and attributing to Satan the action of the Spirit. 2. The Lord forgives those who consider Him a prophet and rightfully recognize Him as the Son of Man, saying: “Whoever speaks a word against the Son of Man, it will be forgiven him” (Matthew 12:31–32). For they, seeing Him as a Man, could not accommodate the thought that He is the true God. And do not be surprised at this, since the disciples surrounding Cleopas 340 spoke of Him as a prophet (Luke 24:18–19), as well as the blessed Samaritan woman (see: John 4:19) and others who believed in Him at the beginning. And to the Pharisees, who attribute the grace of the Spirit to Satan, He said: “It will not be forgiven, neither in this age nor in the next” (Matthew 12:32). For he knew that they would not repent, although he knew that many others, who during the persecution had uttered blasphemy [against God], denied the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, sacrificed to idols, trampled upon the Honest Cross, Holy Baptism and the Most Pure Body and Blood of Christ out of fear of punishment, anathematized the [Christian] faith - they would [later again] turn [to faith], weep, they will repent worthily and be rewarded with the Kingdom of Heaven. How worthy of it was Peter, who denied [the Lord, but then] wept (see: Matt. 26:75; Lk. 22:62), [and therefore] turned out to be the keeper of the keys to heaven (see Matt. 16:19). 3. Those who do not think in this way fall into many absurd ideas and contradictions. Listen carefully [to the words]: if “all sin and blasphemy are forgiven to man,” then, therefore, the one who said to his brother “mad” is not “subject to fiery hell” (Matthew 25:22), as You said, Christ? If “all sin is forgiven,” then what, those who do not give alms will not go into the fire “prepared for the devil” (Matthew 25:41)? If “all sin is forgiven” to people, then is [the Apostle] Paul lying when he says: “Do not be deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor wicked people, nor homosexuals, nor thieves, nor the covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners will inherit the kingdom of God” (1 Cor. 6:9-10)? 341 4. Again, if the one who speaks against You, Son, “will be forgiven him,” Master, then why did You say: “Whoever denies Me... I will also deny him” (Matthew 10:33)? Why, exhorting, did he say: “Whoever does not honor the Son does not honor the Father” (John 5:23)? All heresies from the ages, from Your Coming, have insulted You and blasphemed You, the Son [of God]. And tell me what [in this case means]: he who speaks “a word against the Son” will also be forgiven? This means that Simon the Magus will also be forgiven, who said: “He who is born of Mary is not Christ, but I am Christ”? 342 Will Arius also be forgiven for asserting that “the Son of God is a creature similar to other creatures, and not born of God”? Will the wicked Nestorius also be forgiven, who blasphemed the Son and said: “I do not praise Mariam, for She gave birth not to God, but to man”? 5. If all those who blaspheme You, O Lord, are forgiven, then why did the Holy Councils of the Fathers condemn them with [their] definitions and trembling anathemas? If we understand [the indicated] words of the Lord dryly and without examination, then all those who commit sins and all heresies, with the exception of only the heresy of Macedonius the Doukhobor, who blasphemed the Holy Spirit, considering Him to be a creation and creation, [will receive forgiveness]. 343 And many of the foolish, not understanding the purpose of the Lord in the above words, deviated into godless heresies, [hearing only one thing]: “Every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven to man.” Hearing [only] this, the vain Origen and Eusebius of Palestine 344 began to wickedly teach about restoration from punishment 345 and that everyone, and even Satan himself, after punishment will be rewarded with the Kingdom of Heaven. 6. Let us consider the subsequent words of the Lord: “Whoever speaks a word against the Son of Man, it will be forgiven him” (Matthew 12:32). Hearing this, the wicked Arius separated the Son from the Father, considering Him inferior not only to the Father, but also to the Holy Spirit. Others, crazy [with him], having heard: “If anyone speaks a word against the Son of Man, it will be forgiven him,” fell into delusion, claiming that “all who blaspheme the flesh of the Lord will be forgiven, but only those who slander His Divinity will be condemned.” Again, Novatus, 346 having heard: “If anyone speaks against the Holy Spirit, it will not be forgiven him either in this age or in the next” (Matthew 12:32), can freely say: “Those who, during persecution, renounced the faith, have, of course, no forgiveness and cannot repent either in this age or in the future.” 7. Therefore, as was said at the beginning of this reasoning, the Lord, in response to the two opinions held by the Jews, uttered the words that “all sin and blasphemy will be forgiven” to the Jews if they believed in Him; but if they persisted in their unbelief, attributing to Beelzebub the action of the Holy Spirit, then they would not be forgiven “neither in this age nor in the age to come.” 8. If [only] in relation to heretics who blaspheme the flesh of the Lord, it is said: “If anyone speaks a word against the Son of Man, it will be forgiven him,” then, finally, such leaders of heresies as Apollinaris, Eunomius, Sabellius, Dioscorus, Theodore, Eutychus and Gaianus will be blameless; Some of them claimed that the holy body of Christ was devoid of soul, others that it was devoid of mind, others that it was devoid of will, fourths that it did not possess [its inherent] actions, fifths that it came down from heaven, and sixths that it was illusory and imaginary. 347 And to say briefly, [there were] a countless number of heresies that blasphemed the flesh and soul of Christ, and they, [of course], will not be forgiven either now or in the next century, since they were wicked, vile and [none of these heretics] brought repentance. Question 20. If a simple person, having no experience [in delivering] speeches and [in studying] the Holy Scriptures, is asked by a heretic about the Orthodox faith of the Catholic and Holy Church, what should he answer? 348 1. The divine apostle testifies to the fact that reasoning about God is dangerous and possible [only] for a few, saying: “I speak in part and I know in part.” 349 If the one who “was caught up to the third heaven and in paradise knew inexpressible words, which no man can tell” (2 Cor. 2:2-4), if such a person, having Christ dwelling in him (see Gal. 2:20), says that “I speak in part and know in part,” then who can say: “I speak perfectly and know perfectly”? Blessed Gregory also says that it is unsafe to talk about God; in his words, “we, who do not know what is inside us, who do not know about the form and essence of our own soul, [and also who do not imagine] what and how [it] is, where and how it comes from and where it makes its way, are all the more unable to comprehend the incomprehensible, ineffable and unsearchable by nature of God.” 350 And the heresies that distort [the Truth], as a result of their vain and empty desire to understand the incomprehensible depth of the Divine, fell into delusion and perished. 2. To the Jews, Hellenes and Arabs, the word of the Church and the apology of faith and Christ [must be] different. And to the two heresies that have now achieved predominance in Syria, Mesopotamia and Egypt, that is, to those misled by Nestorius, Sevir and Jacob, 351 who do not know the subtleties of dogmas and Scriptures, the following can be said: “Every king, as well as [a person] in power, and a ruler entrusts his most necessary chambers and treasures, of course, to the most faithful and wise of the people and servants The honorable and all-holy chambers of the sacraments of Christ, of all the holy places on earth, are holy Nazareth, holy Bethlehem, the holy city of God Jerusalem, holy Golgotha, holy Mount Tabor, the holiest of all rivers - Jordan, holy Zion, holy Gethsemane, holy Mount of Olives and holy Mount Sinai. And now, as we see, God entrusted and bestowed all these holy and glorified places to our Catholic Church for the glorification and worship of Him. And if the faith of Nestorius, Sevirus, James, Guyana, Theodosius or any other of the heretics had been more pious than the faith of our Catholic Church, then by Christ these holy places of God would have been entrusted to it.” 3. If the heretic (which is likely) says that the Catholic Church possesses holy places thanks to royal power and tyranny, then he is lying on his own head. After all, once the Arians, who prevailed over the Romans, thanks to the royal power, captured the holy places, but soon, after a short time, God again returned them to His Holy, Catholic and Orthodox Church. Now, when the peoples, that is, the Arabs, have taken possession of the entire East, Palestine and holy places, it is obvious that not thanks to royal power, but thanks to the Divine Economy, the Catholic Church possesses holy places. And regarding the fact that according to God’s economy we have them, we can learn from the fact that, although the leaders of the Arabs love you, heretics, more than us, who are of the same mind with the Romans, the Son of God does not allow them to take away the holy places from us. 352 It is clear that we are the [only] Orthodox in comparison with other faiths. 4. And daring, I say to the heretics: “If there is another faith on earth, more Orthodox than the faith of our Holy Catholic Church, then God did wrong by entrusting holy and sacred places to us for seven hundred years.” 5. When we often spoke such words to the heretics, they [no longer dared] open their mouths. Question 21. Some, hearing the words of the Gospel that read: “All things came into being through the Word of God, and without Him nothing came into being that was made” (John 1:3), 353 say that everything that happens in the world and the oppressions that the Arians 354 commit against us believers, they do in accordance with the Government of God. 1. Those who speak and think like this are far from the word of Truth. For neither murder, nor adultery, nor fornication, nor theft, nor other sins come through God, but [all of them] come from the evil one. Therefore, the evangelist, referring to the [being] of creatures, said: “Everything came into being through the Word of God, and without Him nothing began to be that was made.” 2. From here it should be known for sure that the horrors that the Arabs are doing against the people of Christ, they are not committing at all in accordance with the Administration of God. After all, God does not at all command them to force a believer so that he [stops] glorifying Christ - God and the Son of God, or so that he rejects the [Honest] Cross, Baptism and Communion of His Holy Mysteries. Again, it is not at all by God’s command that holy men who have sinned in nothing are given over to the slaughter. Also, God does not condone them when they trample His Most Holy Body and Blood or commit fornication in the Holy of Holies. On the contrary, for all these atrocities they will face eternal retribution on the Day of Judgment. 3. And so that none of the foolish will express the opinion that we speak and assume this based on our own understanding, 355 let us listen to God speaking through the two prophets. One of them is Isaiah, speaking about Israel and the Chaldeans who captivated this Israel, the following: “I have given my people [into your hands] to a small [test], that is, so that you would raise them carefully and kindly, and not load a lot on them, “laying a heavy burden on the old man and not sparing the widow or the orphan.” 356 This is God speaking through the prophets 357 to the Chaldeans, promising to bring down [His] wrath on them for the inhumanity they showed towards Israel. 4. The following example should also be used: just as a certain farmer, setting fire to his field, burns the grapevine along with the weeds, so we think in relation to the Arabs, considering that what they do to the people of God is not pleasing to God. 5. We considered it necessary to write this so that, being mercilessly punished by them, we would not blaspheme God, believing that the insane punishment [performed] by the Arabs [in relation to us] was carried out at the command of God. Question 22: For what reason are many signs and wonders not being done to us now, as they were once done to men before them? 1. Because, as the Lord says and as is obvious, “because iniquity abounds, the love of many will grow cold” (Matthew 24:12), and with it all [other] good things. 358 Moreover, as we learn from the scriptures, signs are performed for the sake of unbelievers, not for the sake of believers. Therefore, when the Jews wanted to see signs from Christ, listen to what He said to them: “O evil and adulterous generation, if you do not see signs and wonders, you will not believe.” 359 Along with them, the Lord also condemns Thomas, who strives to see the marks [wounds] from the nails and [put his hand] into the ribs (see John 20:25), saying: “You believed because you saw Me; Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed” (John 20:29), that is, we who have not seen Christ in the flesh and who do not now see signs and wonders. 360 2. In addition, as a result of the signs that happen, those who saw them, but did not believe and were not baptized, but remained in their vice, are often more severely punished. Tell me, what could benefit Pharaoh from those famous and numerous signs that were performed by Moses? How did Israel benefit by seeing signs in Egypt, in the sea, in the wilderness, in Sinai, in the pillar of fire, in the darkness, the fire, the storm, and the sound of the trumpet? After this, did he not immediately create a [golden] calf for himself and begin to worship it? And what benefit did this crazy people derive from seeing Christ raise the dead, cleanse lepers and perform all kinds of healings? Didn’t they call Him a sorcerer who casts out demons [by the power of] Beelzebub (see Matt. 9:34, 12:24; Mark 3:22; Luke 11:15)? Therefore, they condemned Him to death, crucifying Him as a villain, along with the robbers. 3. And so that everything becomes clear to you, in conclusion I will say: did the Arian people derive any benefit from seeing healings, signs and wonders taking place in many and various of our churches? No, he did not extract it, [and therefore] is subject to a more severe judgment. Making this clear, the Lord said of the Jews: “If I had not come and spoken to them, they would not have had sin” (John 15:22). 362 That is why the signs that happen serve to cause greater condemnation for many. [There is] a great [problem], repeatedly discussed and studied by everyone: can we say that human life has a [pre-established] limit, or does it not? If such a limit exists, then why does David say to God: “Do not make me the end of my days” (Ps. 102:25), and also: “men of blood and deceit will not make their days the end of their days” (Ps. 54:24)? And if he does not exist, then why does the same David say: “Behold, you have laid down my days” (Ps. 38:6)? Again, if there is such a limit, then why does Solomon say: “Do not be wicked much, and do not be cruel, lest you die out of season” (Eccl. 7:17)? If you can die “out of season,” then why do some think that it is permissible to say: “Death is brought upon those in whom the limit of their life has already been fulfilled”? 364 And why, when Hezekiah and the Ninevites asked for [extension of] life, did God add [more years] to them (see: 2 Kings 20:5–6; Jonah 3:9)? 1. The source of wisdom and the great receptacle of knowledge, the Apostle Paul, when writing to the Corinthians, says: “Therefore whoever eats this bread or drinks the cup of the Lord unworthily... he eats and drinks condemnation for himself... for this reason many of you are weak and sick, and many die” (1 Cor. 11:30). Pay close attention to this: due to the fact that you unworthily partake of the Divine Mysteries, many die. Therefore, if they had received communion worthily, they would not have died then. Why, then, are we looking for [some] limit to life that is intended for many of us? God also said to Eliphaz the Temanite: “You and both your friends have sinned, and if it were not for Job, My servant, I would have destroyed you” (Job 42:7). 365 And the Psalmist says about the Israelites: “And the speech would consume them, if not Moses, His chosen one” (Ps. 105:23). Therefore, as a result of the virtue of Job and Moses [manifested] in relation to God, they did not die, and not because the limit of their life was not fulfilled. 2. If, as it seems to some, a person’s days are [clearly] established and determined in advance, then none of those who spent their lives in iniquities, approaching their end, would hasten to the holy men, so that they would ask God to prolong their lives and turn [to virtue in repentance]. Also, no one would ask God for life for their children. For, according to them, the limit of life is set and it is impossible to extend it. The Holy Scripture says: “Honor your father and your mother, that you may prosper and live long on earth” (Ex. 20:12). As I think, Basil, like the saints, thought about the same thing when he said: “Death is brought upon those in whom the limit of their life has already been fulfilled.” 366 3. Therefore, the limit of a person’s life is the will of God: He commands one to extend [the days of life], and another, as He sees, should be shortened [them], but He does everything for the benefit of [the person]. Just as the owner of a flock sends some sheep away and brings others in at his own request, so God acts in relation to people: [according to His desire] He brings death upon a person at the right moment. So, the limit of everyone’s life, as was said earlier, is the command and will of God, who said to man after transgressing [the commandments]: “Thou art earth, and unto earth shalt thou go forth” (Gen. 3:19). After all, He did not say: “I will put you to death,” but He said: “You will surely die” (Gen. 2:17), if you do not obey My commandment.” 367 For the Lord says to the man formed by His hands: “I did not set limits [to your life] and did not create death, but you yourself, by your own evil will, brought death upon yourself,” because Adam, having fallen away from God, prepared death for himself. 368 [Scripture reads:] “For all who turn away from You will perish” (Ps. 73:27), since “he who loves disaster will fall into it” (Sir. 3:25), like a fool. 4. It often happens that God economically abducts [from life], [as it seems], prematurely the children of believers (parents), so that they go up there clean, because [He sees] that they are going to lead a bad life. And simply [to say], God arranges everything for the benefit of everyone: He gives longevity to sinners, giving them the opportunity to repent, and to the righteous He shortens the time of their life, so that, as the Divine Scripture says, “yes." it is not malice that will change their minds” (Wis. 4:11). Also, God often in a short time snatches away [from earthly life] those who begin to repent: and He, as the Good One, [does] for the good of [them], for He foresees that if they [enjoy] longevity, they will fall and perish again. 5. Therefore, let none of the believers, having heard so many testimonies from the inspired Scriptures and the instructions of the God-bearing fathers, be misled by the controversial heretics, who say that the days of [every] person’s life are strictly established and that they can neither be extended nor shortened by God, but let him believe that everything is subject to His will and command. [You should also know that] a lot happens as a result of [God’s] permission, and the permission is due to [His] blessed truth and because of our negligence. Therefore, God makes both the righteous and the evildoers either short-lived or long-lived. He gives long days to many righteous people, and to many others, on the contrary, He shortens the days of their lives. And as was said earlier, His goodness arranges everything for the benefit of everyone. As for the one who, out of his own recklessness, gives himself up to death, [it is obvious that] many, by God’s permission and as a result of their own sins, die in [such] an unreasonable manner. However, God did not determine or predetermine [such a death]; It is not His will for someone to commit suicide or for someone to unjustly kill another, but such [things] happen as a result of our own will and our lack of understanding. As God says: “And I let them go according to the intentions of their hearts” (Ps. 80:13) and further. 6. After all, one of the saints [men] boldly said to one ruler going to war: “Where are you going, king, without finding God as your Helper? Return the bishops of the Orthodox churches whom you exiled, and then you will easily defeat the barbarians. And if you don’t do this, you will die along with your army.” To this the king replied: “When I return, I will punish you as a liar.” And the holy [husband] exclaimed: “Kill me if you return from there.” And [the king], not listening to good advice, gave up his soul to a miserable death. 369 7. Therefore, God says: “If you are willing, you will listen to Me, which is written on the good earth; but if you are not willing, you will listen to Me, and you will girdle the sword” (Isaiah 1:19–20). We do not believe that God is ignorant of the evil [that will happen], but, as true Christians, we by no means believe that [God] predetermines [this evil]. 370 After all, none of the prudent, as I believe, doubts that He did not predetermine crime [commandments] and death, but the fact that He knew about this in advance is completely reliable and genuine. To turn to repentance is in the power of man, and to live or die is in the power of God. 8. The industrious [researcher] will discover many other things [concerning] life and death in the Holy Scriptures. “Your destinies are many in the depths” (Ps. 35:7), and they are known to God alone. Like our father in saints Anastasia Sinaita “On the limit of life and death” 371 1. “God does not create death; he does not rejoice at the destruction of the living” (Wis. 2:24), but “through envy of the devil death comes into the world” (Wis. 2:24). Therefore, Basil, like the saints, said: “Death is brought upon those in whom the limit of life has already been fulfilled.” 372 The limit of each [person’s] life is the command and will of God. After all, to whom He wants to extend the years of life, He adds them, and to whom He wants to shorten, He subtracts them, since He is the One who has power over both life and death. 2. So, the limit [of life] is not a predetermined number of years, but the will and command of God, and therefore, by His command, a person moves out of [this] life. For everyone, He does what is beneficial to them, both when He shortens life and when He prolongs it. 3. For often God, economically, snatches away [from the life] the infants of believers [parents], so that these infants may come there, having gained salvation, since He knows in advance that they will lead a bad life. He also snatches others who have begun to repent [from this life] for their own benefit, for He knows in advance that if they gain longevity, they will fall into the same vices [as before], and even come to something worse. And many righteous people are given long days so that they, along with themselves, can save others; for others [righteous men] he often shortens their lives, so that, as Solomon says, “let not malice change their minds” (Wis. 4:11). The same thing happens with sinners: [God] makes some long-lived so that they repent, while others are quickly taken away so that their vices cease and they receive at least some small forgiveness [at the Last Judgment]. However, as was said earlier, the goodness [of God] arranges everything for the benefit of everyone. 373 4. Nowadays, many unexpected and unexpected evils occur, by God’s permission, as a result of the sins we commit and remain unrepentant. And [God’s] permission is not [His] will, but only the knowledge of God who foretells the future, who does not approve, but does not prevent [these disasters from occurring], because we are worthy of suffering for our sins. 6. Therefore, God did not predetermine death and it was not His will that we, as a result of [our] evil, kill and put to death each other. After all, this was laid down by the one who “was a murderer from the beginning” (John 8:44), and our evil will, due to [our] greed, created [such disasters]. However, we should not foolishly plunge ourselves into danger by saying that we trust in God's help, even when we recognize ourselves as worthy of blame. For this is arrogance and insolence; By so frivolously exposing ourselves to danger, we ourselves become the cause of our own death. 6. If we ever happen to fall into an unexpected temptation, then, if we are sinners, with a contrite heart we will call on the mercy of God for help - and we will not be mistaken in our hope. For God is humane, long-suffering and unforgiving: He does not repay us for our iniquities. 7. Therefore, let none of the believers be misled by heretics, believing that the days and years of man are strictly established and cannot be extended or shortened by God. 374 As for the fact that for each of the people the method of death, the day and hour of it, and also how everyone should die is determined [in advance], then lead [us, Lord, from all] nonsense. These are all old wives' tales! If the method of death is determined for everyone and it cannot be avoided in any way, then why do we, when we fall ill, seek medical help and also ask for help from God and the saints? Why, when going on a sea voyage, do we look for a [safe] harbor and avoid places of robbery, and in battles with enemies do we remain vigilant? If Abel was predetermined to die this way, then why is Cain, whom we abhor, condemned? Why do we sentence murderers to death when their victims should have been killed? Why do we pray for long life and not to fall into temptation (Matthew 6:13; Luke 11:4)? Didn’t the Lord speak the truth, saying: “I will fill him with length of days, and show him My salvation” (Ps. 90:16), and also: “And call upon Me in the day of your tribulation, and wear you out, and glorify Me” (Ps. 49:13)? 8. I know three categories of death. 375 The first, when the death of an individual [being] occurs according to [the action of] a general [law]. The second is when it is sent out of God's threat or God's anger and indignation, and not in accordance with the natural order and sequence. This category of death includes: the flood (Gen. 7:17), [the death of] the sodomites (Gen. 19:24–25) and the firstborn of Egypt (Ex. 12:29), the Israelites in the wilderness (Ex. 32:28; Num. 21:6), the extermination of the Canaanites (Num. 2.1:3) and [the destruction of] one hundred and eighty thousands of Assyrians in one night (2 Kings 19:25), as well as [the death of] many other nations. Likewise, the capture, beating [of the inhabitants] and burning of Jerusalem by the Romans occurred later as a result of the Murder of Christ [that happened there]. And often God's wrath brings death in many [places]. The third category, when, according to the ineffable Judgment of God, [people] - both unrighteous and righteous - die, either by falling or being buried [under the ruins of a house]; This is how it happened with the sons of Job (Job 1:18–19) and with those who perish in cities during an earthquake. 9. There are also two [types of extension of] life: one is God-given, like [the addition of] fifteen years to Hezekiah (2 Kings 20:6), Lazarus and the like; in like manner Divine compassion [was shown] towards the inhabitants of Nineveh for their repentance. The second type is when, according to God’s Providence, [life lengthens] naturally and in accordance with the general [law] thanks to the orderly management of the elements and moderate air. In addition, the holy Apostle Paul writes to the Corinthians that since some partake of the [Holy] Mysteries unworthily, “many of you are weak and sick, and many are dying” (1 Cor. 11:27–30). Thus, it is obvious that the premature death occurred due to unworthy communion. “For whoever eats and drinks unworthily eats and drinks condemnation for himself, not considering the Body of the Lord.” And if such [a person] does not remain sober and does not correct himself, then he is either subject to moderate punishment, or sudden death, or is condemned to eternal torment. Question 24. What should we say about those who treat the Divine with contempt and [at the same time] venerate church images and sacred offerings? 1. Regarding this, it is enough to give one example, which is quite convincing: the famous Belshazzar, a Chaldean, although he committed many other grave sins, was not, as it seems, punished for them by the God of all kinds. However, when he ordered the vessels that his father Nebuchadnezzar had brought from Jerusalem to be brought to his most vile feast, and when he and those reclining with him drank from them (Dan. 5:1-3), then Belshazzar heard from the great prophet Daniel that “God will measure thy kingdom, and bring it to an end” (Dan. 5:26). And that same night Belshazzar was killed (Dan. 5:30). 2. If the dishonor shown to the vessels of the Jews and to the Old Testament, and the mockery of God led to the death of the one who transgressed the law, then the insult inflicted on grace and the Church of Christ, which He redeemed with His Blood, and lawlessness in relation to sacred images, will not the one who dared to commit this lead to the greatest and worst punishment of all? Given such examples, who would dare to assert that the present Belshazzar 376 suffered such a terrible death for any other sin, and not for mocking Christ? Question 25. Where does [it happen that] the soul of a person often inside [itself] utters shameful, unclean and shameful thoughts and words, [doing this] involuntarily and unintentionally, and often utters godless speeches and blasphemies against God Himself and the Holy, Life-giving and awe-inspiring Mysteries during liturgical meetings, prayers and the Divine and filling [us] with Life Communions? Therefore, often some, becoming despondent and despairing from such godless and blasphemous words, no longer consider themselves Christians, since they have thought such things about God, while others often refuse Communion of the Holy Mysteries, and still others are preparing to commit suicide or plunge themselves into the abyss as those who utter blasphemy against God, and therefore have no hope of salvation. At the same time, they mean the words of the Lord: “If anyone blasphemes against the Holy Spirit, it will not be forgiven him, either in this age or in the next” (Matthew 12:32; Mark 3:29; Luke 12:10). Where does such a thought come from and how can you get rid of it? 1. Such a thought happens to many as a result of their pride, when God allows Satan to tempt them, so that, having undergone humility, they come to repentance, rejecting [their] arrogance. With other [people], God-fearing and God-loving, this thought happens out of the devil’s envy. As a result, it happens that some [Christians], being saints, virtuous and proven ascetics living in the desert, sometimes fall into such thoughts. 2. But the most evil thing in this battle is that not one of those exposed to such a temptation dares to convey this to human ears, believing that not a single person in the world had such dirty and blasphemous thoughts. After all, even if someone is going to commit murder or some other evil sin, he hastens to confess such a sin to his neighbor. And this [sin of blasphemy], when a person imagines it in his mind, then, as he believes, the earth will immediately open its mouth [and swallow it up] or fire will come down from heaven and destroy it. Hence, some, tempted by the indicated thought, from an excess of indescribable and inexpressible sorrow, despair and hopelessness, lose heart, and their bodies and faces change and wither; although they often turn in thought to various methods and means of asceticism, fasting and sleeping on bare ground, they are not able to free themselves from such thoughts, not understanding that every Christian who believes with all his heart is not guilty of such temptation and cannot be judged. 3. After all, how is it possible for us to worship the same God and [at the same time] blaspheme Him? For it is clear that when we worship Him, we glorify Him, we call upon Him, we theologize about Him, we zealously flock to Him, we know Him, the only God, for His sake we suffer, through His love we will be raised as enemies, 377 because of faith in Him we renounce homes, fathers, mothers, brothers, sisters, wives and children (see: Matt. 19:29; Mark 10:29 ; Luke 18:29), for His sake we zealously present our very flesh to torture and as a witness. And how is it possible for us to blaspheme God and mock Him, for whose sake we “die every day” (1 Cor. 15:31)? [Therefore] the very thought indicated is envy and reproach of the devil, who wants to separate us from our God and prevent us [from uniting with Him]. But, as I said before, no one can [at the same time] both worship his God and blaspheme Him. Even the Greeks and demons themselves, who instill blasphemy into [our] soul, do not dare to [openly] blaspheme Him. 378 4. If such blasphemy is a product of man, then such speeches, of course, must be pronounced with the lips. However, now we would rather be burned by fire than to utter any blasphemy [against God]. Knowing this for sure and having in mind [the idea of] the deceit of the devil, we should never hold [in mind] such a thought as some kind of deliberate decision. 379 5. From here, a person must make sure that this temptation is foreign [to him, in contrast to] our own passions and our own thoughts that we give birth to within ourselves, such as: fornication, adultery, gluttony, envy, hatred, jealousy, love of money, slander, enmity, anger and similar [passions]. It is up to us to carry out or not to carry out these (passions and thoughts), to reason about them or not. And as for that thought (or temptation) of blasphemy, since it is alien to us and is demonic, we cannot prevent it. In everything that is not in our power, we are innocent and without reproach before God, because we give an account to Him only for those passions and thoughts over which we have power and strength, but are not responsible for those over which we do not have dominion and which we are not able to prevent. 6. Therefore, not one of the men living in the flesh can rule over such an evil and demonic thought or prevent it. For the demon, being a disembodied spirit, 380 invisibly puts such speeches into the ears of our disembodied soul, in spite of its desire. Man. not understanding [what] this thought is, and not realizing the method [of its implementation], but believing that such godless speeches come from his own soul, he becomes confused, loses heart, is indignant, anxious, bursts into screams and [internally] inflames, as if burned by [the pangs of] conscience, and also despairs [of the possibility of] his own life and salvation. 381 7. And let no one think that we write and say this to deceive, or mock, or trick, or to console the one with whom this temptation is fighting, but we speak as those people who will give an account to God Himself for their admonitions and who have been certified by holy men of the truth of everything that has been said. Among such [evidence, one can cite an example] of the story set forth by ancient historians, that one of the monastery fathers, very depressed by such a thought, told about it to the Most Blessed Peter, Archbishop of Alexandria. 382 And His Beatitude Peter answered him: “Go [in peace], child! Take care of your other sins, and leave the reason and guilt for this thought with me. For it is obvious that everyone who wholeheartedly believes and worships God is not guilty of such a thought, since it is a generation and suggestion [arising from] the envy of the devil, who wants to hinder us and distract us from the fight against him, and also [to lead us away] from serving God and diligently diligently diligently diligently to Him. And in order to convince [you of the truth of what has been said] through the story of the great father, listen to such a soulful story. 8. I was once depressed by a similar thought, 383 and I told about it to the servant of God and confessor Paphnutius. 384 He encouraged me, saying: "When I was in prison and my body was subjected to [various] torments for Christ and burned with fire, the demon inside me uttered blasphemy against God. To this I answered him with anger: O all-evil creator of all evil! I gave my blood and my soul to death for the sake of Christ, not in order to reject and blaspheme Him, and you are uttering thoughts of blasphemy to me! If I blaspheme God and my Lord, how can I now testify to Him and worship Him by shedding blood? And it is obvious that a good confession and testimony is mine, but blasphemy against God is yours and will be directed at you.” 9. This is the story of the most blessed Peter, [told by him] to the ascetic, which we found in the work of the historiographer Philo. 385 This story teaches us that it is impossible to free ourselves from such a thought except by despising it and not placing it in anything, since it is alien and foreign to the soul of [every] true Christian. 386 10. Also, blessed Pamvo told me that once, depressed by such a demon and praying to God, he heard a voice from above saying to him: “Pamvo, Pamvo, do not lose heart from the sin that is alien to [you], but take care of your own deeds, and leave the blasphemy of the evil one to him.” 11. These are the things that I have outlined in response to the requests of you, as [my] children, so that you may know how you can be freed from the evil one. Greetings to you in the Lord. Amen. Question 26. Tell us, father, how should we be saved? 1. The Lord our God teaches us, saying: “Search the Scriptures, and in them you will find eternal life” (John 5:39). 388 And He speaks truly, for “all Scripture is inspired by God and is profitable [for teaching]” (2 Tim. 3:16), and therefore in everything that we say and do, we must proceed from the testimony of the Holy Scriptures, so that human reasoning does not deceive us and we do not go astray from the right path, casting ourselves into the abyss of destruction. As a result, we should meditate on the Divine Scriptures with fear [of God] and ardent love, 389 [constantly] encouraging ourselves and each other to remember the commandments of God. For “the commandment of the Lord is bright, enlightening the eyes” (Ps. 18:9). 2. And let us do this everywhere: in church, on the road, on the ship and at meals, so that we do not fill ourselves without fear [of God], forgetting about the Lord, and do not fall into vanity, like the old people. For [this “people sat down] to eat and drink, and rose up to play” (1 Cor. 10:7; Exod. 32:6) - and were destroyed. Let God not say about us: “This people honors Me with their lips, but their heart is far from Me” (Matthew 15:8; Mark 7:6; Isaiah 29:13). A meal that does not have the word of God is like a manger for foolish [cattle], but a righteous person who eats his bread fills his soul with the words of God. After all, “man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word [proceeding from the mouth] of God” (Matthew 4:4; Deut. 8:3) 3. Therefore, brethren, knowing what glory and unspeakable joy awaits the righteous on the Day of Judgment, but alas for sinners! - severe and sorrowful torment awaits, as well as endless punishment, 390 let us strive, while we are still alive, to please God through confession and repentance in all purity, for after death there is no repentance. 391 Therefore, we must, while there is still time, with tears beg God day and night, so that He, as the Good and Humane One, will take pity on us and save us from our iniquities. Question 27. Some asked [one] all-honorable father presiding [among other brethren]: “Why, most honest father, do we fully observe both Wednesday and Friday [keeping fast on these days]? 1. To this question he answered: “How can we not observe Wednesday and Friday? Because on one of these days, our Lord and Master shed [His] honorable Blood on the Life-Giving Tree of the Honest Cross in order to again give life to our decayed nature. And on another day the Jews held counsel against Christ (see Mark 14:1-2), and the four-part Cross of the Lord was made on the fourth day of the days [of the week], so that He who was nailed to the Cross would save the four-part 392 creation through this Cross. 2. The miracles of Christ are amazing, varied, divine, but of all of them the most amazing is the Honest and Life-giving Cross of the Lord. For death is destroyed by nothing else but the Cross; and by him the ancestral sin was abolished. He removed the armor from the defeated enemy - hell. 393 By him the sacrament of the Economy [salvation] was established and proclaimed. By him we, the believers, were separated from the unbelievers and were recognized [as the faithful]. 394 3. The Cross for us is a shield, a weapon and a monument to victory over the devil, and it should be justly worshiped, since He was sanctified by the contact of the Honest Body and Blood of the Lord. Every day, honoring Him and keeping ourselves pure, we honor not matter (in no case!), but the image, as a symbol of Christ, His burial, glory and resurrection. 395 4. Is it possible not to honor this day for the sake of the Cross, because on this day it was made and on this same day the Lord showed it in the sky through the stars to King Constantine and said to him: “With this conquer your enemies.” 396 Again, on this day, as we discovered, the most pious Helen the Honest and the Life-Giving Cross were acquired. And again on the same day, the Life-giving Cross, like the One who was nailed to it, was ascended into heaven by God’s Angels, as the most contemplative [men] tell us about. to proclaim [the veneration of this] day. 397 [Based] on these and similar [testimonies], is not the veneration of the purest and most amazing day of the Honest and Life-giving Cross unshakable for us? After all, the one who believes and is baptized [in the name of] the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, but does not observe in every possible way the purest [days] of Wednesday and Friday - unless some other holiday of Christ falls on them, for then we are completely freed [from fasting], as the fathers say, because [these holidays] happened for the sake of the Cross - he is alien to the right faith of Christians.” This Question is a modified and expanded version of Question 1 of the main text. This reasoning partially echoes the thought of Evagrius of Pontus, suggesting that demons do not have direct access to our inner spiritual world, which only God knows: “A sign of spiritual passions becomes either a spoken word or a movement of the body, thanks to which [our] enemies find out whether we have their thoughts inside us and are tormented by them, or, having cast out these thoughts, we care about our salvation. For only God, who created us, knows our mind, and He does not need [external] signs in order to know what is hidden in [our] heart” (See our translation: Evagrius of Pontus. A Word on Spiritual Work. 47 // Works of Abba Evagrius. Ascetic and theological treatises. M., 1994. P. 104). See Question 47 of the main text. Wed. Question 103 of the main text. Some distant similarities are observed between this Question and Question 47 of the main text, although the emphasis is placed differently. The edition by M. Richard and I. Munititz contains a hidden reference to Eccl. 11:3, but, in our opinion, the similarity here is quite distant. Wed. Question 36 of the main text. The concept of “suffering” (κακοπαθεία) in patristic writing presupposes (in a positive sense) the voluntary mortification of sinful passions through extreme deeds. Thus, in the essay “On Virginity,” attributed to St. Athanasius the Great, it is said about the righteous: “He toils day and night, seeking God, often without sleep, without satisfying his soul with bread and water, wandering through the deserts, humbling his body with much suffering, [and so on until] he receives the unfading crown prepared for him” (See our translation: At the origins of the culture of holiness. Monuments of the ancient church ascetic and monastic writing. M., 2002. P. 167). Regarding the “vigil” (ἀγρυπνία), St. John Climacus, noting, among other things: “Vigil is the extinguishing of carnal inflammations, getting rid of dreams, filling the eyes with tears, softening the heart, preserving thoughts, the best crucible for cooking the food taken, taming evil spirits, curbing the tongue, driving away dreams” (Venerable John Climacus. Paradise Ladder. 20, 5 // Venerable John Climacus. Ladder. P. 142). See Question 91 of the main text. This Question has a very distant resemblance to Question 18 of the main text. Regarding pride (ἡ ὑπερηφανία), the overwhelming number of Church Fathers and church writers considered it to be the most important sin and the mother of all vices and passions. As for memory or rancor, this sin was also recognized as very significant. Rev. Regarding this sin, Maxim briefly and succinctly says: “Whoever turns care for the flesh into lust (Rom. 13:14) and bears a grudge against his neighbor because of some temporary [goods], he serves the creature instead of the Creator (Rom. 1:25)” (St. Maximus the Confessor. Chapters on love. 1, 20 // St. Maximus the Confessor. Chapters about love / Translation and commentary by A. I. Sidorova, M., 2013. P. 17). So quotes Rev. Anastasy. Wed. Question 33 of the main text. The first two paragraphs coincide with Question 41 of the main text and are omitted, but the remaining paragraphs are independent text, which we translate. Wed. On this score, a remark from the blz. Theophylact, who says that the apostle is speaking here about the Mysteries and “points out the highest good in that. to proceed with a clear conscience, and says: "... I do not make another judge over you, but yourself. So, justify yourself before your conscience, and thus, proceed not when there are holidays, but when you find yourself pure and worthy"" (The Good News, or Interpretation of Blessed Theophylact, Archbishop of Bulgaria. Vol. 3. Kyiv, 2006. P. 215). In this case, we are most likely talking about the Sacrament of Repentance, which naturally involves confession. The author in the previous paragraph, where he talks about minor sins, speaks about personal and private confession before God (έξομολογούμενοι τῶς Θεῶς), and here he uses a serious and strong expression: ἀξίως μετανοήσωμεν. Question 67 of the main text also speaks not of Ahimelech, but of Abiathar (son of Ahimelech), who, again, is called the high priest. The quotation is a complex composition from various places of Holy Scripture: Comrade. 4:10; 12:9; Sire. 3:30; Dan. 4:24: 1 Pet. 4:8. Wed. interpretation: “There are two kinds of sin: sin not leading to death and sin leading to death. A sin that does not lead to death is one for which a person repents. Each sin causes one small death to the soul; and by repentance a person drives out sin from himself, drives out death, and resurrects his soul from the dead. Repentance is not only the second baptism, but also the first resurrection. For it is the resurrection of the soul from the dead. Repentance destroys the coffin of the soul, kills spiritual death, introducing a person into eternal life. Whatever sin a person had, if he repented, he rose from the dead: “He was dead and came to life; was lost and is found” (Luke 15:24, 32). Thus, every repentant sin is a sin not unto death, even if it was committed “seven times a day” and “seven times a day” the one who committed it came and said “I repent” (Luke 17:3–4). And a sin unto death is any unrepentant sin, that is, any sin in which and in which a person remains consciously, willingly and stubbornly. Such sin causes the death of the soul. And the death of the soul is nothing more than the separation of the soul from God, the deprivation of the soul of God and His grace-filled gifts and powers” ​​(Archimandrite Justin (Popovich). Interpretation of the Epistles of St. John the Theologian. Munich, 2000. P. 93). Already in the Roman Empire, sorcery and witchcraft, especially associated with the production of all kinds of potions and poisons, were considered one of the most serious criminal offenses and were severely punished. It was to this category of criminals that Daniel belonged, whom the author calls τις φαρμακὸς Ἰουδαῖος. See the interpretation on this subject: “The wisest Evangelist notes that after the piece fell into the heart of the traitor, the leader and leader of the deadly malice against Christ invaded, and the whole Satan found himself in him. And again, let no one think that this piece will become the reason for Satan’s acceptance as a traitor. We will not, of course, reach such a degree of unreason and, having lost common sense, we will not think that the communication of the Eucharistic Bread (εἀλογί αν) to an evil person could serve as a pretext for the devil to enter [into a person]. On the contrary, without moving away from the truth, let's put it this way: since, despite the fact that the entire measure of love for him has been exhausted and there is nothing left for his respect and favor, he continues to have the same intention, does not correct his evil intentions by repentance, does not distract his heart from the lawless desire and does not mourn with tears the fact that he even dared to even think, but even worse yearns to achieve his wicked intention, then finally, “Satan entered [into him], finding his heart like some kind of door wide open, deprived of protective wakefulness, and he saw his mind open and very ready to willingly accomplish what he desired and thought about” (St. Cyril of Alexandria. Interpretation of the Gospel of John. IX // Works of St. Cyril, Archbishop of Alexandria. Book. 3. p. 469–470). The verb παιδέυω used here means, in addition to “educate,” also “educate” and “punish.” Therefore, it can also be translated as “being mercifully punished.” As the publisher notes, this entire Question is a combination of two passages: from the “Canonical Answer 12” of Timothy of Alexandria and the “Epistle to Basilides” by St. Dionysius of Alexandria. Again, as the publisher states, the Question itself and the first part of the answer to it are borrowed from “Canonical Answer 13” by Timothy of Alexandria. By these "outsiders" the pagans are clearly meant. A clear reference to the Liturgy (“Holy of Holies”). This question on one Vienna manuscript was first published in the article: Suvorov N.S. On the history of moral teaching in the Eastern Church // Byzantine Temporary. T. X. Vol. 1–2. 1903. pp. 61–62. Here our scientists also provide a Church Slavonic translation from the “Printed Helmsman”. In the Greek text the phrase is somewhat confusing: "because of fear and punishment" (ὑπὸ φόβον καὶ κόλασιν). This passage of the Old Testament (in the Western tradition - the eighty-second psalm) was used quite often, starting with St. Justin the Philosopher, St. Irenaeus of Lyons and Clement of Alexandria, to substantiate the doctrine of deification. For details, see: Mosser S. The Earliest Patristic Interpretations of Psalm 82, Jewish Antecedents and the Origin of Christian Deification // Journal of Theological Studies. Vol. 56. Pt. 1. 2005. P. 35–59. So, I think, we can translate the phrase ἡ ἀδελφόποιησία ἡ πρὸς τὸν Χριστόν. In the Church Slavonic translation, “creation of brothers.” In our opinion, the phrase οἰ περὶ τὸν (lit.: those around, surrounding), which in a particular case has the meaning of likening, can be translated in a similar way. Wed. at St. Basil the Great, who, explaining this “gospel word”, says: “It called the exhaustion of the body, which the disciples of Christ voluntarily endure, compulsion, in renouncing their own desires and from bodily rest, while keeping all the commandments of Christ. Therefore, if you want to capture the Kingdom of God, use coercion, bend your neck under the yoke of Christ’s service, pull the yoke around your neck; let him oppress your neck, thin it with the labor of virtues, in fasting, in vigils, in obedience, in silence, in psalmody, in prayers, in tears, in handicrafts, in enduring all sorrow inflicted on you by demons and people” (St. Basil the Great. Ascetic Word. 11.9 // St. Basil the Great. Creations. Vol. 2. M., 2009. P. 135). Translation is free; in the text: εἰ μή τι ἄν ἐπὶ τῆς πίστεως σφάλληται. This statement is very important for understanding Orthodoxy itself, since the accuracy (akrivia) and severity of the doctrine is the basis of its foundations. In his essay “The Tale of the Holy Assembly,” Rev. Anastasius says: “Especially, do not judge the priest of God by the secret and hidden rumors that you have heard about him. Do not say that the one who offers the [Bloodless Sacrifice] is a sinner, that he is condemned, that he is unworthy and that the grace of the All-Holy Spirit does not dwell on him. Let no one think like that. But there is One who knows and tests the secrets of the heart. Know yourself, whom you extol in every possible way, and leave judgment to the Righteous Judge. Let the priest adhere to the Divine dogmas, and in relation to the rest you are not a judge and are aware of your own measure and your dignity” (Rev. Anastasius of Sinaite. Selected Creations. M., 2003. P. 317). Compare: “I beg you, do not judge anyone, especially the priest of God, but with faith and active repentance approach the Divine Mysteries, and you will be worthy of all sanctification. After all, if the one offering the Bloodless Sacrifice were even an Angel of God, and you approached unworthily, then the Angel would not have cleansed you of your sins. And that what I said is true, Judas himself is a witness to this. For he accepted the Divine Bread from the most pure hands of the Lord, but since he accepted it unworthily, Satan immediately entered into him” (Ibid. p. 318). This statement partially coincides with one fragment of St. Anastasia I of Antioch (second half of the 6th century). It says here: “He who honors one who is worthy of the priesthood and calls him holy honors and glorifies a person, and he who honors one who is unworthy of the priesthood honors [the] priesthood itself. Consider which of the two is more worthy of honor? Perhaps the second one." And then follows the indicated phrase with minor nuances of discrepancy from the text of Rev. Anastasia. See: ΑΝΑΣΤΑΣΙΟY Á ΑΝΤΙΟΧΕΙΑΣ ΑΠΑΝΤΑ TA ΣΩΖΟΜΕΝΑ ΕΡΓΑ Εξεδ. Σ. N. ΣΑΚΚΟΣ. ΘΕΣΣΑΛΟΝΙΚΗ, 1976. Σ. 138–139. Arcadius was bishop of Constantia in Cyprus (c. 625–642). The message of St. is addressed to him. Sophronius of Jerusalem (preserved in a Syriac translation), who tried to persuade Arcadius to take a hard line against the Monothelite union of 633, concluded by Cyrus of Alexandria with the Montophysites. Arkady convened a council of 46 bishops in Cyprus, but opinions at the council were divided: some bishops recognized this union as correct, while others rejected it. And Arkady did not sharply oppose Cyrus, taking the position of a compliant “oikonomia”. For details, see the preface to the publication: Lettre de Sophrone de Jérusalem à Arcadius de Cypre / Ed. par M. Albert et Chr. Von Schönborn // Patrologia orientalis. T. XXXIX, fasc. 2. No. 179. Turnhout, 1979. P. 169–176. So, as it seems to us, we can translate the phrase ὡ ς ἀπὸ δεκαπέντε σημείων. A similar story about a priest who became a magician and went to great lengths is included in another work by St. Anastasia, entitled “Soulful Stories.” However, there are some discrepancies between the two stories. See: Le texte grec des récits utiles à l’âme d’Anastase (le Sinaïte) / Ed. par F. Nau. Gorgias Press, 2009, pp. 69–70. This story was also included in “Soulful Stories”. See: Ibid. R. 83–84. The concept of “scholastic” often meant a lawyer (advocate, etc.), but it also had the meaning of a learned and well-educated person. This is how we think the phrase can be translated: γίου α ἵ ματος (lit.: solidification or compaction from the Holy Blood). At St. Cyril of Jerusalem is an indication of the following ancient practice: “After communion of the Body of Christ, approach the cup of Blood: not stretching out your hands, but bending down, and in an image of worship and reverence saying Amen, sanctify yourself and partake of the Blood of Christ. And when there is still moisture on your lips, you touch with your hands, sanctify your eyes, your forehead, and other senses” (St. Cyril of Jerusalem. Secret teachings. 5, 22 // Like our father Cyril, Archbishop of Jerusalem, among the saints, Catechetical and secret teachings. M., 1900. P. 340). So at length we dared to translate the verb θριαμβεύω, denoting the triumphal procession of the victors, in which, as usual, the vanquished were led, exposing them to public disgrace. In one of the Athos manuscripts (Athos, Philotheou 52) there is the following addition: “And you will be like a pagan. There are people, possessed by a passion of disdain, who, in a pharisaical manner, condemn not only the priests, but also those who have chosen the monastic life. When they see someone from the monastic rank who has an extra cloak, they contemptuously pronounce the Lord’s commandment: “Do not have two garments” (see: Matt. 10:10; Mark 6:9; Luke 9:3), and meanwhile, every day they appropriate unto themselves countless amounts [of money] and [shamelessly] enrich themselves. If they see an ascetic eating a lot of food, they become harsh accusers, although they themselves get drunk with wine every day, indulge in luxury and feast. And if you imagine a monk as he is, then why do you blame him so unreasonably? If another [person] provides the monk with funds acquired by this person himself, and you again reproach the monk, then a more severe sentence awaits you from the Lord - as an envious person and a vain person. Nothing prevents hasty condemnation so much as the command of the Lord: “First take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see to take the speck out of your neighbor’s eye” (Matthew 7:5; Luke 6:42).” See Question 73 of the main text. In the “Tale of the Merged Assembly”, Rev. Anastasius notes: “Even if your brother is a sinner, how do you know what his last acts will be? For many who have openly sinned more than once secretly repented fervently, and we see how they sin, but we know nothing about repentance and conversion. It happens that we judge sinners, but God has already justified them” (Reverend Anastasius of Sinaite. Selected Creations. P. 317). Wed. This is a wonderful story with two similar ones included in the Memorable Tales. One says: “It was revealed to Abba Anthony in the desert: in the city there is someone like you, a doctor of art, who gives his excess to the needy and daily sings the Trisagion with the Angels” (Memorable tales about the asceticism of the saints and blessed fathers. (Alphabetical Patericon. Abba Anthony, 24). M., 1999. pp. 26–27). The second narrative is more extensive: “Two of the fathers asked God to reveal to them the extent to which they had come; and a voice came to them from heaven: in such and such a village in Egypt there is a layman named Eucharist, and his wife is called Mary. You have not yet come to the extent of them. Two elders, having gathered, went to the village, asked about them and found the cell of the Eucharist and his wife in it. “Where is your husband?” - they asked her. She answered: “He is a shepherd and tends sheep.” And she took them into her cell. In the evening the Eucharist returned with the sheep. Seeing the elders, he prepared a meal for them and brought water to wash their feet. The elders tell him: “We will not taste anything until you tell us about your life.” The Eucharist, with humility, only told them: ‘‘I am a shepherd, and this is my wife.’ The elders continued to ask him, but he did not want to speak. Then the elders said: “God has sent us to you.” Hearing this word, the Eucharist was afraid and began to tell them: “We received these sheep from our parents, and if, by the grace of God, there is any profit from them, we divide it into three parts: one for the poor, the other for strangers, and the third for own use. Since the time I took my wife, we have not been defiled, and she is still a virgin. Each of us sleeps differently: at night we wear a hair shirt, and during the day we wear our own clothes. Until now, not a single person has known about this." Hearing this, the elders were surprised and returned, praising God" (Memorable tales about the asceticism of the saints and blessed fathers. (Alphabetical patericon; Eucharist layman). Sergiev Posad, 1855. P. 15. 60 61). In the Greek text: παιδεύων ἐπανδευσέ με; can be translated “having raised, raised me.” Translated by P. L. Yungerov: “teaching, he punished me”; this translation has the following note: “How parents raise, teach, and sometimes punish children.” See: Psalter in Russian translation from the Greek text LXX. with an introduction and notes by P. Yungerov. Kazan, 1915. P. 180. Free arrangement of a number of passages from Ezek. 3:19–20, 18:27–30, 24:14, 33:16–20. Famous hagiographer of the late 6th – mid 7th centuries; Of his works, the most popular was “The Life of St. John the Merciful." See: Beck N.-G. Kirche uhd theologische Literatur im byzantinischen Reich. München, 1959. S. 455. Mauritius was emperor from 582–602. According to our Byzantinist, “the general opinion assimilates to Mauritius the positive qualities of an honest and well-meaning ruler, who spared no effort and means to support the shattered system of the empire, but was not in his power to stop the process of disintegration.” It is noteworthy that Mauritius was not popular either in the army or among the people (he was often accused of stinginess), which led to his overthrow. See: Uspensky F.I. History of the Byzantine Empire, VI – IX centuries. M., 1996. pp. 395–396. The episode mentioned by Rev. Anastasius is probably associated with the defeat of the Byzantine troops led by Komentiol from the Avars. As a result, 12,000 Romans were captured: the Avar Khan offered to ransom them, but Mauritius refused, and the prisoners were killed. As Theophanes reports, “from this arose a great hatred of Mauritius, and they began to shower him with curses; in Thrace the people also cursed Mauritius” (Chronicle of the Byzantine Theophanes from Diocletian to Tsar Michael and his son Theophylact. Ryazan, 2005. P. 248). So, I think, we can translate the phrase γίνε ται ἐν ἐκστάσει. This refers to a prayerful “loss of self” (ecstasy) - a state that happens to zealous ascetics. Using the example of Rev. Simeon the New Theologian, one can see that this state is far from unambiguous: among experienced ascetics it differs from the “ecstasy” of beginners. “Its nature, however, remains incomprehensible, since we are not able to comprehend what is happening and where, whether in us or outside our body. Among the saints, however, and among those who have approached perfection, ecstasy in its unconscious and violent form gives way to a conscious and clear constant contemplation of God, filled with unspeakable mysteries. This is even more evident regarding the vision of the future century" (Vasily (Krivoshein), Archbishop. Venerable Simeon the New Theologian (949–1022). M.. 1995. P. 300). It should be recalled that the family of Mauritius suffered a terrible fate when the usurper Phocas reigned and overthrew him: “Although Mauritius was no longer dangerous for Phocas, he ordered him to be taken to Chalcedon, and there. In front of the unfortunate father's eyes, his children were killed, and then he himself died at the hands of the executioner. Phokas' cruelty did not stop there; after some time, the same fate befell the eldest son of Mauritius, Theodosius, who received an assignment to the Persian king Khosrow, and his three sisters” (Uspensky F.M. Decree. op. p. 399). This term most likely refers here to a secretary or clerk. A person of high social origin and status; It is difficult to say anything more specifically. This vice and passion (grudge or memory malice) has always been given a large place in ascetic writing. For example, Abba Dorotheos reasons as follows: “You can repay evil for evil not only in deed, but also in word and appearance. Another thinks that he does not actually repay evil for evil, but it turns out that he, as I said, repays in word or appearance, since it happens that someone embarrasses his brother with one look, or movement, or glance, for you can insult your brother with one look or body movement, and this is also repaying evil for evil” (Venerable Abba Dorotheos of Gaza. Teaching 8 // Venerable Abba Dorotheos. Soulful teachings. pp. 81–82). And Rev. John Climacus notes: “No one should think that this dark passion is of little importance, for it often creeps into spiritual men” (Venerable John Climacus. Paradise Ladder. 9, 18 // Venerable John Climacus. Ladder. P. 103). Free quote from Matt. 7:1; 6:12,14–15. This expression sounds somewhat strange, because only two people walked along the road to Emmaus - Luke and Cleopas. Wed. explanation of Father Chrysostom: “Many condemned this place as too cruel, since the apostle here, along with the fornicator, adulterer and homosexual, puts the drunkard and the evil-tongued: sins are not equal - why are the punishments equal? What can I say to this? And the fact that drunkenness and slander are sins of no small importance, if Christ also recognized the one who calls his brother “freak” as guilty of Gehenna (Matthew 5:22). Murder often occurred from here; From drunkenness, the Jewish people fell into very serious sins. Moreover, the apostle speaks here not about punishment, but about deprivation of the Kingdom. Both one and the other are equally deprived of the kingdom; but whether there will be a difference between them in Gehenna, now is not the time to talk about that” (St. John Chrysostom. Conversations on the First Epistle to the Corinthians. Conversation 16, 4 // Complete collection of the works of St. John Chrysostom. T. 10, book 1. M., 2004. pp. 157–158). About Simon the Magus, see: Acts. 8:9–24. St. Irenaeus testifies that he “was revered by many as God and taught that he is the same one who appeared among the Jews as the Son, descended as the Father in Samaria, and came to other nations as the Holy Spirit” (St. Irenaeus of Lyons. Against heresies. I, 23, 1 // St. Irenaeus of Lyons. Creations. M., 1996. P. 86). Simon is usually considered the founder of the “many-headed hydra” of Gnosticism, and our researcher M.E. Posnov believes that “from Simon, as a source, the first stream of heretical teachings flowed. Simon can also be called the leader of all heresies because in his system, as Amelino says, all the heresies of the apostolic age, one might say, are in embryo: Judeo-Christianity, Docetism, and Gnosticism” (Posnov M.E. Gnosticism of the 2nd century and the victory of the Christian Church over it. Kyiv, 1917. P. 151). According to A.I. Brilliantov, ““Dukhobors” (πνευματομάχοι) were, in fact, all Arians. According to custom, this name is given specifically to that party of Homiusians who made the Arian doctrine of the Holy Spirit their distinctive feature, while at the same time accepting the Orthodox faith in the Son of God. The name “Macedonians” initially had only a limited local meaning and was applied to the Doukhobors of Asia Minor; but then it began to mean the entire sect.” Macedonius himself, Bishop of Constantinople (in 341–360), “was not the founder of Doukhobor, but only one of the most prominent representatives in the first time of its existence as a special party” (A.I. Brilliantov, Lectures on the history of the ancient Church. St. Petersburg, 2007. pp. 217, 221). We are clearly talking about Eusebius of Caesarea, the “father of church history” and an admirer of Origen, who dedicated almost an entire book to him in his “Church History.” However, it is difficult to call Eusebius an “Origenist” in the strict sense of the word, because he does not have the specific heretical ideas of Origen (in particular, the doctrine of “apocatastasis”). This is probably how you can translate the phrase ἀποκατάστασιν τὴς κόλασιν. The polemic against the heretical concept of “apocatastasis” or “optimistic eschatology” is clearly visible in Questions 93–94. The reference is most likely to Novatian or Novatian, a Roman presbyter and talented theologian who caused a schism in the middle of the 3rd century. According to V.V. Bolotov, “the Novatians have always stood on the side of the strictest church discipline.” In principle, they “were not against the right of the Church to forgive repentant sinners. But they found that it was much more expedient to leave this forgiveness to God, that the slave should not forgive those who sinned against his Lord. In view of this view of the rights and duties of the Church, they considered themselves exclusively a society of “pure” ones, καθαροὶ. They looked at the Catholic Church as having stained itself by communion with sinners (fallen).” (Bolotov V.V. Lectures on the history of the ancient Church. T. 2. St. Petersburg, 1910 P. 382). However, no information has been preserved about any other serious dogmatic errors of the Novatians (except for the doctrine of the Church). The enumeration of these heresies, as well as a brief summary of their errors, is given somewhat chaotically and without chronological sequence (in a wide range of the 3rd-6th centuries after Christ). But there is no doubt that all of them are Christological heresies, although Sabellianism usually refers to anti-Trinitarian heresies. In its essential points, this Question repeats Questions 68–69 of the main text, although important details are added here. Free quote from 1 Cor. 13:9–12. According to St. Theophan, “God is always hidden and will remain; Even the highest beings do not see Him directly, but only in the manifestations of His glory. There will be no greater and more perfect sight of God than that which believers will be rewarded with in the face of the Lord Jesus Christ. This is the ineffable mercy of God towards us. He wants us to see Him in every possible way, but since this cannot be done directly, He deigned to be incarnate to the Only Begotten Son of God, so that those worthy could see God in His eyes” (Creations like the saints of our father Theophan the Recluse. Interpretation of the Epistles of the Apostle Paul. First Epistle to the Corinthians. M., 1998, p. 490). See: Gregorii NySseni Opera / Ed. W. Jaeger. Vol. 1. Leiden, 1960. P. 257–258. At the same time, it should be noted that, according to St. Gregory of Nyssa, a certain knowledge of God is available to man: “There is no doubt that the mind cannot penetrate into the essence of God, but it comprehends the activity of God and, on the basis of this activity, receives such knowledge of God that is quite sufficient for its weak powers. By the activity of God in the world, for example, a person knows about the power and wisdom of God, about His goodness and justice, about unlimitedness and about many other properties that are seen by our mind when searching for traces of the Divine in the phenomena of nature and life. But besides this, the ordinary source of the knowledge of God, St. Gregory also points out its highest, special source in rational contemplation and faith... People can follow this highest path of knowledge of God only after first cleansing themselves from all sin, because the unclean cannot see the absolutely Pure. This path of knowledge of God is man’s understanding of God in himself, as created in the image of God” (Nesmelov V. The dogmatic system of Saint Gregory of Nyssa. St. Petersburg, 2000, pp. 154–155). If the first name is associated with the heresy of Nestorianism, about which much has been written (see, for example: Sidorov A.I. Patristic heritage and church antiquities. T. 1. M., 2011. pp. 178–199), then the next two names are correlated with the heresy of Monophysitism. Severus (or Sevier) is one of the main ideologists of this heresy, who became the Patriarch of Antioch in 512, and until his death in 538 he was the head of the movement in Monophysitism. About him, see: Bolotov V.V. History of the Church during the period of the Ecumenical Councils: History of theological thought. M., 2007. pp. 395–404. According to L. I. Brilliantov, the speech of Sevier, “who gave his name to that moderate direction in the Monophysite teaching, which after him gained predominance,” constituted “an era in the history of Monophysitism” (Brilliantov L. I. Lectures on the history of the ancient Church. St. Petersburg, 2007. P. 406). As for Jacob, he most likely means James Baradeus, who was a tireless missionary and “apostle” of Monophysitism, who in the period 542–578 rallied and organized this heretical movement, creating a largely Monophysite hierarchy that competed in Syria and Asia Minor with the Orthodox hierarchy. See: Frend W.U.S. The Rise of Christianity. Philadelphia, 1984, pp. 847–848. It is unlikely that we are talking here about Jacob of Serug, a fairly moderate Monophysite writer and theologian who was not widely popular among Monophysites. About him, see: Ortiz de Urbina I. Syrian patrolology. M., 2011. P. 111–116; Chesnut R.G. Three Monophysite Christologies: Severus of Antioch, Philoxenus of Mabbug, and Jacob of Serug. Oxford, 1976, pp. 6–7, 113–141. Here we are talking about those Orthodox Christians who found themselves in territory captured by Muslims. Compare: “After the Arab conquest, the patriarchates of the conquered provinces fell into the hands of the Monophysites. However, Muslim governors granted certain privileges to the Orthodox population of Syria, Palestine and Egypt, and after some time the Orthodox patriarchates of Antioch and Alexandria were restored. These patriarchates still exist today. The Arab historian and geographer of the 10th century, Masudi, claims that the four sacred mountains - “Sinai, Horeb, the Mount of Olives near Jerusalem and Mount Jordan", that is, Mount Tabor - remained in the hands of the Orthodox. And only gradually the Monophysites and other “heretics", including Muslims, took places from the Orthodox believers in the cult in Jerusalem and in holy places. Jerusalem was later, along with Mecca and Medina, elevated to the rank of sacred Muslim city" (Vasiliev A. A. History of the Byzantine Empire. Time before the Crusades (before 1081). P. 296). There is a clear mistake here: it means Arabs. Further, “Arians” are replaced by “Arabs”. Lit.: from one’s own heart (ἐξ οἰκείας καρδιάς). A very free quotation, even a paraphrase, from Isa. 47:6–8. See also: Zech. 1:14–15). For some reason the second prophet is not quoted. St. Theoliptus of Philadelphia, interpreting Luke. 12 (I came to bring down fire on the earth), says that by fire here we mean love for the good or beautiful (τὴν ἀγάπην καλῶν), which the devil extinguished, and Christ, with His holy life and His sacred commandments, rekindled. Love is the sign and sign of Christ, and through the multiplication of sins it is destroyed. And then the saint quotes Matthew. 24:12. See: Theoleptos of Philadelphia. The Monastic Discourses/Ed. by R. Sinkewicz. Toronto, 1992. P. 204. Free paraphrase from Matt. 12:39, 16:4; OK. 11:29; In. 4:48. St. Cyril of Alexandria notes in this regard: “Those who are mistaken still have a coarse mind, and a miracle for them will be stronger than a word calling to faith” (St. Cyril of Alexandria. Interpretation of the Gospel of John. 11.5 // Works of St. Cyril of Alexandria. Book 2. M., 2001. P. 660). Wed. interpretation of St. Cyril these words of the Lord: He “declares blessed those who believe even without vision. Indeed, they deserve to be surprised. For what reason? Because we must have complete faith in what is before our eyes, for nothing here is in doubt. And if someone accepts something that he does not see, and considers it true that the words of the secret guide were introduced into his hearing, then by this he shows the most venerable faith in the preacher” (St. Cyril of Alexandria. Interpretation of the Gospel of John. XII, 2 // Works of St. Cyril of Alexandria. Book 3. M., 2002. P. 884). As above, we are clearly talking about Arabs. Wed. reasoning on this subject of one of our outstanding exegetes: “In the enmity of the world against Christ and His Kingdom, their ignorance of God Himself was revealed, and since in Christ the highest Revelation of God, the highest command of Divine truth and goodness, the coming into the world of the Light Himself, was accomplished, then the non-recognition of Him by the world marked the highest degree of their ignorance of God and, as the reason for this ignorance, the highest degree of his apostasy from all that is good, pure, and holy. The sin of ignorance of God, as the sin of the human will freely deviating towards evil, would have remained in the world even without the appearance of Christ, but this sin pales in comparison to the sin of not knowing God in Christ. When the Lord says: “If He had not come and spoken to them, they had no sin,” this does not mean that somewhere and someday the sin of ignorance of God would not be imputed to a person, but only confirms that we are talking about a sin that has no excuse for itself: the sin of not knowing God in the coming and preaching of His Son” (Silchenkov K. Farewell conversation of the Savior with the disciples. St. Petersburg, 1997. P. 288). See: Question 16 of the main text. However, the author’s reasoning in this Supplement is largely independent. Wed. conversation with St. Basil the Great “On the fact that God is not the author of evil,” where the saint writes: “Death is sent to those who have reached the limit of life, which is set from the beginning in the righteous judgment of God, who from afar has foreseen what is beneficial for each of us” (St. Basil the Great. Conversation 9. About the fact that God is not the author of evil. 3 // St. Basil the Great, Archbishop Caesarea of Cappadocia. T. 1. M., 2008. P. 945). There is a reference to the same place in Question 16. The last phrase is added to the quotation. For a similar phrase, see: St. Basil the Great. Conversation 5. 5 // St. Basil the Great. Creations. T. 1 M., 2008. P. 907. Wed. reasoning of Gregory Palamas: “According to what is written, God did not create death (Wis. 1:36), but prevented it from happening, as far as it was necessary and just to prevent (the creatures) created by Him as autocratic. After all, from the beginning He set in motion His intention, which could immortalize [man], and strengthened [him] in advance with life-giving advice: He gave [him] His commandment and openly warned that neglecting this life-giving commandment would entail death. This was done so that people could save themselves from the experience of death through either desire, knowledge, or fear.” Further, the saint says, “However, He first delayed and postponed His sentence on the death of the body, and when He pronounced it, then, according to the depth of Wisdom and the abundance of His love for mankind, He determined its fulfillment for the future. After all, he did not say to Adam: “Return to where you were taken from,” but: “You are earth, and to earth you will return” (Gen. 3:19). Those who listen with understanding can conclude from these words that God did not create the death of either soul or body. In the same way, when first uttering His command [to the ancestors], He did not say: “You will die on the day on which you eat,” but: “if you eat it, you will die” (Gen. 2:17). "See our translation: St. Gregory Palamas. One hundred and fifty chapters 17, 51 // St. Gregory Palamas. One hundred and fifty chapters. Krasnodar, 2006. P. 96, 104. Father Chrysostom notes in this regard: “So that the man He created, living in paradise, would have exercise in obedience or disobedience, God was pleased to plant these two trees there: one tree of life, and the other, so to speak, of death, because eating from this latter and breaking the commandment brought death on man” (St. John Chrysostom. Conversations on the book of Genesis. Conversation 18, 3 // Complete collection of works of St. John Chrysostom. T. IV, book 1. M., 1994. pp. 158–159). And the modern Greek theologian therefore says about this: “If the primordial people had kept the commandment, they would have freely ascended to their moral perfection and achieved “likeness.” It is clear that God, the Lover of Mankind, wanted “initially” to grant us immortality. Adam was not created to perish, but to remain immortal, to “march towards incorruption" by his free will. Moreover, the commandment given to him was easy. He was required not to eat the fruit of one single tree, everything else was at his disposal. The conditions that reigned in paradise were not just favorable, but the best possible in order to achieve the goal of self-improvement” (Basiliades N. The Sacrament of Death. pp. 54–55). We are most likely talking about Emperor Julian the Apostate (361–363 reign), who tried to restore paganism in the Roman Empire, but suffered a complete failure in this matter and died in the battle with the Persians. At the blzh. Theodoret has a story about a Christian teacher who understood “much more in the sciences than what is needed for a teacher.” Therefore, he enjoyed the favor of “the then head of the teachers, the famous sophist Livanius. Being a pagan, expecting victory over the Persians and dreaming of Julian’s threats, Livanius mockingly asked the children’s teacher about our affairs and said: “What is the Carpenter’s Son doing now?” (meaning our Lord Jesus Christ. - A.S.). At these words, the teacher was filled with Divine grace and predicted the event that would soon follow: “The maker of all things, whom you, sophist, mockingly call the Son of the carpenter, is now making a coffin,” he answered. After several days, the rumor about Julian’s death actually spread, and he was brought in a coffin: his boastful threats turned out to be empty, and God was glorified” (Blessed Theodoret of Cyrus. Church history. III, 23 // Theodorit, Bishop of Cyrus. Church history. M., 1993. P. 134). In this case, God is defined as “Foreknowing” (τφονγώστην) - a thesis that is shared by almost all the Fathers of the Church, starting from the origins of patristic writing. See, for example: “God foresaw and foresees the future, and He prepares for everyone a fate in accordance with his merits” (St. martyr Justin the Philosopher. Conversation with Tryphon the Jew. 16 // St. Justin the Philosopher and Martyr. Creations. M., 1995. P. 159). However, this does not mean that God is the “Predestinator” (προοριστήν) of evil that occurs due to the free will of rational beings. Wed. at Rev. John of Damascus: “You need to know that God knows everything in advance, but does not predetermine everything. For He knows in advance what is in our power, but does not predetermine it - after all, He does not want evil to happen and does not force us to virtue. So this predestination is a matter of Divine command combined with foreknowledge. What is not in our power, God predetermines because of His foreknowledge. For according to His foreknowledge, God has already predetermined everything in accordance with His goodness and justice” (Venerable John of Damascus. An accurate exposition of the Orthodox faith. II, 30 // Works of St. John of Damascus: Source of knowledge. P. 231). It is noteworthy that for Rev. John Divine predestination is inextricably linked with His command, that is, with God's will. In a slightly different aspect, Rev. solves this problem. Maxim the Confessor. In the “Dispute” with Bishop Theodosius, when asked by the bishop how he lives, the reverend father answers: “As God predetermined His arbitrary decision about me before all ages, so I live.” Explaining this, he says: “Foreknowledge is (concerns) thoughts and words and deeds that are in our power, and predestination is (concerns) events that are not in our power.” And then Rev. Maxim expresses his thought in more detail: “Everything virtuous is in our power, namely virtues and vices, and it is not in our power to subject us to various kinds of punishments that happen to us and their opposites (rewards). Thus, neither the illness that punishes us nor the health that approves is in our power, but the causes that produce them (in our power), for example, incontinence is the cause of illness, as abstinence is the cause of health, and keeping the commandments is the cause of the Kingdom of Heaven, as their crime is the cause of eternal fire" (Creations of our holy father Maximus the Confessor. Part 1: Life of St. Maximus the Confessor and service, to him / Trans., ed. and notes by Prof. D. M. Muretova. Sergiev Posad, 1915. pp. 92–93). This Question was published as a separate treatise under the title “On the Limit of Life” (“De vitae termino”) in 1825 by Λ. Mai, based on the only manuscript of the Vatican Library. It has many similarities with the previous Question, although in a number of points it differs significantly from it. Wed: St. Basil the Great. Conversation 5, 5 // St. Basil the Great. Creations of T. 1.S. 907. Wed. teaching Maxim Confessor, who puts slightly different emphasis. According to this Father of the Church, “the duration of earthly life is equally subordinate to Divine Providence, which can extend it or allow it to be shortened in accordance with the expediency and spiritual benefit of everyone. In fact, God is not satisfied only with giving each person its logos and expressing His good will in it, but He also gives human nature the ability and energy to realize it, orients its movement towards Himself, leads it to Himself and helps it with His natural energies to realize these potentialities. God gives everyone enough time to realize the ideal of their being, to realize their logos, approaching it and uniting with it, but here the will of the person himself plays a role, and God respects the freedom that everyone has, including not fulfilling the purpose of their existence and not uniting with Him. It can be said that the duration of someone's earthly life is determined by the time he needs to achieve his spiritual goal, using his abilities and his good will to the fullest. God allows those who still need to advance on the path of repentance and virtue to live long, and allows some to die young, when they have realized in this world the maximum of their personal spiritual abilities and can do nothing more for a time than to indulge in [spiritual] stagnation or regression. As Rev. explains. Maxim, the duration of existence is measured less by the age of the body than by the maturity of the soul” (Larchet J.-C. The idea of ​​time in the works of St. Maxim the Confessor // Moscow Theological Academy: Materials of the Department of Theology. 2012–2013. Sergiev Posad, 2013. pp. 24–25). However, despite certain differences, both Orthodox authors are united in their fundamental solution to the question of the limit of life. The following is a quotation from the sermon of the 6th century Byzantine church writer Leontius, presbyter of Constantinople, “The Homily on the Half of Pentecost.” See: Leontii presbyteri Constantinopolitani llomiliae / Ed. C. Datema et P. Allen // Corpus Christianorum. Seiies Graeca. Vol. 17. Turnbout; Leuven, 1987. P. 329 331. We highlight this quote in smaller font. A number of thoughts expressed in Question 28, 7 are repeated here. This “current Belshazzar” (or “Belshazzar among us”) most likely means the Persian king Khosrow II. The Persians initially managed to defeat the “Romans”, and in 614 they captured Jerusalem. “For several days, death and fire raged in the captured city; the Church of the Holy Sepulcher, built by Constantine the Great, was destroyed. The impression this made on Byzantium was stunning, especially since the most valuable of the relics, the Holy Life-Giving Cross, fell into the hands of the invaders and was taken to Ctesiphon.” However, then Emperor Heraclius managed to defeat the Persians in a series of difficult campaigns, and Khosrow II was killed in 628. In 630, Emperor Heraclius “with the rejoicing of the people on March 21, again erected the Honorable Cross taken from the Persians” (G. Ostrogorsky. History of the Byzantine State. M., 2011. pp. 143–154). Or “we are punished” (παιδευόμεθα). In one 9th century manuscript from the monastery of St. Savva the Sanctified has a note in the margin: “By “enemies” he means the Ismailis and Hagarians, who to this day oppress Christians in Syria, Palestine, Phenicia, Persia, Egypt and on the Holy Mount Sinai.” In one Paris manuscript (Coislin. 116) there is an indication of Mk. 1&Lk. 4:34; It says here: “Therefore, in fear and trembling, they call on Christ so that He does not send them into the abyss for torment until the time comes, [saying]: “We know You, who You are, the Holy One of God.” So, it seems to us, we can translate the expression ἐις ψῆφον ἔχωμεν. In the same Paris manuscript, the following reasoning was added: “However, if within us the thought again begins to utter such dirty words, then we will answer it like this: “Let torment turn on [your] head and blasphemy fall on the top of your head, O wicked and wicked demon! But I “worship God my Lord, and Him alone do I serve” (see: Matt. 1:10. Luke 4:8), [and therefore] I will never blaspheme Him. For how can I both blaspheme Him and glorify the Lord my God? his slander, which he uttered against God as an apostate.” It is in this way, and not in any other way, that a person will be able to free himself from such temptation, [that is, when] he comprehends with his mind the deceit of the evil one, when he despises and does not regard him as anything, [understanding that blasphemy comes] from the demon, and not from man.” This statement of the author (πνε x ῦμα γὰρ ὑπάρχων ἀσώματον ὁ δαίμων) is explained by such a statement attributed to St. Basil the Great, who says that demons “are incorporeal, but are not inspired by Divine desire, but are, as it were, fleshed out, clinging to material desires” (St. Basil the Great. Interpretation of the prophet Isaiah. 97 // St. Basil the Great. Creations. T. 1. M., 2008. P. 686). Wed. also the reasoning of Rev. Macarius of Egypt: he is talking about people who, “although grace is inherent in them, do not know that they have been robbed by sin.” Therefore, in them “the terrible serpent of sin dwells with the soul, seduces and convinces it, and if it agrees, then the disembodied soul enters into communion with the disembodied malice of the spirit, that is, the spirit enters into communion with the spirit, and the one who accepts the thought of the evil one and agrees to it commits adultery in his heart” (Venerable Macarius of Egypt. Teaching 15, 26 (Collection type II. Spiritual conversations) // Works of St. Macarius of Egypt, pp. 337–338). The said Paris manuscript also adds: “For this reason, some often arm themselves against this thought by fasting, depriving themselves of sleep or sleeping on the bare ground, [wearing] sackcloth, tears and exile themselves in deserted places, but do not receive [from this] any benefit, but it becomes even worse for them, for they consider such a thought to be their own, [not realizing that] it is the product of a demon. Often in such [circumstances], when a person, against a given thought, stands in prayer with bitter tears before God, confesses to Him, kneels before Him and weeps, the vile demon inside us turns godless speeches against God, although at that very time we are praying to Him, opposing the demon. If this thought were in our power, then it would be impossible for it, so strongly hated by us, to remain or linger in the soul, since everything hated with all the soul and with all the heart [usually] is short-lived and completely erased. For the soul naturally cannot reason or remember what it hates. From all that has been said, it is obvious that every sincerely believing person is free from the indicated evil thought, alien to it and innocent of it. And for our complete certainty, we should know that it is not ours, but belongs to the demon and that the devil, out of envy of us, instills it in us believers. After all, not a single pagan falls into such a thought, since Satan does not care about waging war with unbelievers, whom he has already destroyed once with [his] wickedness.” St. Peter I of Alexandria, whom the author most likely means here, died a martyr in 311. Naturally, he could not be the one to whom a certain “skete father” told about his thoughts, since the monastic settlement in the Skete desert was founded by St. Macarius of Egypt much later - around 330. See: Evelyn White N. E. The Monasteries of the Wadi in Natrun. Pt. II. N. Y., 1932. P. 65. It is possible that the author is confusing St. Peter I with Peter II of Alexandria (bishop in 373–380), successor of St. Athanasius of Alexandria, who was forced to leave Alexandria shortly after his election, because the Arianists in power forcibly installed the heretic Lucius (Lucius) as bishop; Peter II returned to his see shortly before his death (in 379). See: Harmless W. Desert Christians. An Introduction to the Literature of Early Monasticism. Oxford, 2004. P. 37. In one of the manuscripts (Hieros. S. Sabbas 408) there is the following scholia: “After all, Peter, like the saints, tells this to the monastery ascetic, exhorting him to trust him.” There is one outstanding ascetic named Paphnutius, who belongs to the second generation of hermitage monks; basic information about him is reported by Rev. John Cassian the Roman. Paphnutius was a student of Rev. Macarius of Egypt, and then presbyter Isidore. The chronology of his life is not precisely known, but the period of maturity falls on 360–400 years. See the preface to the publication: Les apophtegmes des Pères. Collection system. Chapitres I-IX/Ed. par J.-C. Guy // Sources chrétiennes. No. 387. Paris, 1993. P. 59–61. It is puzzling that in this case Paphnutius is called a confessor who suffered for Christ and experienced the hardships of prison and torture. It is possible that we are talking about the suffering for Orthodoxy that Paphnutius endured along with other monks and clergy during the persecution of the Arian bishop Lucius. But it is also quite possible that another Paphnutius is meant. In any case, in Sozomen, who talks about the Council of Tire in 335, which condemned St. Athanasius the Great, the confessor Paphnutius is mentioned, who came to the defense of the Alexandrian saint. See: Sidorov A.I. Patristic heritage and church antiquities. T. 3. M., 2013. P. 284. In the margins of two manuscripts (Hieros. S. Sabbas 408 and Vatican Angelicus gr. 52) there is the following scholia: “This Philo, mentioned above, was the bishop of Carnathia, a cape in the east of loving (or: blooming) Cyprus ( τῆς κυπριζούσης Κύπρου); for in the west [the same cape] is called Paphos, as evidenced by the Acts of the Apostles, [which says:] “Sailing from Paphos, Paul and those who were with him arrived in Perga, in Pamphylia” (Acts 13:13). This Philo was ordained by the most blessed Epiphanius, who loved him very much; Epiphanius, going to Rome to see King Honorius, left [Philo] to manage current church affairs.” No information has been preserved about this Philo other than what is reported in this Question. Again, in the margins of two manuscripts (indicated by Coalen and Vatican Barberianus gr. 522) the following scholia is preserved: “Other passions and human sins often need time and [proper] moment; they need substance (ὕ λης), and man can fight against them and hinder them. This same thought is like lightning or a quick arrow: in the blink of an eye it quickly and invisibly attacks the Soul - and it is not in our power to prevent or silence the incorporeal demon.” Again the scholium (Hieros. S. Sabbas 408): “This story belongs to the all-holy Pope Peter, for Anastasius, who speaks and writes such lines, lived much later [the events described], being the abbot of the Holy Mount Sinai.” Abba Pambo indeed belonged to the first generation of Egyptian ascetics and may have been one of the disciples of St. Anthony the Great. See: Kazansky P. History of Orthodox monasticism in the East. Part II. M., 2000. S. 21, 45–52. This phrase (τὰς θείας Γραφὰς μελετ ᾶ ν) refers to the practice of prayerful reflection on the Holy Scriptures, which is contemporaneous with the emergence of monasticism. Already St. Ammon, student of Rev. Anthony the Great, testifies to it, teaching: “Always and unceasingly exercise your soul, as far as possible, in meditating on the [Holy] Scripture, and after this meditation, weep and pray intensely. And if you remain in such a disposition [of spirit], as if performing continuous worship, then demons will not find a place in your heart to instill in you evil thoughts” (See our translation: St. Ammon. Instructions. 2. 5 // Creations of the ancient ascetic fathers. M., 2012. P. 65 (commentary pp. 355–356)). Here the author, in his emphasis on the infinity of hellish torment (ἀτελεύτης κόλασις), clearly and clearly fits into the indisputable and unambiguous Orthodox Tradition, which goes back to the Lord Himself (“unquenchable fire”, “unquenchable worm”). Wed. at St. John Chrysostom, who, speaking about the bliss awaiting the saints, writes: “If there were no Gehenna, then the most unfortunate of all would be those who, having the opportunity to reign and be glorified together with the Son of God, deprive themselves of such great blessings... And when there is also Gehenna, and an endless worm, and an unquenchable fire, and gnashing of teeth, then how, tell me, will we be tolerate this? (St. John Chrysostom. Conversations on the Gospel of John. Conversation 80, 3 // St. John Chrysostom. Creations. T. VIII. M., 2012. P. 539 540). The same thought, with a comparison of the bliss of the righteous and the torment of sinners, is repeated in another work of Father Chrysostom, where he says: “But when there is darkness, and gnashing of teeth, and insoluble bonds, and an undying worm, and an unquenchable fire, and sorrow, and oppression, and a tongue suffering in the flame, as happened to the rich man, it will be the work of man; when we let out screams and no one will hear us, we moan, suffer from unbearable illnesses, and no one will listen to us, we look around everywhere and receive no consolation from anywhere - then with what can we compare the lot of those in need in this way? What could be more miserable than these souls? What could be more deplorable?" (St. John Chrysostom. Conversations on the Second Epistle to the Corinthians. Conversation 10, 3 // St. John Chrysostom. Creations. T. X. M., 2013. pp. 567–568). Finally, one can also cite the judgment of Rev. Isidore Pelusiot about the “endless torment” into which people are plunged who reject the grace of Christ. See: Rev. Isidore Pelusiot. Letter 147 // Venerable Isidore Pelusiot. Letters. T.I.M., 2000. P. 73. Here again one of the most important patristic theses is expressed, which was clearly captured by the same Father Chrysostom: “As long as we are here, we have good hopes; and when we go there, it will no longer be in our power to repent and wash away our sins” (St. John Chrysostom. About Lazarus. Homily 2, 3 // Works of our holy father John Chrysostom, Archbishop of Constantinople. Vol. 1. Sergiev Posad, 2012. P. 914). An indication of the theory of the four elements, common in ancient times, which are the basis of created existence. So, but in our opinion, it is possible to translate the phrase δι ᾽ α᾿᾿ ὐτοῦ ὁ ᾍ δης ἐσκύλευται. Wed. at Rev. John of Damascus: “Every act and miracle-working of Christ is the greatest, and divine, and wondrous; but most amazing of all is His honest Cross. For death was overthrown by nothing else, ancestral sin was destroyed, hell was defeated, resurrection was given, we were given the power to despise the present and even death itself, a return to original bliss was achieved, the gates of paradise were opened, our nature sat at the right hand of God, we became children of God and heirs - if not by the Cross of our Lord Jesus Christ" (Venerable John of Damascus. An exact exposition of the Orthodox faith. IV, 11 // Creations of St. John of Damascus: Source of knowledge P. 297). Wed. again at Rev. John of Damascus: “He is a shield, and a weapon, and a monument to victory over the devil... The Tree itself, truly precious and venerable, on which Christ offered Himself and the sacrifice for us, as consecrated by the touch of the holy Body and Blood, should justly be worshiped... We also worship the sign of the honest and life-giving Cross, even if it is from a different substance; we worship, honoring not the substance (let it not be!), but the sign as a symbol of Christ” (Venerable John of Damascus. An exact exposition of the Orthodox faith. IV, 11. pp. 207–298). This passage clearly goes back to the famous testimony of Eusebius of Caesarea in his Life of King Constantine. See Russian translation: Eusebius of Cecapia. Life of Constantine. I, 19//Works of Eusebius Pamphilus. T. 1. St. Petersburg, 1858. pp. 79–80. Wed. from the Father Chrysostom, who speaks of the Cross like this: “Christ did not leave it on earth, but lifted it up (with Him) and carried it into heaven.” Also: “The Lord did not allow him to remain on earth, but took him out and lifted him up into heaven... He will come with him at the Second Coming” (St. John Chrysostom. About the Cross and the Thief. Conversation 1, 4; 2, 4 // Works of our holy father John Chrysostom, Archbishop of Constantinople. Vol. 2. Sergiev Posad, 2013. pp. 459, 471).