Житие преподобного отца нашего Максима Исповедника

Great not only in name 827, but also in life, the Monk Maxim was born in the great royal city of Constantinople. Coming from high-ranking and pious parents, he received a serious scientific education. He thoroughly studied philosophy and theology, achieved the highest glory for his wisdom and was respected even in the royal chambers. King Heraclius 828, seeing his intelligence and righteous life, honored him, against his will, with the title of his first secretary and included him among his advisers. The Monk Maxim enjoyed love and respect among the courtiers and was very useful to the entire royal city. At this time, the heresy of the Monothelites arose, recognizing in Christ our Lord only one will and one desire 829. This heresy developed from the previously former Eutychian heresy, which foolishly recognized in Christ only one nature, contrary to the Orthodox confession, which requires recognizing in our Lord, the incarnate God, two natures and two wills, two desires and actions, special for each nature, but united in one Person of Christ, for Christ is God, not divided into two persons, but in two innately cognizable. At first, the defenders and spreaders of the Monothelite heresy were: Cyrus, Patriarch of Alexandria, Sergius of Constantinople 830 and even King Heraclius himself, who was carried away by them into this heresy. Having convened local councils, Cyrus in Alexandria, and Sergius in Constantinople, they approved this heresy, sent out their decree everywhere and corrupted the entire East. Only Saint Sophronius, Patriarch of Jerusalem, opposed heresy, not accepting false teaching. Blessed Maximus, seeing that heresy had penetrated into the royal chambers and seduced the king himself, began to fear that he too would be seduced into heresy, following the example of many. Therefore, he left his title and all worldly glory and went to a monastery located far from the city, named Chrysopolis 831, where he became a monk, preferring “to be at the threshold of the house of God rather than live in the tents of wickedness” (Ps. 83:11). 832 There, a few years later, he was elected abbot (abba) for his virtuous life. Meanwhile, Patriarch Sergius inspired King Heraclius to write a confession of their wrong faith. The king called this latter, filled with the Monothelite heresy, “ekphesis,” that is, exposition 833, and commanded everyone to believe this way in his state, as a result of which the Church of Christ was torn apart by turmoil. Abba Maximus, seeing what turmoil the churches were experiencing in Constantinople and throughout the East and how heretics were multiplying and strengthening, while Orthodoxy was diminishing and was shaken by the storm of persecution, he grieved in spirit, sighed and cried a lot. Having heard that in the West this heresy did not find followers and was completely rejected, since Pope Severin 834 did not accept the royal “exposition”, and his successor on the Roman throne, Pope John 835, anathematized this “exposition” at the council, Blessed Maximus left his monastery and went to Western countries. He wanted to find shelter in old Rome, since it was not possible to live in Jerusalem due to the Saracen attack on Palestine 836. He went to Rome, preferring to live with the Orthodox who firmly kept the faith. Heading there, he visited African bishops in the cities that lay on his way and, talking with them, confirmed them in the faith, taught them how to avoid the treachery of their opponents and how to get rid of their intricate networks 837; to some who were far away, he sent letters, teaching orthodoxy and urging them to beware of heresy in every possible way. At this time, Sergius, Patriarch of Constantinople, died, and his place was taken by Pyrrhus, an adherent of the same heresy 838; Cyrus, Patriarch of Alexandria, died in the same way, and then the king himself died. However, before his death, seeing that many great and holy bishops and God-wise fathers not only rejected his statement of faith, but also anathematized it, the tsar was greatly ashamed and announced everywhere that this was not his confession, but that of the former Patriarch Sergius, who himself wrote the “statement” and only convinced the tsar to sign it. When King Heraclius died, he was succeeded by his son Constantine 839, but even he, having reigned for only four months, died, secretly poisoned by his stepmother Martina, who, with the assistance of the patriarch 840, elevated her son Heraklion to the throne. But six months later all the dignitaries rebelled against Heraklion; Having seized him, they cut off his nose, as well as his mother Martina, and then drove them into exile in disgrace. They placed on the throne the son of Constantine, the grandson of Heraclius, named Constance, from whom Constantine was subsequently born, nicknamed Pogonatus 841. Upon the accession of Constance, the then Patriarch of Constantinople Pyrrhus, a like-minded person of Martina, who, according to popular opinion, together with her poisoned the son of Heraclius - Constantine, the father of the newly installed king Constance, was greatly frightened and, voluntarily relinquishing his patriarchal rank, fled into exile in Africa. After him, the Patriarchal throne of Constantinople was occupied by Paul 842, also a Monothelite heretic. The king was carried away by the same heresy and became its great champion and distributor. When the monk remained in the African country, Pyrrhus, the Patriarch of Constantinople, arrived there, who fled from his throne and, going around the cities, seduced the Orthodox into his heresy. He would have caused a lot of harm to the Church of Christ there if he had not had an opponent in the person of the Monk Maximus, meeting with whom he spent hours competing in debates about faith. The African bishops, of necessity, had to gather in Carthage to listen to the debate between both about the faith, since the patrician 843 Gregory, the ruler of that country, desired this. When the council was assembled and the debate began, the God-wise Maximus defeated Pyrrhus, refuting his arguments on the basis of the Divine books and the dogmas of the holy fathers 844. He proved that just as there are two natures in Christ God, so there must be two wills, two desires and actions in Him - inseparable, however, in one person. Defeated in the dispute, Pyrrhus joined the Orthodox and was received by the Church with love and honor, with the title of patriarch. At the same time he compiled a book of Orthodox confession. He then went to Rome to Pope Theodore, who was John's successor. The Pope received him with honor as the Orthodox Patriarch of Constantinople. When a rumor spread in Constantinople that Pyrrhus had joined the Orthodox, the crowd of heretics was darkened with envy. Having composed a false story, they spread a rumor among the people that the African bishops and the pope forced Pyrrhus, against his will, to join in with them. This rumor reached the king himself. The king immediately sent one of his dignitaries, a heretic named Olympia, to Italy so that he would again convert Pyrrhus to the Monothelite confession. Olympius, having arrived in Italy, stopped in the city of Ravenna 845 and, calling Pyrrhus from Rome, convinced him to return to his former heresy. Pyrrhus, having become like a dog returning to his vomit, became worthy of anathema, to which he was subsequently betrayed by the holy fathers along with his like-minded people. At the same time, King Constance, at the inspiration of the Patriarch of Constantinople, the heretic Paul, wrote, like his grandfather Heraclius, who compiled the “exposition,” his confession of faith, full of heresy, and, calling it a typos (model), sent it out everywhere, commanding that people believe so 846. This example of faith reached Rome when Pope Theodore was already on his deathbed. After his death, he was succeeded by Blessed Martin. The king wanted the newly installed pope to accept the type of faith he had written, but the pope rejected it, saying: – If the whole world wanted to accept this new teaching, contrary to Orthodoxy, I would not accept it and would not deviate from the Gospel and Apostolic teaching, as well as from the traditions of the Holy Fathers, even if I had to suffer death. Saint Maximus, Abba of the Chrysopolis Monastery, being in Rome at that time in 847, advised Blessed Pope Martin to convene a Local Council and condemn the royal confession, called “typos,” as heretical and contrary to the teachings of the Church of Christ. This was done 848. The pope, having convened his bishops, numbering one hundred and five, among whom was Abba Maximus, proposed for discussion the errors of Cyrus, Sergius, Pyrrhus and Paul, as well as the royal heretical confession, anathematized false teachings and wrote everywhere to all believers, confirming them in Orthodoxy, explaining heretical errors and warning in every possible way to beware of these latter. The king, hearing about this, was filled with anger and extraordinary rage and sent his governor Theodore Calliope to Italy, instructing him to capture Pope Martin - after accusing him of having entered into an agreement with the Saracens, teaching them to invade the Greco-Roman kingdom and go to war against the king - as if the faith betrayed by St. fathers, he wrongfully supports, and also blasphemes the Most Pure Mother of God. Arriving in Rome, the royal governor publicly raised these accusations against the pope. Blessed Martin, not being guilty of any crime alleged against him, defended himself against malicious slander. “With the Saracens,” he said, “I never entered into any agreement, but only sent alms to the Orthodox brothers living among the Saracens in extreme poverty and squalor. If anyone does not honor the Most Pure Mother of God, does not confess Her and does not worship Her, let him be cursed in the present century and in the future. The holy faith, betrayed by the holy apostles and holy fathers, is not us, but otherwise those who think wrongly preserve it. The royal governor, not listening to the pope's excuses, found him guilty of everything, adding that he had illegally ascended the throne. After this, he secretly captured the pope at night, using military force, and sent him to the king. The pope was imprisoned in Chersonesos, where he died in 849. A few days before the capture of the pope, the Monk Maximus was captured in Rome along with his disciple Anastasius and was sent in chains to Constantinople. This was done by royal command, for the king knew by whose advice and inspiration the council was convened to condemn the Monothelites and his message. When the monk arrived by water in Byzantium, men sent by the king appeared to him, already revealing strong hostility in their very eyes. They shamelessly grabbed the monk, barefoot and without clothes, bound in chains, and dragged him through the streets, accompanied by his distressed disciple. Having brought him into one dark room, they locked him up alone, not allowing his disciple, who was specially imprisoned, to be with him. A few days later, the monk was brought for questioning to the royal palace, to the full assembly of the Senate, but without the king at its head. When he entered there, everyone's eyes, filled with anger and hostility, turned to him. One of the dignitaries, the treasury 850, was entrusted with filming the interrogation. He was a man capable of abundant verbal debate, eloquent, well able to present false accusations and turn the truth into untruth; he was more versed in distorting the truth than anyone else. What kind of malice and shamelessness he showed, what reproaches and insults he did not inflict! He was not ashamed of the venerable old age of the saint, who was then more than seventy years old from birth, was not embarrassed by the grace that shone in his eyes, and did not spare either his meek and sedate, open and loving character, or the title of saint. While the unjust accuser said a lot about the innocent, which was in no way consistent with either truth or common sense, and revealed in his verbosity malicious cunning, insolence and cunning of character, he thereby showed in all his speeches the greatest shamelessness and unreason. Of course, he could not respond thoroughly to the convincing objections of the monk, filled with meekness and prudence, but only showed recklessness and confusion in his speeches, and therefore he was defeated. In particular, what was said and done then, what accusations were laid on the innocent, how deceitful people tried to present their lies under the guise of truth - this was described in detail by the disciple of St. Maximus, another Anastasius, who was an apocrisiary of the 851 Roman Church. We will recall here a little of his extensive narrative. As soon as the lawless accuser, the custodian by title, stood before the saint, he immediately began to revile him, the gentle one, with abusive words and intimidate him with threats, calling him unscrupulous, a traitor to the fatherland, an enemy of the tsar, and attributing to him everything shameful and criminal. When the saint asked the accuser why he was bringing such accusations against him and what betrayal he was reproaching him for, the dignitary launched an outrageous slander against him and presented deliberately false witnesses. He reproached the monk for betraying many great cities to the barbarians: thus, having torn Alexandria, all of Egypt and Pentapolis 852 from his native borders, he annexed them to the possessions of the Saracens, to whom he was friendly and benevolent. The saint explained that the accusation brought against him was false and worthy of laughter. “What do I have to do, monk,” he said, “with the conquerors of cities, and could I, as a Christian, have communication with the Saracens?” On the contrary, I have always wanted only one thing that is useful for Christian cities. But the shameless slanderer turned to other types of lies, weaving them like some kind of dreams, and, raising his voice to the point of indecency, shouted that blessed Maximus was blaspheming the eastern king, calling the western kings more worthy of honor. At the same time, he referred to false witnesses. The monk, sighing heavily, said to this: “I thank my God that I am delivered into your hands and endure torture for unjust guilt, in order to cleanse with them my free sins and the vices of my life.” But in order to briefly answer your false accusations, I will ask you first of all: did you hear from me the blasphemy against the king that you are talking about, or did someone else tell you about it? “We heard from others who heard it from your lips.” When the saint asked to call them to testify in person, the accusers said that they were no longer alive. “If you say that those who heard the blasphemy from my lips have already died, then why didn’t you bring me in for questioning earlier, when they were still alive?” Then you too would be freed from unnecessary labor, and I would be punished for my obvious guilt. But one thing is certain: just as your slander against me is false, so those who brought me to trial did not have God in their eyes, who tests the hearts of men. May I not be worthy to see the coming of the Lord and cease to be called a Christian, if I ever even thought about that false dream 853 invented by you, or told it to anyone, or heard it from anyone! Then they called one false witness, named Gregory, who claimed that he had heard in Rome how Maxim’s student Anastasius called the king “priest,” and he learned this from his teacher Maxim. Saint Maximus, objecting to Gregory, courageously refuted his false slander. He said: – When Gregory was in Rome, he talked with us only about unity of will, inviting us to accept a dogmatic work called “typos.” But we refused this, preferring what is useful to our souls. What you are saying now, neither I know, nor my disciple ever said - God is my witness! However, I remember how I said then, not to my disciple, but to Gregory himself, the following: to explore and define the dogmas of faith is the work of clergy, and not emperors, because it is left to them to anoint the king, and to lay hands on him, and to perform the sacrament of the Eucharist, and to stand at the altar, and to perform all other Divine and greatest sacraments. This is what I said then and what I say now. Grigory himself will not refuse to remember these words of mine, and if he refused, he would deny himself. For all this, let everyone either accuse or acquit me in court. Not knowing what to do, the accusers, relying on the power of perjury, took the monk out of the meeting. Then his student Anastasius was introduced. They tried to confuse the latter with stern speeches and harsh threats, convincing him to confirm the slander against his teacher. They forced him to testify that his teacher treated Pyrrhus cruelly in Rome when he competed with him about faith. Anastasius courageously asserted that his teacher not only did no harm to Pyrrhus, but also treated him with special respect. For such straightforwardness, they began to beat Anastasius on the neck, face and head with their fists, thus wanting to defeat the truth by violence - and then sent him to the previous prison. After this, not content with the previous false accusation and biased interrogation, they again called upon Saint Maximus and attempted to defeat his firmness with new slander. The slander was that Saint Maximus was a follower of the teachings of Origen 854 and agreed with him in everything. The saint easily and freely refuted their false accusations as completely unsubstantiated. He spoke of Origen as excommunicated from communion with Christ and with Christians, and recognized the followers of his teaching as worthy of God’s judgment. Then they again began to interrogate Saint Maximus about Pyrrhus and the reasons why he separated from the Patriarch of Constantinople and did not want to enter into communion with him. They also tested the saint with other questions, inviting him to accept the royal “typos” and treat the latter with special respect, as the most perfect and obligatory dogmatic presentation of the faith. The saint objected to them, and they annoyed him with many sharp reproaches. However, seeing themselves defeated by the Monk Maxim in all their disputes and entangled in their own networks, they dissolved the meeting and hastily went to the king to testify to the invincible courage of the Abba of Chrysopolis. “Maxim,” they said, “is invincible in speech, and no one can convince him to become our like-minded person, even if someone began to torture him!” After this, the monk was again put in prison. After a little time, other interlocutors came to him, believing that if they often compete with him and frighten him with menacing words, then it will be much more likely to persuade him to their faith. Those who came declared that they had been sent by the patriarch, and then began to ask the saint: – Which Church are you: Byzantine or Roman, Antioch, Alexandria or Jerusalem? For all these churches with their subordinate regions are in unity. Therefore, if you also belong to the Catholic Church, then immediately enter into communion with us, unless you want to undergo a severe exile and experience something you do not expect. To this the righteous man answered them very sensibly: – Christ the Lord called the Catholic Church that which contains the true and saving confession of faith. For this confession, he called Peter blessed, and promised to found the Universal Church on him 855. However, I want to know the content of your confession, on the basis of which all the churches, as you say, entered into communion. If it is not contrary to the truth, then I will not deviate from it. “Although we are not instructed to talk to you about this, we will say so.” We confess in Christ two actions due to the difference of natures and one action due to the union of both natures in one Person. – If you say about two actions that they became a single action as a result of the union of natures in one Person, then it means, in addition to those two actions, you also recognize a new, third action, merged, or Divine-human. “No,” the ambassadors answered, “we recognize two actions, but we are talking about one because of their connection.” – You yourself create a shaky faith for yourself and confess that God can exist without being. For if you merge two actions into one, because of the union of natures in one Person, and then divide the single action into two, because of the difference of natures, then there will be neither unity nor duality of actions, since duality by unity and unity by division are mutually exclusive; Moreover, these tricks make completely invalid that in which actions reside (i.e., God-manhood) - they even completely eliminate it, as not having such a manifestation inherent in it by nature, which could neither be taken away from nature nor changed. Otherwise, nature, as not manifesting itself in actions akin to it, according to the understanding of the holy fathers, would lose all existence 856. But I cannot admit this, and I did not learn from the holy fathers to believe so. You, as those who have power, do with me what you please. They, not knowing what to say to this, said that anyone who disobeys them should be subject to anathema and accept the death due to him. The saint meekly and humbly answered: “May the will of God be done on me for the glory of His holy name.” Then the ambassadors went to the patriarch and conveyed everything that had been said to the monk. The king, having consulted with the patriarch, as Pilate had once done with the Jews, condemned the saint to exile to a small town located in Thrace, named Visia 857. In the same way, they sent his disciple Anastasius in captivity to the distant outskirts of the Greek kingdom, to one very harsh place, called in the barbarian language Pervera 858. The same was done with another disciple of the monk, also Anastasius, who was once an apocrisiary in Rome, who later wrote the life of the monk Maximus. He was exiled to Mesemvria 859, a city in Thrace. At the same time, Blessed Martin, Pope of Rome, was brought to Constantinople, and after many sufferings he was exiled to imprisonment in Chersonesos 860. Even before his exile, when he was in Constantinople, Paul, Patriarch of Constantinople, died. After him, the above-mentioned Pyrrhus 861 was installed as patriarch, but he also died four months later. Then Peter 862, a stubborn follower of the same Monothelite heresy, ascended the patriarchal throne. Much time passed, and again venerable men were sent on behalf of the Tsar and Patriarch Peter to Saint Maximus: Theodosius, Bishop of Caesarea Bithynia 863, and two consuls, Paul and Theodosius, to convert him to their like-mindedness. They used many different methods to convert the saint, now flattering the saint, now threatening him, now testing him in faith, now questioning him. When they appeared together with the bishop of Vizia and ordered the saint to sit down, Bishop Theodosius turned to him with the words: - How are you, sir, Abba Maxim? - Just as the Lord from time immemorial foreknew and predetermined the circumstances of my life, preserved by His providence. Theodosius objected to this: - How so? Did God foreknow and predetermine the actions of each of us from eternity? – God foreknew our thoughts, words and deeds, which depend on our will; He provided and predetermined what should happen to us, but what is no longer in our power, but in His Divine will. Bishop Theodosius asked: – What is in our power and what is not in ours? “You know all this, my lord, and only by testing me, your servant, do you ask. - Truly, I do not know this, and I want to understand what is the difference between what is in our power and what is not, and how one relates to Divine foreknowledge, and the other to predestination? Reverend Maxim replied: – All our good and bad deeds depend on our will; The punishments and disasters that happen to us, as well as the opposite of them, are not in our power. In fact, we have no power over debilitating illness or health, but only over those conditions that cause illness or preserve health. At the same time, just as the cause of illness is incontinence, and abstinence is a condition for good health, so keeping the commandments of God is a condition for achieving the Kingdom of Heaven, and non-observance of them is the reason for being cast into fiery hell. “Why are you torturing yourself with this exile, committing something worthy of such a disaster?” “I pray to God,” answered the saint, “that He, punishing me with that disaster, will forgive me the sins committed by the transgression of His holy commandments.” – Isn’t it for testing that troubles happen to many? “Saints are tempted,” answered the monk, “so that their secret virtues are revealed to all, as was the case with Job and Joseph.” And truly, Job was tempted in order to discover courage unknown to anyone in him, and Joseph was exposed to adversity so that his chastity and abstinence, which make a person a saint, would become apparent. And each of the saints, if he suffered involuntarily in this world, then suffered precisely in order to defeat the proud apostate, the devil - the serpent, through the disasters allowed to him by God; the very patience in every saint was the result of temptation. To this Bishop Theodosius said: “Truly, you speak well and instructively, and I would like to always talk with you about such things, but since I and my companions, the most respectable patricians, came to you, despite the enormous distance, for another matter, we ask you: accept what we offer you, and bring joy to the whole universe.” - What exactly, my lord? - asked the saint. - And who am I and where am I from, so that my permission to your proposal could please the whole world? “Just as the truths of my Lord Jesus Christ are immutable, so what I will tell you, as well as my colleagues, dear patricians, we heard directly from our patriarch and pious king. “Tell me, my gentlemen,” answered Saint Maximus, “what do you want and what did you hear?” Then Theodosius began to say: – The Emperor and Patriarch, first of all, want to know from you: why are you moving away from communication with the throne of Constantinople? – You know the innovations adopted on the sixth indictment of the expired circle 864. They began in Alexandria through the promulgation by Cyrus, who was the patriarch there, of nine chapters approved and approved by the throne of Constantinople. There were other changes and additions (ekphesis and typos) that distorted the conciliar definitions. These innovations were made by the first representatives of the Byzantine Church - Sergius, Pyrrhus and Paul - and are known to all churches. This is the reason why I, your servant, do not enter into communion with the Church of Constantinople. Let these temptations introduced by the men mentioned above be destroyed in the Church - let those who introduced them be eliminated - and the path of salvation be cleared of obstacles, and then you will walk the smooth path of the Gospel, cleansed of all heresy! When I see the Church of Constantinople as it was before, then I will turn to her, as I was her son before, and will enter into communion with her without any human admonition. As long as there are heretical temptations and heretical bishops, no word or deed will convince me that I will ever enter into communication with them. “But what’s so bad,” asked Bishop Theodosius, “in our confession that you don’t want to have fellowship with us?” – You confess that there was one action in the Divinity and humanity of the Savior, while if you trust the holy fathers, who assert that whoever has one action has one nature, then you confess the Holy Trinity not as a Trinity, but as a quaternary, as if the incarnation was consubstantial with the Word and departed from the identity with the human nature that we have and had with the Most Pure Virgin Theotokos; after the departure from the sameness akin to man, it was as if a new essence had been formed, consubstantial with the Word to the same extent as the Word is consubstantial with the Father and the Spirit; Thus, it is no longer the Trinity, but the Quaternary. Likewise, when you deny actions and affirm that the Divinity and humanity of Christ had one will, you belittle His free self-activity in doing good. For if both natures do not have their own inherent action, then even if they want to do good to someone, they will not be able to do this, since the ability to do good has been taken away from them. After all, without the ability to act and without action inherent in nature, no thing can produce or do anything. On the other hand, recognizing the incarnation of Christ, you confess one will in two natures, but thereby you recognize that His Flesh, by its own will, was the creator of all ages and all creation, together with the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit; Meanwhile, by nature, she herself was created. Or better to say: the flesh is beginningless by its will - for the will of God is beginningless, just as the Divinity has no beginning - and by its nature the flesh was created in time. But to confess this way is not only insane, but also godless, for you are not just talking about the will in Christ alone, but calling it Divine, and the Divine will cannot have either a beginning or an end, just like the Divinity Himself. You also take away from Christ the Lord all the manifestations and properties by which His Divinity and humanity are known, when by ekphesis and typos you demand not to talk about either one or two wills in Him, or about His actions. This will is not one, because you divide it into two by the very subordination of the human will to the Divine; there are not two of them, because you merge them into one. When Saint Maximus said this and much more, as his disciple Anastasius reports in detail, Theodosius and the patricians began to realize their error. However, the bishop said: – Accept the typos written by the king not as a positive dogma of faith, but as a way of resolving dubious issues. He wrote not in the sense of legislation, but in the sense of interpretation of faith. - If typos is not a positive law that affirms the unity of the will and actions of our Lord, then why did you exile me to the country of barbarians and pagans ignorant of God? Why am I condemned to remain here in Viziya? Why were my colleagues expelled: one to Pervera, and the other to Mesemvria? When they then remembered that Local Council, which was convened in Rome by blessed Pope Martin to condemn the Monothelites, Bishop Theodosius said: – This council does not matter, because it was not convened by royal command. – If only the resolutions of councils convened by royal command are approved, then there cannot be an Orthodox faith. Remember the councils convened by royal command against consubstantiality, at which the blasphemous doctrine was established that the Son of God is not consubstantial with God the Father. These are the councils: the first in Tire, the second in Antioch, the third in Seleucia, the fourth in Constantinople under Eudoxius the Arian, the fifth in Nicaea, the sixth in Sirmium, and after a long time the seventh in Ephesus under the presidency of Dioscorus. All these councils were convened by royal orders; however, all of them were rejected and anathematized, since godless and ungodly definitions of religion were drawn up on them. Moreover, why don’t you reject the council that condemned Paul of Samosata and anathematized him? After all, at the head of this council were: Dionysius, the Pope of Rome, Dionysius of Alexandria and Gregory the Wonderworker, who presided over this council. This council took place without royal command; however, it is firm and irrefutable. The Orthodox Church recognizes as true and holy only those councils at which true and immutable dogmas are established. And truly, as your holiness knows this, and teaches others the same, the canons command that in every Christian country local councils be convened twice a year - both to protect our saving faith and to correct what requires correction; however, church rules do not talk about royal commands. After a long conversation and stubborn argument on both sides, the lips of the Monk Maxim were filled with Divine wisdom and eloquence, and his tongue, moved by the Holy Spirit, defeated his opponents. The latter sat silently for a long time, with their heads bowed and eyes downcast. Then they were moved and began to cry, after which they stood up and bowed to the saint, as he did to them. After joint prayer, they joyfully agreed with the true teaching of Saint Maximus and accepted this teaching with love, and they themselves promised to believe in accordance with him and hoped to convince the king as well. To confirm their promise, they kissed the Divine Gospel, the honorable cross and the holy icons of the Savior and the Most Holy Theotokos. Then, having talked enough about things useful to the soul, they kissed each other in the Lord and, wishing each other peace, returned - Bishop Theodosius and the patricians - to Byzantium. When they told the king everything that had been said and done, the king became very angry. Then Theodosius and both patricians, fearing the royal wrath, again turned to heresy. Then the patrician Paul was again sent to Visium with instructions to deliver the Monk Maximus to Constantinople, but with honor. When Saint Maximus was brought, he was ordered to live in the monastery of Saint Theodore 865. The next morning, the king sent two patricians to the monk - Epiphanius and Troilus. They appeared accompanied by many noble men, with a detachment of troops and servants, with pomp and vain grandeur. The aforementioned Bishop Theodosius also came with them, the Monk Maxim was expecting him and hoped for the fulfillment of his promise, according to which not only he himself had to truly believe, but also the king and all other representatives of the people to return to Orthodoxy. But Theodosius lied, preferring to please the king of the earthly and vain world, rather than follow the Heavenly King and His holy Church. When everyone sat down and convinced the monk to sit down, the patrician Troilus began the conversation. “The king, the ruler of the universe,” he began, “sent us to you to announce what pleases his royal power, approved by God, but first tell us: will you fulfill the will of the sovereign or not?” “First, I will listen, my lord, to what the sovereign commands me, and I will answer you accordingly.” For how can I answer what I do not yet know? Troilus insisted, saying: “We won’t tell you what we came with until you answer us whether you will obey the king.” The reverend husband, seeing that the messengers insistently demanded, looked angrily and interrogated him with harsh words whether he would obey the royal will, answered: “Since you do not want to tell me, your servant, what pleases our lord, the king, then I declare to you, in the face of God Himself and His holy Angels, the following: if the king commands me something that is of temporary and transitory significance, moreover, not contrary to God and harmless for the eternal salvation of the soul, then I will willingly fulfill it. When the saint said this, the patrician Troilus immediately stood up and wanted to leave, saying: “I’m leaving because I see that this husband will not fulfill the royal will.” But immediately a noise arose and great confusion began among the multitude of people who had come here. Then Bishop Theodosius said: - Tell him the will of the sovereign and listen to his answer, for it is not good to leave without telling him anything and without listening to his answer. After this, patrician Epiphanius began to say to the monk: “This is what the king orders to announce to you: since the entire East and those in the West who are carried away into temptation, looking at you, create unrest and unrest, being apostates from the faith and plotting intrigues, and do not want to have fellowship with us in the matter of faith, then may the Lord soften your heart with meekness, so that you enter into fellowship with us, accepting the standard we have issued. We, having received you with love, with great honor and glory, will introduce you into the church and place you next to us, where kings usually stand, and we will partake with you of the Most Pure and Life-Giving Mysteries of the Body and Blood of Christ. Then we will proclaim you our father, and there will be joy not only in our entire Christ-loving city, but throughout the entire Christian world. For we are firmly confident that when you enter into communion with the holy Church of Constantinople, then all those who for your sake and under your leadership have fallen away from communion with us will join us. Saint Abba Maxim, turning to Bishop Theodosius, said with tears: “All of us, lord, are awaiting the Great Day of Judgment. Do you remember what was recently said and promised before the Holy Gospel, the life-giving Cross and the holy icons of our Savior Jesus Christ and His Immaculate Mother, the Most Pure Theotokos and the Ever-Virgin Mary. The bishop, with his gaze downcast, meekly said: “What can I do when the pious king wants something different?” - Why did you and those with you touch the Holy Gospel when you did not have a firm intention to fulfill what you promised? Truly, all the powers of heaven will not convince me to do what you propose. For what answer will I give, I don’t say to God, but to my conscience, if because of empty glory and human opinion, worthless, I reject the right faith, which saves those who love it? When the saint said this, everyone immediately stood up, filled with anger and rage and, rushing to him, began not only to scold him with abusive words, but also laid their hands on him. Having grabbed him, they beat him with their hands, tormented him, dragged him back and forth across the floor, pushed him and trampled him with their feet, and everyone tried to reach him in order to hit him. They would certainly have killed the saint if Bishop Theodosius had not tamed their rage and calmed the unrest. When they stopped beating and tormenting the saint, they began to spit on him and spat on the man of God from head to toe. The stench came from their disgusting spittle, which stained all his clothes. – You shouldn’t do this; it was only necessary to listen to his answer and report it to the king, for matters subject to church rules are judged differently. With difficulty the bishop persuaded them to stop the noise and sit down again. They sat down, without ceasing to vilify the saint with rude curses and insulting reproaches. Then patrician Epiphanius, breathing with rage, turned to the saint with anger: – Tell us, evil old man possessed by a demon! Why are you saying such things? Don't you consider us all heretics, both our city and our king? Know that we are more Christians than you and more Orthodox than you. We recognize in Jesus Christ, our Lord, the Divine and human will and the rational soul, for every rational being always has both the power of will, by its very nature, and the ability to act. In general, a living being is characterized by movement, and the mind is characterized by will. We also recognize the Lord as having the power of will not only according to Divinity, but also according to humanity, and especially we do not deny His two wills and double actions. – If you believe as the Church of God teaches, and as is befitting a rational being, then why are you forcing me to accept a “type” that completely denies what you are saying now? – The typos was written to clarify truths that are not entirely clear, so that the people do not fall into error due to the particular subtlety of their expression. To this Abba Maxim replied: - This is contrary to faith, and yet every person is sanctified by the correct confession of faith. Then the patrician Troilus objected: – Typos does not deny the two wills in Christ, but only forces silence about them for the sake of the peace of the Church. Abba Maxim said to this: – To silence a word means to deny it, as the Holy Spirit speaks about this through the prophet: “There is no tongue, and there is no speech where their voice is not heard” (Ps. 18:4). Therefore, if a word is not expressed, then it is not a word at all. – Have whatever faith you like in your heart; no one forbids you. – But complete salvation depends not on heartfelt faith alone, but also on its confession, for the Lord says: “Whoever denies Me before men, I will also deny before My Father in heaven” (Matt. 10:33). Likewise, the Divine Apostle teaches: “with the heart they believe unto righteousness, and with their lips they confess unto salvation” (Rom. 10:10). If God and the Divine prophets and apostles command to confess in word and tongue the sacrament of faith, which brings salvation to the whole world, then silence regarding confession cannot be forced, so that the salvation of people is not diminished. To this Epiphanius exclaimed in an angry voice: – Did you sign the resolutions of the council that was held in Rome? “I signed it,” answered the saint. Then Epiphanius continued: – How did you dare to sign and anathematize those who profess the faith in a manner befitting rational beings and as the Catholic Church teaches? Truly, by our own judgment we will bring you into the city and put you in the square bound, we will gather all the comedians and harlots and all the people, and we will make them hit you on the cheeks and spit in your face. - Let it be as you said. If you claim that we have anathematized those who recognize two natures united in our Lord, as well as two wills and two actions corresponding to each nature in Christ the Lord, who by divine nature is true God, and by human nature is true man, then read, my lord, the book containing the acts of this council, and if you find that, what they said, do what you want. For I and my co-workers, and all those who signed the acts of the council, anathematized those who, like Arius and Apollinaris 866, recognize in the Lord one will and one action and do not confess our Lord and God to have two natures in which He abides, and equally has the power of will and action, by which He accomplishes our salvation. Then the friends of Epiphanius and the patricians, and everyone who came with them, began to say to each other: “If we continue to listen to him, we won’t have to eat or drink.” Therefore, let us go and have dinner and then tell the king and the patriarch what we have heard. You see that this damned one has given himself over to Satan. Then, getting up, they went to dinner. On this day it was the pre-celebration of the Exaltation of the Precious Cross and the time of the all-night vigil had already arrived. After dinner, they went to the city extremely dissatisfied. The next day (September 14), early in the morning, the patrician Theodosius appeared to the Monk Maximus, took away all the books that the saint had, and said on behalf of the king: - Since you did not want honor, then go into exile, which you deserve. The holy elder was immediately taken by the soldiers and taken first to Selemvria, where he remained for two days. During this time, one warrior from Selemvria, having gone to the army, spread a rumor throughout the camp, inciting the people against the elder with the words: “A certain monk has come to us who blasphemes the Most Pure Mother of God.” The commander of the army, calling on the most important clergy of the city of Selemvria, as well as presbyters, deacons and most honorable monks, sent them to Blessed Maximus to find out: is it true what they say about him, that he blasphemes the Mother of God? When they arrived, the monk stood up and bowed to the ground, paying homage to their rank. They also bowed to the saint and then all sat down. Then one of those who came, a very respectable elder, very meekly and respectfully asked the Monk Maxim: “Father, since some have been tempted regarding your holiness, claiming that you do not recognize our Lady, the Most Pure Virgin Mother of God, as the Mother of God, I conjure you by the Most Holy Trinity of Consubstantiality to tell us the truth and remove the temptation from our hearts, so that we too do not sin by thinking incorrectly about you. The Monk Maxim bowed to the ground in the shape of a cross, and then, standing up, raised his hands to the sky and solemnly said with tears: - Whoever does not confess our Lady, the all-sung, most holy and most immaculate virgin, the most honorable of all rational beings, the true Mother of God, who created heaven and earth, the sea and everything in them, let him be anathema from the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit, the consubstantial and prenatural Trinity, and from all the powers of heaven, from the face of the holy apostles and prophets, and the infinite multitude martyrs, and from every righteous soul who died in faith, now, always and forever! Hearing this, everyone shed tears and expressed their best wishes to him in the words: “May God strengthen you, father, and grant you the honor to complete your mission with dignity and without hindrance!” After this, many soldiers gathered there to listen to the pious speeches of the fathers talking with each other. Then one of the close associates of the army chief, seeing a large crowd of troops diligently listening to the words of the saint and blaming the government for expelling him, ordered to immediately take the saint out of there and lead him further two miles 867 until those who were to lead him to Pervera in captivity were equipped. The clergy, moved by Divine love, walked those two distances on foot, seeing off the saint. When the soldiers came to lead him into exile, the clergy carried the saint in their arms and put him on a horse. Then they hugged him with tears and, bidding him farewell, returned to their city. They took the saint to Pervera and imprisoned him there. Much time passed 868, and the king again sent to bring the Monk Maximus and both of his disciples to Constantinople from captivity. When they landed at the city on a ship, at sunset, two captains of the guard appeared with ten soldiers and, leading them out of the ship, half naked and barefoot, separated and imprisoned each one separately. A few days later they were taken to the royal chamber. Both students were left in the courtyard under guard, and the elder was led inside, where dignitaries and many most honorable persons were sitting. The saint was placed among the seated rulers. Then the royal treasurer, with irritation in his voice, turned to him: – By the grace of Christ, the God of all, I am a Christian. The treasurer was filled with anger and said: “You say that I am not a Christian, but God says that I always remain a Christian.” “But if you are a Christian,” the treasurer objected, “then why do you hate the king?” - Where can you see this from? - asked the saint. – After all, hatred is an innermost feeling of the soul, just like love. “From your deeds,” answered the treasurer, “everyone knew that you are an enemy of the king and his kingdom.” For you alone betrayed Egypt, Alexandria, Pentapolis, Tripolis and Africa to the Saracens. – Where is the reliable evidence of this? - asked the saint. Then they brought in a certain John, who had once been Sacellarius 869 of Peter - while Peter was the governor of Numidia Africanus 870 . This John said: “Twenty-two years ago, the grandfather of our lord the king commanded Blessed Peter to lead troops into Egypt against the Saracens. Peter, trusting you as a servant of God, wrote to you asking for useful advice. But you wrote to him that it was not pleasing to God to help King Heraclius and his heirs. “If you are telling the truth and have Peter’s letter to me and my letter to Peter, then show them; let them be read, and I will accept a worthy execution according to the law. “I don’t have your letters, and I don’t even know if you wrote to each other, but everyone in the camp was talking about it then.” “If the whole army talked about it, then why are you the only one slandering me?” Have you ever even seen me or have I ever seen you? “No,” answered John. - I've never seen you. Then the saint, turning to the meeting, said: – Judge for yourself: is it fair to put such people as witnesses? It is said: “With whatever judgment you judge, you will be judged; and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you” (Matthew 7:2). From God, the righteous Judge of all. Then they brought in Sergius Maguda. He said: “Nine years ago, blessed Abba Thomas, who came from Rome, told me the following: Pope Theodore sent me, he said, to Gregory, the prefect of Africa, who at that time had revolted from the Greek empire, to tell him not to be afraid of the Greek troops, for the servant of God, Abba Maximus, had a dream that in heaven, in the east and in the west, stood the faces of Angels. Of these, those who were in the east exclaimed: “Constantine Augustus, you will win!” Those in the west exclaimed: “Gregory Augustus, you will win!” At the same time, the voice of the Western face was clearer and louder than the Eastern one. When Maguda stated this, the treasurer said to the saint: “God brought you to this city to be burned with fire.” “I thank God, who cleanses my voluntary sins with involuntary punishments.” But “woe to the world because of temptations, for temptations must come; but woe to that man through whom temptation comes” (Matthew 18:7). Truly, one should not say this before Christians, much less leave without punishment those who say and think only what is pleasing to people who are living today, but who will not exist tomorrow. All this had to be announced at a time when Gregory was still alive. Then the patrician Peter, Abba Thomas and blessed Pope Theodore should have been called here; I, in the presence of all of them, would say to the patrician Peter: tell me, my lord, have you ever written to me about what your sacellarium testifies to, or perhaps I wrote to you? In the same way, I would say to the blessed pope: tell me, sir, have I ever told you a dream? But if dad had denounced me regarding sleep, it would have been his fault, not mine, for sleep vision is an involuntary thing, and the law punishes only those actions that depend on a person’s free will. At the same time, other slander and unjust accusations were raised against the innocent and holy man, especially regarding blasphemy against the king, as if he and his disciples had blamed the king in Rome. However, the saint, proving his innocence, refuted all these slander, in his meekness, with humble, wise and inspired speeches. Then his student Anastasius was introduced separately. They urged him to say something bad about his teacher, and when he did not want to speak untruths against the righteous man, they beat him with their fists and then took him and his teacher, each separately, to their places in prison. The next day in the evening, the patrician Troilus and Sergius Euphrates, the head of the royal meal, came to the monk in prison. They sat down and, forcing the monk to sit down, asked: “Tell us, Abba, what kind of conversation did you have in Africa and in Rome with Pyrrhus and with what arguments did you convince him to renounce his own dogma and accept your dogma?” “If I had my books with me, in which I wrote down the conversations and disputes that Pyrrhus and I had there, then I would tell you everything in detail; but since the books were taken from me, I will say what I can remember. Then the saint told in order everything that he could remember, adding in conclusion the following: – I do not have any dogma of my own, but only a common one for the entire Catholic Church; I have not introduced into my confession a single new word by which it could be called my own. Then the messengers asked him: - Why don’t you enter into communication with the throne of Constantinople? - Why? - they asked. “Because,” answered the Saint, “that the leaders of this church rejected the decrees of the four holy councils, accepting as the rule the “nine chapters” published in Alexandria, and then accepted the ekphesis compiled by Sergius, Patriarch of Constantinople, and finally, the typos, recently promulgated. On the other hand, they rejected everything approved in ekphesis in typos and many times excommunicated themselves from the Church and exposed them as wrong-thinkers. Moreover, having excommunicated themselves from the Church, they were deposed and deprived of the priesthood at the Local Council that recently took place in Rome. What kind of secret action can they perform? Or what Spirit will descend upon those who are ordained by them? “So you alone will be saved,” they objected to him, “and all the others will perish?” – When all the people worshiped the golden image in Babylon, the three holy youths did not condemn anyone to destruction. They were not concerned about what others were doing, but only about themselves, so as not to fall away from true piety (Dan. 3). In the same way, Daniel, thrown into the ditch, did not condemn any of those who, fulfilling the law of Darius, did not want to pray to God, but had in mind their duty and wished to die rather than sin and be executed before their conscience for transgressing the Law of God (Dan. 14:31). And God forbid that I condemn anyone, or say that I alone will be saved. However, I would rather agree to die than to deviate in any way from the right faith and endure the pangs of conscience. “But what will you do,” the messengers told him, “when the Romans unite with the Byzantines?” Yesterday, two apocrisiaries came from Rome, and tomorrow, on Sunday, they will commune with the Patriarch of the Most Pure Mysteries. “If the whole universe begins to commune with the patriarch, I will not commune with him.” For I know from the writings of the holy Apostle Paul that the Holy Spirit would anathematize even the Angels if they began to preach the gospel differently, introducing anything new (Gal. 1:8). Then the messengers asked: – Is it really absolutely necessary to confess two wills and two kinds of activity in Christ? “It is absolutely necessary,” answered the saint, “if we want to think piously, for no creature is devoid of natural activity.” The Holy Fathers clearly say that not a single being can exist or be known without an action akin to it. If this is not the case and if nature is not revealed in action, then how can Christ be recognized as true God by nature and true man? – We see that this is the true truth, however, do not upset the king, who, for the sake of the peace of the Church, compiled a typos not to deny any of the properties recognized in Christ, but for the sake of the peace of the Church, commanding silence about those things that give rise to disagreement. Then the man of God, prostrating himself on the ground, answered with tears: “The good and God-loving king should not be upset about my unworthiness, for I do not want to anger God by keeping silent about what He commanded to recognize and confess.” For if, according to the word of the Divine Apostle, He Himself ordained “in the Church, firstly, apostles, secondly, prophets, thirdly, teachers” (1 Cor. 12:28), then it is clear that He Himself speaks through them. From the entire Holy Scripture, from the works of holy teachers and from the decrees of councils, we learn that the incarnate Jesus Christ, our Lord and God, has the power to will and act according to Divinity and humanity. For He is not at all deficient in those properties by which He is known as God or as man, except for sin. If He is perfect in both natures and is not devoid of anything characteristic of them, then, truly, he completely distorts the mystery of His incarnation, who does not recognize in Him the very essence of both natures with their corresponding properties - the natures through which and in which He resides. When the saint outlined this and much more, those who came praised his wisdom and did not find anything to object to him. Sergius said: “You alone upset everyone, precisely because because of you many do not want to have communion with the local Church.” Reverend Maxim objected: – But who can claim that I commanded anyone not to have communion with the Byzantine Church? To this Sergius replied: “The very fact that you do not communicate with this Church most of all turns many away from communion with it. The man of God said to this: “There is nothing more painful and sadder than the state when our conscience accuses us of something, and there is nothing more valuable than the peace and approval of our conscience.” Then Troilus, drawing attention to the fact that the “typos” of King Constans was anathematized throughout the West, said to the saint: “Is it good that the interpretation of our pious sovereign is so dishonored?” The saint replied: - May God forgive those who inspired the emperor and allowed him to issue this decree! – Who inspired it and who allowed it? - The primates of the Church taught, but the dignitaries allowed it, and thus the shame of temptation falls on the innocent king, alien to all heresy. However, advise the sovereign to do the same as his grandfather Irakli, of blessed memory, once did. When he learned that many fathers in the West did not accept the “statement” of faith, and also denounced and condemned the heresy contained therein, he cleared himself of the reproach for this by sending out his messages everywhere and claiming in them that the “statement” did not belong to him, but to the former Patriarch Sergius. Let the now reigning sovereign do the same, and then he will be freed from all reproach. They were silent for a long time, shaking their heads, and then said: “It’s inconvenient and even impossible to do everything you advise, Abba.” Having talked enough about various subjects, they said goodbye and parted amicably. A week after this conversation, on the following Saturday, the saint and both of his disciples were again called to the royal chamber for interrogation. First, his earlier disciple Anastasius was introduced, and another Anastasius, a former apocrisiary of the Roman Church, was placed outside the chamber. When the first Anastasius was brought into the hall where two patriarchs were sitting among the members of the Senate: Thomas, the Patriarch of Constantinople, and some other, slanderers immediately entered, raising false accusations against the Monk Maximus. Those present forced Anastasius to confirm the slander against his teacher. But he boldly exposed the lies, courageously objecting before the patriarchs and the Senate. When they asked him whether he anathematized the “typos,” he replied that he not only anathematized, but also compiled a book against him. Then the dignitaries asked: - What? Don't you admit that you did wrong? “God forbid me,” answered Anastasius, “to consider as bad what I did well, according to the church rule.” When he was then asked about many other things, he answered how God helped him. After this, he was taken out and the venerable elder Maxim was brought in. Patrician Troilus addressed him with the words: - Listen, Abba, tell the truth, and God will have mercy on you. For if we begin to interrogate you legally and at least one of the accusations brought against you turns out to be true, then you will be executed according to the law. The elder answered: – I have already told you and I will tell you again: it is as possible for at least one accusation to be fair as it is possible for Satan to become God; but since Satan is not God and cannot become Him, being an apostate, then those accusations cannot become true which are completely false. Therefore, whatever you want to do, do it; I, while piously honoring God, am not afraid of offense. “But didn’t you anathematize the typos?” – I have already said several times that I anathematized. “But if you,” said Troilus, “anathematized the “typos,” then, therefore, the king? “I did not anathematize the Tsar,” answered the monk, “but only the charter that overthrew the Orthodox and church faith.” -Where did you anathematize? - Troil asked. “At the Local Council, in Rome,” answered Saint Maximus, “in the Church of the Savior and the Most Holy Theotokos.” Then the chairman turned to him: – Will you enter into fellowship with our church or not? “No, I won’t join,” answered the saint. - Why? – asked the chairman. “Because she,” answered the saint, “rejected the decrees of Orthodox councils.” “But if our church rejected councils,” the chairman objected, “then how are they written in the monthly diptych 871?” “What is the use,” answered the saint, “of names and their recollection if the dogmas of those councils are rejected?” “Can you,” asked the chairman, “clearly show that the present Church has rejected the dogmas of the former holy councils?” “If you don’t get angry and command,” the elder answered, “then I can easily show you.” When everyone fell silent, the treasurer addressed him: - Why do you love the Romans so much and hate the Greeks? – We have a commandment from God - not to hate anyone. I love the Romans as being of the same faith with me, and the Greeks as speaking the same language as me. - How old are you? – asked the treasurer. “Seventy-five,” answered the saint. “And how many years,” continued the treasury guard, “has your student been with you?” “Thirty-seven,” answered the saint. At this time one of the clerics exclaimed: - May God reward you for everything you did to blessed Pyrrhus. The saint did not answer this cleric. During these rather lengthy interrogations, none of the patriarchs who were there said anything. When they began to spread about the council that took place in Rome, a certain Demosthenes declared: “This council is not true, because it was convened by Martin, the excommunicated pope. The Monk Maxim answered: – Pope Martin was not excommunicated, but persecuted. After this, having sent the saint out, they consulted what to do with him? The inhuman tormentors found that it would be too merciful to leave him to live as before, in captivity, and that it was better to subject him to torment more severe than death. Therefore, they handed him over to the city governor. The prefect ordered Saint Maximus and his disciples to be taken to the praetorium 872. Here the lawless tormentor, first of all, exposed the holy elder and threw him to the ground, ordered to beat him with sharp ox sinews, not being ashamed of either his old age or his venerable appearance, and not being touched by the sight of his body, exhausted by the exploits of fasting. They beat the saint so cruelly that the ground was stained with his blood, and his body was so dissected that not a single undamaged place remained on it. Then the ferocious beast turned with rage towards the disciples of the monk and beat them to the same extent. When they were beaten, the herald exclaimed: “Those who disobey the king’s commands and remain disobedient deserve to endure such suffering. Then they, barely alive, were thrown into prison. The next morning they again brought the holy and venerable man to the court from prison with his first disciple Anastasius. The saint was still alive and covered with wounds, so it was impossible to look without compassion at the venerable old man, the holy faster, the God-wise teacher and confessor-theologian, all bloody and ulcerated with deep wounds, not having an intact place from head to toe. However, the cruel tormentors did not take pity on him, but became even more embittered. Having taken out his many-verb tongue, which flowed with rivers of wise teachings and drowned heretical speculations, they cut it off deep, at the very larynx, without any mercy, and thus they wanted to impose silence on the theological lips of the saint. They did the same with his earlier student Anastasius, and then they were again imprisoned. But the Lord God, who once made infants capable of praising His holy name, and also gave the dumb the ability to speak, and these His true and faithful servants, the Venerable Maximus the confessor and martyr, as well as his disciple the Venerable Anastasius, gave the opportunity to speak even better and more clearly without a tongue than before, before the truncation of the tongue. Oh, how ashamed the damned heretics were when they learned about this! Inflamed with even greater anger, they cut off his right hand and threw him to the ground. In the same way they cut off the hand of his disciple, Saint Anastasius. They spared another of his disciples, also Anastasius, a former apocrisiary of the Roman Church, since he was at times a secretary to the sovereigns. After this, the Monk Maximus and his disciple were taken out of the praetorium, and they were dragged throughout the city with desecration - they showed their cut off tongues and hands to all the people and made shouts and ridicule with ugly voices. After such inhuman mockery and dishonorable abuse, all three were sent, each separately, into distant exile, without any care for them, without food and clothing, naked and barefoot. They experienced many disasters and suffering along the way. The Monk Maxim, due to severe wounds, could not stay on either a horse or a cart. The warriors wove a basket like a bed, and, having placed the grievously suffering old man in it, they could with great difficulty carry him to the place of imprisonment. Having escorted him to a remote Scythian country, which in Europe is called Alania 873, they imprisoned him in a dungeon in the city of Shemari. His venerable disciple Anastasius, whose tongue and hand were cut off, still died on the way with his much-labored and much-suffering body, and his soul passed on to God into immortal life. The Monk Maxim lived in his last exile, amidst great suffering, for another three years. Imprisoned in prison, he did not receive from anyone the services necessary in his old age, or humane care. When the Lord wanted to put an end to his illnesses and sorrows and lead him out of prison into the eternal expanse and joy of the Heavenly Kingdom, he first consoled him with one Divine appearance on earth, and then announced to him the hour of death. The blessed sufferer was filled with great joy, and although he was always ready for death, he began to diligently prepare for it. When the joyful hour of death came for him, he joyfully gave up his soul into the hands of Christ God, Whom he loved from his youth and for Whom he suffered so much. Thus, the confessor of Christ and martyr fulfilled his life's journey 874 and entered into the joy of his Lord. He was buried in the same city. After the burial of the saint, three wonderful lamps were visible on his grave, shining with a flame of indescribable radiance and illuminating the place. The saint, who during his life was the light of the world, and after his death did not cease to shine and now shines for all people with the example of his virtuous and long-suffering life and great zeal for God. Those three lamps seen on the saint’s tomb served as a clear sign that the Holy Saint of God had taken up residence in the bright abodes of the Most Holy Trinity, unflickering in the Kingdom of God, where he shines with the righteous like the sun and enjoys the contemplation of the Trinity light. After the death of the Monk Maxim, another of his disciples, the apocrisiary Anastasius, remained alive, in separate confinement, who subsequently described in particular detail the life, exploits and sufferings of his father and teacher. From this description we have taken here in abbreviation that which is sufficient for our benefit, for the glorification of God, glorified in the saints, the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit, to whom, from us sinners, be honor, glory and worship, now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen. The Trinity of the zealot and the great Maxim, teaching clearly the Divine faith, to glorify Christ in two natures, wills and actions, in worthy songs, faithfulness, we honor the cry: Rejoice, preacher of the faith. The Tri-radiant Light, which has entered into your soul, the vessel chosen to show you to the all-blessed, who is the Divine end, you speak of inconvenient understandings, blessed one, and preach the Trinity to everyone, Maxima, clearly, the Subsistent, the Beginningless. Maxim - lat. Maximus – Corresponds to the Greek, which means greatest. The correspondence between the name of Saint Maximus and his personal qualities and his life is indicated by his disciple, the Monk Anastasius, in his letter to Theodore, presbyter of Gangra. – Saint Maximus was born around 580. During the second interrogation in Constantinople, which took place in 655, he said that he was 75 years old. Emperor Heraclius ascended the throne in 600 and reigned until 641. The Monothelite heresy arose at the beginning of the 7th century and was a continuation of the Monophysite heresy. The Monothelites recognized in Christ one will and one divine action and thus distorted the dogma of the incarnation of God the Word. According to Orthodox teaching, will is a property of nature, and not of person, and therefore the Lord Jesus Christ, as by nature God and by nature man, had both Divine and human will. Without this latter, He would not have been a perfect man by nature. Cyrus occupied the patriarchal see in Alexandria from 630–640. Sergius I was Patriarch of Constantinople from 610–638. The Chrysopolis monastery lay on the opposite bank of the Strait of Constantinople, now Scutari, near Chalcedon. He was famous for the pious life of the monks. Here Saint Maximus took monastic vows and was then elected Abba. Abba is a Syrian word, meaning “father.” This name was adopted by the head of the monastery. The psalmist prefers to “lie at the threshold” of the house of God rather than live luxuriously in the chambers of sinners. This statement of faith, issued in the form of an edict, or decree, binding on everyone, prohibited all disputes about one or two wills in Christ, but at the same time proclaimed the doctrine of one will as the correct teaching. But even after this, disputes worried the Eastern Church. Severinus – Pope from 638–640. Pope John IV occupied the Roman see from 640–642. The Eastern Empire at the beginning of the 7th century suffered constant attacks from the Avars and especially from the Persians, and was also constantly threatened by the Arabians, or Saracens. In 637–640, Syria, Palestine and Egypt fell under Saracen rule. This was greatly facilitated by the Monothelites, who, due to their enmity towards the Orthodox Church, were always ready to surrender into the hands of their enemies. The number of Monophysites in Egypt alone reached 6 million, while there were about 300 thousand Orthodox Christians there. Emperor Heraclius tried in every possible way to reconcile the Monophysites with the Orthodox Church. For this reason he issued the ekphesis. St. Maximus arrived in Africa around 640. Previously, he affirmed the Orthodox faith from 633 to 640 in Alexandria, Constantinople, Cyprus, Asia Minor and other countries. He lived in North Africa for five years, from 640 to 645. Pyrrhus succeeded Sergius in 639. At the council he convened, he approved the “exposition” (ekphesis) of Sergius and zealously continued the work of defending heresy. Constantine III was Byzantine Emperor in 641. Popular rumor attributed to Patriarch Pyrrhus complicity with Martina, the stepmother of Emperor Constantine, in the poisoning of the latter. Fearing the wrath of the people, he fled to North Africa in 641 and left the patriarchal throne. Until 650 he lived first in Africa and then in Rome. Constance reigned from 641–668, Constantine IV Pogonatus from 668–685. Paul II occupied the patriarchal see in Constantinople from 641–654. In the Greco-Roman Empire, rulers of regions were often called patricians; People of noble birth in general were also called the same. Patrician Gregory was the ruler of Carthage. Carthage was located northeast of Tunisia. Founded by Dido, Queen of Tire, around 860 BC. In 148 BC, it was subordinated to the Roman Empire. Conquered in 439 A.D. by the Vandals, it was returned to the Roman Empire in 533 by Belisarius. In 697, the Arabs finally destroyed it. Public Debate of St. Maximus and Pyrrhus took place in July 645. Ravenna - with a pier on the Adriatic Sea, built by the Thessalian Greeks. Many Roman emperors had their main residence here, and therefore this province is sometimes called Romagna. Emperor Augustus kept his fleet here. Patriarch Paul, Pyrrhus's deputy, following the example of Sergius, convinced Constance to issue a new dogmatic edict in 648, “A Pattern of the Faith” (typos). This edict ordered that regarding controversial issues - about the wills of Christ - to remain completely silent, and to be content with what was approved at the first five Ecumenical Councils. Saint Maximus arrived in Rome at the end of 645 and lived here for ten years, from 645 to 655. Saint Pope Martin was previously an apocrisiary (i.e., attorney) of the predecessor of his pope Theodore at the Byzantine court and lived for a long time in Constantinople. Upon his accession to the papal throne in May 649, an imperial edict (tipos) was sent to him from Constantinople with the command to adhere to it. Saint Martin refused and, together with Saint Maximus, began to seek measures to eradicate heresy. At the end of 649, he convened in Rome the so-called Lateran Council of 150 bishops, with the participation of Saint Maximus. At this council, the Orthodox doctrine of two wills and actions in Jesus Christ was approved, and the champions of heresy - Theodore of Parano, Sergius of Constantinople, Patriarchs Pyrrhus and Paul and, finally, Cyrus of Alexandria, as well as the ekphesis of Heraclius and the typos of Constance were anathematized, and the “acts” of the council were sent to Emperor Constance. Saint Pope Martin was taken into custody in 653 and, by order of Emperor Constance, was sent to Constantinople. Together with Saint Maximus, he arrived in Constantinople in September 654. What their fate was during the year-long journey is unknown. Saint Martin, accused of treason and insult to the royal majesty, was exiled to Chersonesos, where he died on September 16, 655, tortured by hunger. Treasurer - in Greek. Gasophylax. This word comes from the Persian gas - estate, wealth - and the Greek. I keep it. Gasophilakia is a public treasury, a royal or church treasury (Mark 12:41; John 8:20). Apocrisiary is a Greek word that means intercessor, lawyer in church affairs - at the royal court. The reason for this accusation was that Gregory, the prefect of Africa, at one time located under Saint Maximus, broke away from the Empire around 650. – Pentapolis is the western part of Libya, adjacent to Egypt. This dream, which (seemingly) coincided in time with the indignation of the prefect of Africa Gregory, is discussed in detail in the life below. During one of the subsequent interrogations, Rev. Maximus was again accused of inciting Gregory to revolt through a dream attributed to him. Origen is the most famous Christian teacher of the 3rd century. In his numerous writings, which even the most remarkable of the Church Fathers treated with deep respect, Origen, however, held some opinions of a non-Orthodox and heretical nature, for which they were condemned as heretical, although Origen did not express his non-Orthodox opinions as immutable truths. This was his doctrine of the pre-existence of souls, condemned at the Fifth Ecumenical Council in 553. According to the understanding of the holy fathers, no nature can either exist or be knowable without manifesting itself in actions akin to it. Therefore, with the recognition of one will in the Lord Jesus Christ, one of the natures would have to lose its existence, would cease to exist. At the same time, God-manhood would also disappear. Thus, the dogma of the incarnation was distorted among the Monothelites. Thrace was bordered in the north by the Carpathian Mountains, from Illyria, in the south its borders were: Macedonia, the Aegean Sea (Archipelago) and Propontis (Sea of ​​Marmara), and in the east the Black Sea. Thus, ancient Thrace belonged to: the eastern part of Hungary, Transylvania, Moldavia, Wallachia, Bulgaria, Serbia and the eastern part of Rumelia. Vizia is a town in the east of Thrace, near the Black Sea. It was the capital of a small district called Astik. Its inhabitants robbed everyone who was shipwrecked near their cities. Pervera is a city in the gorges of Mount Olympus, between Macedonia and Thessaly. Mesemvria is a city in the east of Thrace, on the Black Sea coast. This was in 655. – Chersonesos on the eastern side of the Tauride Peninsula. Paul died in 655. Peter ruled the Patriarchate of Constantinople from 655–666. Bithynia was bordered in the north by the Black Sea, in the west by Mysia, in the south by Phrygia and Galatia, and in the east by Paphlagonia. Nowadays it occupies the northern part of Anatolia. Indict - according to the Roman calendar - means a period or circle of time of 15 years. The first year in this circle was called the first indict, the second year - the second indict, etc. In the Greek and Slavic monthly books, under September 1 it was written: “the beginning of the indict, that is, the new summer.” In the cited passage from the life of Saint Maximus, the words: “of the sixth indictment of the expired circle” should be understood as “nine years ago,” i.e., in 648. This was in 655. – The monastery of the Great Martyr Theodore was located on the outskirts of Constantinople. Apollinaris, Bishop of Laodicea, taught that the Son of God, having become incarnate, took on an incomplete human nature, but only a human soul and body, while His human mind was replaced by the Divine. This heresy was condemned by the 2nd Ecumenical Council. Field is a measure of distance equal to our 690 fathoms. The two fields thus amount to approximately 2 2 3 miles. Sacellarium - from saccilus bag - the same as a treasury guard. There were two Sakellarii - the imperial and the patriarchal. Numidia was located in northern Africa. Nowadays it forms the eastern part of Algeria. Diptych means remembrance, synodic. These were two tables, folded like tablets, on which the names of the living and the dead were written. The most important events of church life were also noted in the monthly diptychs. Pretoria is where the trial took place. In front of the praetorium, flagellations often took place. Alania was located in Asian Sarmatia, in the western part of the Caucasus Mountains, near the Black Sea. The works of Saint Maximus did not perish. The Sixth Ecumenical Council (680) worthily honored the Confessor and anathematized the heretics and their teaching. – The best of the works of St. Maximus are those that depict spiritual life, and especially the following: 1) On love for the presbyter Elpidius, 400 chapters; 2) Ascetic teaching, in questions and answers also to Elpidia; 3) On virtue and vice 500 chapters; 4) Message to Bishop George about pride; 5) To the Kuvicularius John - about love and sorrow for God. In all his dogmatic writings, the Monk Maxim has in mind almost exclusively the Monothelites and Monophysites, with whom he fought so zealously in his life. He wrote against the Monothelites: 1) Two volumes of dogmas to Marinus in Cyprus; 2) About two wills in Christ, about actions and wills in Christ, also Marina and many other less extensive articles. It is written against the Monophysites: 1) about the correct dogmas of faith and against the North; 2) about two natures in Christ. He also wrote 5 conversations about the Holy Trinity and a letter to Presbyter Marin “about the origin of the Holy Spirit.” The Monk Maxim was quite busy explaining the Holy Scriptures. He left several experiences in interpreting Scripture: 1) answers to dubious passages of Scripture; 2) short answers about difficult subjects; 3) explanation of Psalm 59; 4) interpretation of the “Our Father” prayer; 5) explanation of the book of Song of Songs. In addition, from the Monk Maxim there remained a ritual work - an explanation of the liturgy or secret teaching and some other works: about the soul, about quality, etc. - The works of the Monk Maxim are rich in high dogmatic and moral thoughts. You might be interested in: