About teaching in the Orthodox Church

Read at the solemn meeting of the St. Petersburg Brotherhood in the name of the Most Holy Theotokos, which took place on the occasion of the tenth anniversary of its existence, on May 1, 1894. Recently, the question of teaching in the Church has been raised more than once in society and the press. Some want to hear the teaching of faith and piety only, or at least primarily, from initiates, while others grant freedom of preaching in general to knowledgeable and enlightened persons, without distinction of rank or position. Whose side is the truth on? The question of teaching in the Church is not only modern, but also very important. Its importance is evidenced by the great power that the word, especially God’s, has in our spiritual life. We know this power, but it seems that we do not fully recognize it, we do not always recognize it as we should, we do not think about it as its importance deserves, but we must know and recognize it for the benefit of ourselves and others. There is a deep correspondence between the spiritual world and the material world. High minds have glimpsed this mysterious connection between heaven and earth, but our Divine Teacher points it out with tangible clarity in His wondrous parables. In the very first of them and, as it were, dominant over all of them, it is said: The seed is the word of God (Luke 8:11). What other word can more clearly and clearly express the power of a word? As the seed is in the field, so is the word in our soul. What is a seed? - The beginning of life. There is no seed, no root, no sprout, no leaves, no fruit. Didn’t You sow good seed in the field? Where did the tares come from? 1, the Lord’s servants ask in another parable. So, only good, pure, and selected seed should be sown. If even with this good sowing it is possible for the growth of tares sown by the enemy, what will happen if in a person’s soul only these tares are sown and completely fill the soul? As soon as we mentally imagine this terrible power of the word, horror takes over both ourselves and many, many others. What is the field of our hearts being sown every day, given the current freedom and prevalence of the printed word? How much litter, thoughtlessness, idle thinking, jokes, jokes, sometimes direct and obvious temptations, blasphemous and deceitful thoughts are daily applied to this sad, for many completely abandoned, field? Where are the means to cleanse this unfortunate field? In the same word of God; it has supernatural powers. According to the explanation of the Holy Scriptures, it, like a sword, penetrates to the division of soul and spirit and judges our feelings and thoughts of the heart (Heb. 4:12); like a hammer, it breaks our stony hearts and draws from them tears of tenderness and repentance; - like fire, it burns up all the impurities of the heart in us (John 15:3); like a lamp, it shines in our dark and gloomy soul (2 Pet. 1:10) 2, indicating the path of life to a quiet pier visible in the distance. So, this is the meaning of the word of truth, about which there is a dispute about who to proclaim it to. To whom should we proclaim it? In the same parable about the Sower, the Lord said: He who sows good seed is the Son of Man 3 . So, this is who the Sower of the word is. By Whose word appeared on the newly created earth, even before the creation of the sun and moon, the former herb, sowing seed according to kind and likeness, and the fruitful tree creating fruit 4. By Him, the self-existent Word of God, is sown in our soul - and this is the seed of life. Out of love for us, the only begotten Son of God became the Son of Man, in order, among other good deeds, after many Old Testament revelations, to again personally proclaim and teach us this saving and healing word. The revelation of the truth to those lost in the darkness of unbelief and superstition is one of the great purposes of the Atonement, the same as taking upon ourselves our sins and reconciling us with the justice of God. The prophets saw from afar and joyfully welcomed this mercy of the Lord, pointing out at the same time that the discovery of truth does not depend on the means and methods of spreading human enlightenment, just as at the beginning of the world the growth and color of plants did not depend on the light and warmth of the sun, without which, according to our human understanding, they could not exist. Not glorious Athens and Alexandria, not mighty Rome, were chosen as the place for the shining of the light of truth in the world, but a little-known country and the darkest part in it. The land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, the path of the sea on the floor of the Jordan, the tongue of Galilee, the people who sit in darkness and the shadow of death, light has come to them (Matthew 4:15–16). So, our Lord Jesus Christ is not only the first Teacher in the Christian world, but also the only one. There is one Redeemer, one Teacher. The Lord instills this truth in us with special insistence: “You are not called,” He says, “teachers, for you have one teacher - Christ, yet you are brethren” (Matthew 23:8). “Go,” He said to the apostles, “teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to keep everything that I have commanded you” (Matthew 28:19–20). The special purpose of sending the Holy Spirit on the apostles seems to be so that He would remember to them everything that Christ said (John 14:26). In the word of the Lord His royal power is revealed and acts. My kingdom is not of this world 5. Where? in what? For this reason I was born and for this reason I came into the world, that I may bear witness to the truth, and everyone who is of the truth will listen to My voice (John 18:37). So, it is far from indifferent to listen to this or that teacher, read this or that book. Attention to the truth of Christ demonstrates obedience to Christ and confirms belonging to His kingdom. But the Lord, the Teacher of truth, ascended to heaven. Who now proclaims His word? May the apostles, to whom He sent down the Holy Spirit, remember everything that He said to them while He was with them? Yes, without a doubt, the writings of the holy Apostles are inspired by God. Every word is their truth. However, there was a time when all Christians did not know exactly what the apostolic writings were, and such perplexity continued not for a year, not two, but for centuries, until the canon of the New Testament holy books was determined. Many have presented their human inventions as inspired, their writings as apostolic. This means that someone’s authority was needed in the world to judge the apostolic writings themselves. Someone should have told those desiring spiritual enlightenment: read this and accept it with faith; everything contained here is apostolic teaching, truly inspired by God; and this gospel or message is not genuine. Whose authority is this? To whom did the Lord entrust the protection of the truth revealed by Him, and the supervision of its integrity and purity? We all know well this guardian and proclaimer of the truth - the holy, catholic and apostolic Church, which the Lord protected with the promise of indestructibility and to which he commanded to turn as the highest judge to resolve perplexities and disputes concerning faith. We know, but we hear those asking: who in the Church proclaims the word of Christ’s truth? To this we must answer: first of all, the Church itself, directly, regardless of its dedicated and uninitiated sons. Supporters of lay teaching say: both priests and even bishops sinned, and evil heretics emerged from among them. Yes, they did. That is why the Lord did not entrust the treasures of truth to any of the people, no matter how smart they were and no matter how high the title they were clothed with. No one, not a single person, no matter who he is, can say: yes, I am an infallible teacher of truth. The popes' claim to be infallible is a clear and grave error. The apostle says even more, something terrible. Even if we or an angel from heaven were to preach to you a gospel other than what you have received, let him be accursed (Gal. 1:8). What amazing concern does the Apostle of Christ have for preserving the truth! Thoughts fearful for the truth of the gospel extend into the depths of heaven! Let him be anathema - terrible words, but what harm do those who transform the gospel of Christ do - this is the only and essential means of our spiritual enlightenment. Therefore, the Lord did not entrust the treasure of truth to either man or even an angel, but entrusted it to the Church, or, more accurately, kept it forever behind Him, and, reigning in the Church, He Himself directly proclaims the word of truth. Every day we hear Him in the Holy Gospel: this is His own word, we know the voice of our Supreme Shepherd. This is the word of dominion: the King speaks to his subjects, the Father to his children, the Teacher to his disciples. Everything else must correspond to it, and in the true, Orthodox Church it is in such a wondrous correspondence that reveals not human, but divine power in preserving and proclaiming the truth. Saint Irenaeus, Bishop of Lyons, wrote back in the 2nd century that the apostles put into the Church, as if into some rich treasury, everything that belongs to the truth, so that everyone who wants can receive from it the drink of life (Against heresies. book 3, chapter 4). So, even then, 17 centuries ago, the Church was already a rich treasury. But now 19 centuries have passed, and each century has brought her the fruits of her work, by the power of the grace of the Lord, under her life-giving canopy. The 4th century in particular is called luminous and fruitful. At this time, the great ecumenical saints and many other fathers and teachers truly enriched the Church. No less fruitful, only in a different respect, were the 7th and 8th centuries, when, after the main questions of faith were clarified at the ecumenical councils, Christian thought soared high, the heart beat with special force, wonderful images, wondrous sounds were presented to the mind and heart of the chosen ones. There is so much true, deep, irresistibly affecting poetry in the wondrous canons of St. John of Damascus and those voices that he chose for singing and spiritual songs, and in other hymns - Cosmas of Mayum, Andrew of Crete, Roman the Sweet Singer, the Virgin Cassia. Centuries pass, the wealth of the Church grows and multiplies. What a treasure was brought to the Church in the past century by Saint Demetrius of Rostov in his Four Menaions and mellifluous words and psalms, and by Saint Tikhon in his deeply edifying creations. Let us remember what has been done to beautify the Church in the near future. Highly artistic in composition and deep in thought and feeling, the prayer service on the day of the Nativity of Christ and in memory of the expulsion of the Gauls and with them the twenty tongue will not be forgotten in distant centuries. Words and speeches of Metropolitan. Philaret, canonical and other instructions and explanations are also a rich heritage of the Church - for all centuries of its subsequent life. How much in the very last years Bishop Theophan, who died this year, brought as a gift to the Church, for twenty-eight years he labored tirelessly in seclusion for its benefit - also eternal. This is in the field of theology. But, it seems to me, these wonderful honors of Archpriest Turchaninov, and this wondrous chant “Working with the light like a robe” and other famous musical works of our time will never lose their significance. So from our century - the century of confusion and unbelief - many words, sounds and images have passed into the property of the Church and will remain forever its adornment. And here stands the Church in the world, embellished and exalted, in truth, the bride of Christ! What kingdom, what people can imagine such abundance, such wealth of everything that relates to the enlightenment of the minds and hearts of men? What strength, what stronghold can be equated to this pillar and foundation of truth? So, the radiance in the world of the truth of Christ in the Church for the whole world is protected and ensured. Whatever the enemy’s evil deeds to seduce people from the right path, they will be smashed against this indestructible pillar. There has hardly ever been such confusion of minds as the rationalism of recent centuries has produced, but the truth of Christ has been preserved in the church and apparently captivates the minds of everyone into the obedience of faith. And the powerful word of the Church is heard everywhere where she spreads her tent. Let's imagine the most seedy one in some remote, say, Verkholensky district, Irkutsk province. And there the people of God hear the word of the Gospel, and the song of Andrew of Crete, and the wondrous canon “By the Wave of the Sea” and the wonderful Easter Matins. There, in the family of the poorest cleric, an apostle arose for even more distant countries of Russia; there, beyond any other aids and means from human wisdom, he was brought up in the strictest spirit of faith and piety, and at the age of five he was already reading in the Church for the consolation and edification of his poor villagers. What is important, of course, is the living word of a modern teacher of faith; the work of theological and artistic-poetic thought continues uninterruptedly: otherwise there would not be an accumulation of such mental wealth in the Church. These treasures must continue to increase and increase. But do not think that the cause of Christian enlightenment and salvation depends on the eloquence of this or that person. The living word of a modern preacher of truth in the Church is one of many means of influencing the soul; if it is not here or there, other means work. The Church, in every possible way, through sacred rites, and through the furnishings and fragrance of the church, and through reading and chants, sows good seeds in the world, and for each attentive and obedient member of her, the enlightenment of the truth necessary for the soul is ensured. When we imagine all this - both the meaning of the word of truth as the seed of life, and the single Divine source from which flows a stream of life for the renewal of fallen humanity, and this victorious power of the Church and its royal greatness, disputes and bickering about teaching in the Church seem extremely pathetic. Our royal Mother stands and can only watch with great sorrow how these weak children of her challenge each other for the right to speak and write and try to outshout one another... There have always been people who were mistaken, who uttered lies instead of the truth. But in former times there was no such pitiful bickering about to whom the teaching should be proclaimed. Every faithful son of the Church worked as much as he could for its benefit. The best was assimilated by her and became her eternal property, and the names of these chosen ones of God from the heights of heaven shine before you: Basil, Gregory, John, for many centuries they have shed the light of truth upon us. There, like stars in the firmament of heaven, Konstantin and Elena, and Nina, and Vladimir, and Olga, and Anthony, and Pachomius, and Theodosius the Great, who did not belong to the church clergy, flaunt and shine for us. Disputes about teaching in the Church are a phenomenon of later centuries. This question has been put forward by those opposing Orthodoxy from two different, even opposing sides - Catholicism and Protestantism. “I can only teach,” says a priest in the Catholic Church; a layman has no right to unfold Bibles.” “Everyone can read and interpret the Bible according to their own discretion and understanding, and I myself am not constrained in any way in my personal opinion on this or that issue of faith,” says the Lutheran pastor. Both this claim of the priest to be the only teacher of the people, and this universal freedom in proclaiming the truths of revealed teaching, which are not in vain entrusted to the special protection of the Church, are equally contrary to the spirit of Orthodoxy. Who, finally, should proclaim the truth of Christ? All, as faithful and obedient children of the Church, and each in his own measure. There is an expressive Slavic word: “measurement”. Here, at the same time, it signifies the deep humility of the one on whom the duty of teaching falls, and the sense of the measure of the power given to him... Humility, which combines sincere love for God and neighbor with sincere obedience to the Church, is the inner side of teaching. It makes the feat of teaching pleasing to God and truly beneficial. A gentle word of admonition, reproof, teaching, with the blessing of God, has an irresistible effect on the heart and edifies for salvation. This condition is necessary for everyone to teach, no matter who he is, layman or priest. Over the course of centuries, special techniques have been developed for admonishing and admonishing the church proper. There is a special science of how to carefully handle the treasure of truth, and no small amount of spiritual art and skill of experience is required to be able to communicate it to those in need of enlightenment. The feuilletonous sweep of the pen, the inflated or biting phrase, the harshness of the tone - apparently are not consistent with the essence of the matter. In general, teaching is not an easy task and requires a lot of attention, experience and prudence. Sometimes you have to think a lot and a lot about what to say to whom and how to say it. As for the measure in the matter of teaching, it is indicated quite clearly by the canons of the Church, and the practice of the Church, and the history of the Church, and the spirit of Orthodoxy, so that there could still be disputes about this. There are general types of teaching, obligatory for both the layman and the priest, and there are private types in which the priest is separated from the layman. To teach the ignorant, to warn those who do not see danger, to console the distressed, to give good advice in difficulty, to reprove and admonish the erring - these types of teaching are indicated to each and everyone by the commandment of mercy, as it is explained to each and everyone in the catechism. Teaching within the close confines of a Christian family is of particular importance. Father and mother are taught not only the general commandment of mercy, but also the direct parental duty to raise their children in the faith. And all members of the Christian family should confirm each other in piety. In this regard, the Apostle Paul assigns to the good Christian family the name home church (Rom. 16:4). Therefore, the special duties of admonition in the truth are indicated by the special positions of people in society. Some persons are called to this by virtue of special talents, education and other advantages. He who knows more must serve with his knowledge those in need of enlightenment with the truth. In this regard, the Church treats scientific research on these and other issues relating to religious doctrine, moral teaching, church history and archeology, and experiments in explaining the Holy Scriptures with love and blessing. There is no difference here whether a well-known work belongs to a priest or even a bishop, or to professors of theological academies and mentors of seminaries and schools, or to generally educated persons who are not related to a theological school. The merit of the research and its fidelity to the truth preserved by the Church are taken into account. Everyone knows how influential the word and example of people at the head of departments can be. Here, in Holy Rus', it was noticed that the laity were sometimes even the foremost drivers of the acceptance and spread of the faith of Christ. Following the example of Equal-to-the-Apostles Prince Vladimir, the prince went to the Slovenian or foreign region, and led the priest with him to satisfy the spiritual needs of first his own, and then those of others, and to bend them under the good yoke of the Gospel. Rich people, driven by Christian love, found schools, gave them teaching aids, and thus, for their part, also served the cause of good Christian enlightenment. Already from the outlined aspects of teaching, it is clear that the laity are not only allowed to teach in the Church, but are also lovingly accepted by the Church, which asks and sends blessings from above to those who work well. But from these aspects it is clear that this teaching has only preparatory and auxiliary significance. And here, and here, and there, behind the lay teacher, a priest is visible. A good mother will teach her child prayers and then brings him to the priest to teach him the law of the Lord. The prince goes to fight one region or another and leads a priest with him. The mentor works on the study of one or another scientific theological issue for the education, especially of those preparing to accept the priesthood. The priest himself feels a huge difference whether he speaks for himself or speaks on behalf of the Church. There you can allow yourself to make any assumption, build hypotheses, take your own personal look at this or that issue of faith and life, allow yourself some freedom of thought in general, and soar on the wings of fantasy; there he stands on a par with other brothers in the profession of writing. Here, in the church pulpit, this cannot be allowed; here it is necessary to speak only the pure truth and the most essential truth. Thus, in addition to the extremely broad area of ​​general teaching in the Church, there is a more defined area of ​​ecclesiastical teaching itself. What matters here is a special calling and the assignment to this very work of church preaching and the sending down of divine grace to those chosen for this, and in the episcopal degree, from which the priest receives ordination, and direct succession from the apostles, the first heralds of the word of Christ. No one accepts honor to himself, but he who is called from God, like Aaron. (Heb. 5:4). Even if I preach the gospel, I have no praise; I am in need; woe is me, if I do not preach the gospel. (1 Cor. 9:16). How can they preach if there are no messages? (Rom. 10:15). Actually, church teaching is not given to all members of the clergy on an equal basis and also has its own types. The work of proclaiming the truth is to some extent entrusted to the lower members of the clergy, and then the higher the degrees go, the more trust and authority is given in the proclamation of the truth. Someone, a supporter of the teaching of the laity, starting from afar, first proves with a long series of considerations that we, the closest servants of the Church, are supposedly not correctly called clergy, but should be called clergy. Then, based on Balsamon’s commentary on the Nomocanon of Photius, he proves that not only presbyters and deacons, but readers and singers are called clergy, and finally gets to the heart of the matter. “Well, he asks, is it really true that every singer and reader, every sexton and sexton is already a teacher of the Church, and to them, to resolve every religious question and doubt, a lay believer should turn to them for teaching, as representatives of church authority? Are they really entrusted with the teaching of the Church, the definition of Church truth and the guidance of souls on the path to salvation? (Article by N.P. Aksakov “Do not quench the spirit.” “Russian Review”. February, p. 453). The author obviously does not take into account the differences in ecclesiastical degrees in teaching. The reader and singer are given the reading of prayers, psalms, other books of Scripture, even the Apostle, the singing of stichera, troparia and other spiritual songs, and when they proclaim the words of a psalm or epistle of the apostle, listen to their word, listen to the sacred song they proclaim. Everyone knows what good impressions clear and separate reading, especially according to the church, and reverent, touching singing produces in the souls of believers. But the readers and singers are not entrusted with the shepherding of souls, and the definition of church truth exceeds the measure of not only the priest, but even the bishop. Let's move on. The deacon is allowed to read not only the Apostle, but even the Gospel, which is given to him from the throne, and he, on behalf of the Church, proclaims the teaching of the truth in the own words of the Lord Savior. Deacons, as the priest’s closest assistants, are given the right to read from the church pulpit the teachings of the holy fathers and teachers of the church, and some of them, due to the education they have received, the right to compose their own teachings, but under the close guidance of the priest. The same thing, under the same conditions, is permitted for psalmists who have completed the seminary course. The priest is called not only to proclaim the Gospel, but also to personally preach the word of God for those entrusted to his pastoral care, depending on the bishop and with his blessing. This is more of a duty, a difficult and responsible duty, than a right that can arouse someone’s jealousy. Look at what conditions are required to be awarded this right of church preaching, and in what ways this right is protected from abuse. Birth in a pious family, mostly in a family of church ministers, from the very first years a special closeness to the church and penetration by its spirit, a long and difficult school, especially aimed at endurance of character and philosophical and theological education of the mind, careful testing both through examiners of various kinds, and from a confessor especially from a trusted bishop - all this precedes the sacred ordination, in which the divine grace of the Holy Spirit is invoked on the chosen one, the weak healing and replenishing the impoverished. Therefore, this is the daily presence of the priest at the throne of God, constant lifelong edification through reading the word of God and hearing church hymns, performing the sacraments, even such a particular thing as the appointment of a specific time for preaching: before, the teachings were spoken immediately after reading the Gospel and this was instilled: “See, proclaim not your invention, but the word of the Gospel, or: do you know what you are preaching - you you preach the truth of Christ"; Now they say immediately after communion of the Holy Mysteries: Who, even of those not called to preaching, will dare at these moments to say anything contrary to the truth? Further, this vigilant supervision of the bishop and the persons specially authorized by him for this, and this supervising eye of the Orthodox people from everywhere, yes, supervising from everywhere: they forgive and allow themselves everything and do not even put them in sin, but they keep a watchful eye on us from all corners, lest anyone should be guilty of anything, and this daily fear of judgment and death, in view of those who are almost daily sent on to eternal life - all these are such guarantees for observance of the purity of the word preached in the Orthodox Church, more than which, it seems, it is impossible to imagine. The bishop not only preaches, but also watches how the word of God is preached by the priesthood under his control, and whether all the duties assigned to each in this and other respects are observed, not only proclaims, but also the right to rule the word of the truth of Christ. This highest and most authorized servant of the word, in order to be worthy of the trust of the Church, must go through an even greater path of preparation than a priest, and above all, bear the yoke of Christ in monastic renunciation of the world. Before being ordained, he stands before a host of bishops, professes at length the dogmas of faith and makes a vow and even an oath to uphold them in all their purity and completeness. To ensure that he has the opportunity to observe the truth in his diocese, church canons prohibit even a bishop from preaching in a church, without the knowledge and consent of that region's archpastor. But above the bishop also rises the judgment of the local council, above this the judgment of the ecumenical council, in which the voice of the entire Church is already expressed. And in the entire defined circle of church teaching, all members of the clergy act on behalf of the Church, under its trust and authority, under its supervision and guidance, under its responsibility to the life-giver Christ. Who would not agree that the importance of the word of Christ’s truth, as the seed of life, requires such vigilant guarding? But not in these human guarantees, no matter how important they are, is the pillar and confirmation of the truth, but in the divine guidance of the Spirit of God and in the management of the Church, which is held directly in His right hand by its Supreme Head. Guided from above, strictly protected in its rights and duties, the church magisterium itself gives the tone and direction to the general magisterium in the Church. The latter has meaning, strength and dignity only in accordance with the former. Otherwise, it will immediately go sideways and, instead of spreading the truth in the world, it will become an instrument of the enemy to sow tares in the field of the Lord. By virtue of the highest laws of truth, not only is the sowing of these tares allowed, but these tares are also allowed to grow in this field together with the wheat until the harvest, that is, until the end of the world. To the extent that wealth in the kingdom of truth is filled over the centuries, to the same extent the power of the evil one in the means and methods of deception increases. Those horrors of anarchism, that mania for suicide from which our age so suffers are something unheard of and unimaginable for previous centuries, and only God knows what will happen next. Therefore, from the very beginning of the Church, people appeared among Christians who, under the guise of truth, sowed lies and delusion in it. The characteristic features of these first self-proclaimed and then false teachers are pride, very often combined with outward humility and even feats of asceticism, the so-called spiritual pride, the most evil of all its types, and opposition to the God-given order of the Church, daring rebellion to the highest authorities. Just as the true preachers of the word were guided and guided into all truth by the Holy Spirit, so the actions of self-proclaimed and false teachers known throughout history cannot be explained without the assumption of an evil force that blinds them, worries them, directs them against the truth, and hardens them to fanaticism. The conceit, perseverance, hatred bubbling in the heart, the bitterness in them until the last minutes of life are amazing. The Apostle John the Theologian in his third letter says: “I wrote to the church, but he who loves to take precedence among them, Diotrephes, does not accept us, reviling us with evil words, and not being satisfied with that, and he himself does not accept the brothers, and forbids those who want to, and expels them from the church” 6 . - Here is an example of the anticipation of church teaching in apostolic times. Out of love for primacy, having arbitrarily taken upon himself the leadership of the church, Diotrephes does not accept: who? - chosen from among the twelve apostles themselves, a friend of Christ, the Theologian by excellence. The Seer of Mysteries, the head of the New Testament prophets, does not respect his messages, condemns him, does not accept those acceptable to the apostle, forbids others to accept them and expels them from the church (Words of Philaret M. M. IV, 375) 7 . An instructive example for all times, how one must protect and preserve the work of church teaching and how carefully one must watch oneself, so as not to sin in love and not to be carried away by pride, not to transgress one’s rank and, especially, not to stand in opposition to the Church. The Apostle James writes: be not many teachers, my brethren, knowing that we will receive greater condemnation: for we all sin many times (James 3:1–2). If the Apostle, a called and divinely inspired teacher, puts himself in this matter under the threat of condemnation, then how terrible this matter must be for everyone else. Those called to teaching in the Church, in case of any unintentional error, may find some encouragement in the sense of duty entrusted to them. What excuse can people who are not called to teaching have in cases of mistakes in this important matter? Numerous examples in the history of the Church show that people, as it turned out later, possessed the greatest gift of teaching, due to their deep humility, which is an essential sign of true dignity, considered themselves the least capable of this. Gregory the Theologian, accidentally enthroned to the episcopate, fled into the desert from the confusion and fear that took possession of him. Chrysostom, also in the desert fleeing the honors of the priesthood, was captured by cunning to the bishop's see. “Choose another who is able,” Moses prayed (Ex. 4:13). “We do not know how to speak,” the prophet Jeremiah cried to God (Jer. 1:6). On the contrary, the opinion of oneself as a capable and supposedly divinely called teacher of others, the assumption of teaching contrary to the established rank and order in the Church - exposes either unforgivable frivolity or infatuation with pride, which can stretch far and receive all the signs of satanic pride. Sometimes a half-educated young man dreams: oh, what would happen if this church pulpit were given to him! How he would influence these masses of people gathering in church! But sometimes smart people are so carried away by this passion for teaching that they lose their sense of proportion and self-control, lose the ability to see and speak the truth and, becoming spiritually dead, destroy their talents. Currently, with great pain in our hearts, we see this terrifying power of spiritual blindness in our famous writer-artist. Was the laurels with which his highly artistic works were crowned not enough for him? Why did he abandon those wondrous poetic images that, when presented to his mind, could not help but fill his heart with the liveliest sensations of joy and delight? Why is he ruining his great talent, given to him by God - to paint life and people? Why does he disfigure himself with this wild appearance, these rude antics, all this falseness of his position? He wanted to excel not only in the work of a poet-artist, but also in the teaching of religion, he invaded the inaccessible sphere of teaching and began to preach what he had not previously been taught, what he did not understand, and he spent his powerful word and artistic brush on spreading lies, to the destruction of himself and others, with amazing persistence and audacity that we have never yet had examples of. This is how seductive and dangerous this passion for teaching in the Church is! The trouble is how anyone takes on this work of God with pitiful aspirations for vain glory and in a feeling of ungodly pride. Even here on earth, as we see, the judgment of God befalls him. And what kind of judgment will befall the guilty person there for transforming the gospel of Christ, for the temptation widely sown in the world, is scary to even think about, if even such an execution as being lowered into water with a stone tied to the neck is indicated as insufficient for him. Sins are forgiven in the sacrament of repentance under the condition of correction: the sin of temptation is not applicable to this condition. The writer - an opponent of faith and the church - at the end of his life realizes that he spoke a lot of nonsense to tempt others, and he himself would like to correct himself; but how can he tear delusion out of hundreds and thousands of hearts seduced by him, who in turn poisoned hundreds and thousands of hearts with his poison? And so evil grows and spreads to terrible proportions, and coals of fire fall on the head of the guilty one. And conscience must awaken sooner or later. I read somewhere about the famous writer Fonvizin that in his old age, overcome by paralysis, he came or was brought to the church of Moscow University. After the service, the famous writer was surrounded by students. Pointing to his dead hand, he confessed to the sins of writing and warned them against freethinking and unbelief. So, he felt the need to remove the sin of temptation from his conscience, but could he express his contrite confession to everyone who could be tempted by his free word. Is it possible to compare this writer in terms of the freethinking he allowed with the famous writer of our days? Free prophets of our time love to point to the words of the Apostle Paul: “Do not quench the Spirit. Do not disparage prophecies" 8 . These words are usually given the following meaning: the Spirit speaks not through called preachers alone, but also through other members of the Church; So you, who have power and influence, do not hinder these prophets, illuminated by the Spirit of God, from their free preaching, do not despise it... Meanwhile, these words have a completely different meaning. By spirit we mean the spirit of zeal in zeal in the faith, with which obedience to the truth proclaimed by the Church is essentially connected. Not the other in you, but you yourself, do not extinguish this jealousy in yourself, this zeal in faith; not lazy with diligence, with a spirit of grief, heed the teaching, but on a condition that is usually not made clear by free prophets, but this condition is signified directly behind this in the following words: nevertheless, hold all that is tempting, good 9 . There are many such arbitrary interpretations in the articles of free prophets. Fortunately, the dawn of liberation from the confusion of minds that has held us for about half a century is already clearly visible, and here and there true proper relationships with the Mother Church are beginning to be established. The venerable brotherhood in the name of the Blessed Virgin Mary arose simultaneously with the restoration of the parochial school and took it under its special patronage. The restoration of this school was one of the signs of our turning to the Church. After long vacillations of minds and hearts, which so vividly and with such pain reminded everyone of the troubled times of Russia, a special, urgent need was felt to stand under the canopy of the Church, to follow her maternal voice, to lean on her powerful hand, especially in such an important matter as the matter of initial public education. I vividly remember this significant time, for which the word in the parable of the prodigal son is very expressive: he came in himself 10. Yes, for an entire society, and for an entire nation, there are days when they come to their senses and come to their senses. I also vividly remember how small and insignificant the leaven seemed, which was supposed to ferment and transform and improve our elementary public school. No teachers, no teaching aids, no premises in any way adapted to the school, no sufficient funds for their maintenance. There was only one hope: God will help. The Church will enlighten and teach, and will bear this matter on its powerful shoulders. The motto of the reopened school is to be as close to the Church as possible, to huddle under its maternal wing. And so, by the grace of God, there were good people who, out of love for the Church, took an intimate part in this blood child and supported the parochial school in its first terribly difficult time. She has now stood on her own two feet and is exerting a good influence on other schools. The good deed of the St. Petersburg diocesan brotherhood is valuable for the cause and as an example for the capital. May the Lord, with the blessing and through the prayers of the saints who stand at the head of the institution, send his most heavenly and all-effective blessing to the venerable brotherhood and the school they patronize! Matt. 13:27. – Here and further approx. email ed. There may be a typo. – 2 Pet. 1:19. Homily 193 “Homily on the day of St. Alexis”: St. Filaret, Metropolitan of Moscow and Kolomna. Words and Speeches, Volume IV, 1836–1848. – M., 1882, p. 375.