Teacher

The work “The Teacher” (circa 197) is the second part of the “Great Trilogy” by Clement of Alexandria. The work provides general catechetical knowledge about the faith of pagans newly converted to Christianity. It is aimed at the moral correction of a believing pagan, his upbringing in Christian life and thus represents an outline of Christian moral teaching, guidance in private and public life according to the ideal of Christ, the true Educator of people, to help move from the state of a simple believer to the second stage - the state of a “gnostic.” The work “Teacher” consists of three books. The first book (13 chapters) presents the Logos-Christ as the concrete and actual Teacher of humanity, Who, Himself being sinless, sanctifies all states and ages and, through baptism, makes them capable of knowing the Divine. In the Old Testament He acted through law and fear, in the New Testament through word and love. The second book (12 chapters) gives separate instructions for Christian life - about abstinence in food and drink, about fasting and self-denial, about behavior at feasts, in conversations, about clothing, sleep, instructions for single and married people. The third book (12 chapters) continues these instructions and presents the sublimity and beauty of the life ideal of a true Christian, in which the Logos dwells. Blaming the passion for luxury, effeminacy, thirst for praise, etc., Clement recommends the opposite virtues. He supports the following rules of Christian life with numerous evidence from the Holy Scriptures. In his essay “The Teacher,” Clement of Alexandria touches on the following issues of Christian theology: the doctrine of the Logos (recognizing the coeternity of the Son with the Father, Clement teaches about His Divinity), elements of anthropology and soteriology are proposed (salvation is possible only in the Church, whose task is the spiritual education of people and bringing them to perfection). *The title of the work in Greek is Παιδαγωγός. *The title of the work in Latin is Paedagogus. Contents Book One Chapter 1. What the Teacher promises to teach by openly teaching Chapter 2. That the Teacher, because of our sins, has care for us Chapter 3. That the Teacher is a humane Chapter 4. That the Logos is the Teacher of both husbands and wives Chapter 5. That all who seek truth are children of God Chapter 6. Against those who believe that the name “children” and “babies” means the initial stage of education Chapter 7. About the person of our Teacher and His educational method Chapter 8. Against those who believe that goodness and justice are mutually exclusive Chapter 9. That the business of the same power is to do good and to punish justly and also (continued) about the educational method of the Logos Chapter 10. That one and the same God through through the same Logos both keeps us from sins by threatening and saves humanity by encouraging Chapter 11. About the fact that the Logos educates through the law and the prophets Chapter 12. About the fact that the Teacher, in accordance with his fatherly way of thinking, shows both severity and kindness in his relations with us Chapter 13. About the fact that what is morally good corresponds to reason (Logos), while sin is contrary to reason (Logos) Book Two Chapter 1. Rules regarding food Chapter 2. How one should behave in relation to drinking Chapter 3. About expensive household utensils Chapter 4. About the behavior that should be observed at feasts Chapter 5. About laughter Chapter 6. About indecency in speeches Chapter 7. About decent behavior during feasts and in society Chapter 8. About the use of perfumes, lipsticks and wreaths Chapter 9. About sleep Chapter 10. About the pious birth of children in a Christian marriage and against luxury in clothes Chapter 11. About shoes Chapter 12. About the fact that one should not worry about decorating oneself with precious stones and gold and be surprised by such decorations Book Three Chapter 1. About true beauty Chapter 2. Against the art of creating beauty Chapter 3. Against the fashionability of men Chapter 4. About good and bad company Chapter 5. About behavior in the baths Chapter 6. Christianity is true wealth Chapter 7. Moderation is the faithful money of a Christian on the path of life Chapter 8. That the chief force of true and sound doctrine is in patterns and examples Chapter 9. Motives for the use of baths Chapter 10. That attending gymnastic schools belongs to a reasonable course of life Chapter 11. A short sketch of the best (ideal) way of life Chapter 12. A further sketch of the best (ideal) way of Christian life, compiled from various places of sacred Scripture Conclusion Dedication of the creation Chapter 1. What the Teacher promises to teach by openly instructing If in a (moral) person we distinguish three spheres: inclinations of the will, (external) actions and passions, then the inclinations of the will will relate to the area of \u200b\u200bthe actions of the exhorting Logos. He teaches reverence for God and, like a keel beam in a ship, which determines its structure, lays the foundations in the building of faith; prompted by him we renounce old errors; As a result of the perception of new saving truths, we become spiritually younger and add our voice to the prophetic singing: “How merciful is the God of Israel to the upright in heart” (Ps. 72:1). The entire area of ​​human action is governed by the laws of the decreeing Logos. The healing Logos is the physician of the passions. In essence, all this is one and the same Logos - He frees man from slavery to worldly customs, with which we were previously content, and educates us for the only possible salvation in Divine faith. To our heavenly mentor the Logos, since He calls us to salvation, in fact, the name of the exhorting Logos is fitting; but, just as the whole whole is sometimes designated by the name of a part, He is called by this name in general. Because all Christian moral teaching has an admonishing character, awakening in the soul an innate passionate desire for true life, both on this side and on the other side of the coffin. If this Logos is at the same time both healing and decreeing laws, (both) relate to His task: after all, He remains with His program, promising us healing from passions. For convenience, we will call Him with one word “Teacher”. The field of the Teacher is practice, not theory; not learning, but moral improvement - that is His goal; the life of a sage, not a scientist, He wants to outline before us. In part, the Logos is, of course, a teacher, but this is not His main goal. The work of the Logos as a teacher consists, in fact, in revealing and explaining the provisions of faith. But since our Teacher is a practitioner, He is primarily concerned with the order of moral life. Therefore, on the one hand, He invites you to fulfill your duties, conveying the purest concepts of morality; on the other side. He points the modern generation to the moral images of past times. Both are very useful. First: by depicting duties - meaning to achieve obedience to them; second: by indicating moral examples, it is meant to strengthen the impression in a similar way: partly to encourage the imitation of good, partly to scare away from evil. As a result, thanks to the power of the convincing content of such examples, healing from passions also results through this. The teacher strengthens the soul with gentle laws as softening medicines and prepares the sick for complete recovery for the truth. Because, after all, (spiritual) health and gnosis are not the same thing. The latter is the fruit of teaching, while the former is a consequence of healing art. No one who is mentally ill can make intellectual acquisitions before recovery; Both the student of the student and the student of the patient, after all, do not use the same thing, but they try to raise one to gnosis, the other to bring to recovery. Just as a physical illness requires a doctor, so mental illness requires a Teacher to tame our passions; only later is a teacher required who could lead the soul into pure gnosis, with the acceptance of which it would be able to penetrate into the secrets of Christian teaching. Since now the Logos, being a comprehensive friend of people and gradually leading them to salvation, strives to give us a completely perfect education, He acts beautifully and very economically; first He is a Exhorter, then a Teacher, and finally a Teacher. Chapter 2. That the Teacher, because of our sins, has care for us Our Teacher, my dear ones, is like God, His Father, to whom He is the Son. He is sinless, impeccable, His soul is completely free from passions. This is entirely God, only in human form; this is the executor of the will of the Father, God the Word (Logos), existing in the Father, sitting at His right hand, God in visible form. This is our impeccable ideal; We consider it our duty to strive for spiritual similarity with Him with all our might. But He is certainly free from human passions and therefore is our Judge, for He alone is without sin; we must strive to limit our sinfulness as widely and completely as possible, bringing the inclination towards it almost to insignificance. Because nothing should be achieved with greater persistence than freeing oneself from mental illness and passions: this is necessary above all. Then you need to be careful not to fall into sins easily and out of habit. The highest degree of perfection is freedom from shortcomings of all kinds. This is already characteristic of God alone. The closest perfection to this is not to sin voluntarily; this is characteristic of a sage. A further degree of perfection consists in not allowing oneself voluntary shortcomings (i.e., sins); this is characteristic of those who enjoy the excellent guidance of the Teacher. The lowest level of perfection is not to stubbornly remain in sin. And from this state there is still a way out to salvation through a change in feelings and disposition and (through) entering into the fight against sin. Excellent, it seems to me, the Teacher says through the mouth of Moses: “If someone dies in his presence suddenly, accidentally, and he thereby defiles the head of his Nazirite, then he must shave his head” (Num. 6:9). The teacher here calls involuntary sin sudden death; He speaks of defilement because it leaves a stain on the soul; then He immediately offers a healing remedy, advising you to immediately shave your head. By the hair that must be cut, He means the hair of reasoning, which obscures reasoning; having been freed through shaving them, as if from some forest thicket and wilderness, reasoning, which has its seat in the brain, produces a change in feelings and disposition. Further and below it says: And “the days that preceded were foolish” (Numbers 6:12). From this it is obvious that we are talking about sins that have their root in a lack of discretion. The moment of lack of free will is indicated by the word “suddenly,” and the moment of committing a sin by the word “unreasonable.” That is why, that is, in order to protect us from the sins of ignorance, the Logos took upon Himself the position of guard. To do this, it is only necessary to pay attention to the further expression in Scripture: “Therefore thus saith the Lord.” That the previous discussion was about sin is proven by the word “therefore,” through which a condemning sentence is introduced. This is revealed clearly from the words of the prophets: “If you had not sinned, then this threat would not have been expressed”; and again: “Therefore thus says the Lord”; and again: “And therefore, behold, says the Lord.” Through “therefore” a prophecy is spoken (either rewarding or punishing), depending on whether it is spoken about obedience or disobedience; one accomplishes our salvation, the other indicates the need for the presence of the Teacher with us. - And now further; With his advice, the Teacher is a doctor for our mental illnesses (passions). In its proper sense, the art of medicine refers to helping with bodily illnesses: it is the fruit of human wisdom. The Word of the Father (Logos) is the only Paeonian physician of spiritual infirmities and the heavenly conspirator of the sick soul. “Save, my God, Thy servant,” says the Psalmist, “who trusts in You. Have mercy on me. Lord, for I cry to You every day” (Ps. 86:2–3). According to Democritus, the art of medicine heals bodily illnesses, while wisdom frees the soul from passions. The best Teacher is Wisdom, the Word of the Father (Logos), the Creator of man, who takes care of the creation of his hands in all its fullness and integrity; being the chief physician of humanity. As a Savior, He heals both the body and soul of people. “Get up,” He says to the paralytic, “take up the stretcher,” and “the one you are lying on, and go to your home” (Mark 2:11). And He said to the dead man: “Lazarus, get out” (John 11:43). And the deceased left the grave cave in the same condition as he was in before the illness. The soul, taken by itself, He heals with commandments and gifts of grace. He is not even particularly in a hurry to present her with the commandments, but He immediately pours out grace on her in abundance. “Your sins are forgiven” (Matthew 9:5; Mark 2:5), He says, addressing us sinners. In accordance with His economy, we are His children and among the works of His creative omnipotence we occupy the most honorable and safest place. It is by His creative power that the building of this world, the vault of heaven, and the disk of the sun are created; then She is busy with the paths of other stars because of man; Further, She also provides for the person himself, on whom Her zeal is directed in full measure; She considers him to be her greatest work; She formed his soul according to the rules of reason and wisdom, and his body according to the law of beauty and proportionality. Monitoring the actions of mankind and their correctness, She breathed into him her own principle of orderliness. Chapter 3. About the fact that the Teacher is humane Being both man and God, the Lord helps man in everything and makes him happy in everything. Being God, He forgives sins; being a man, He educates him to sinlessness. Therefore, rightfully, man is dear to God, (because) he is the creation of God’s hands. God created all other things with His omnipotent word, but He created man with His own hand and breathed into him something that is unique to Him, God. Man, created by the hand of God and in the image of God, created by God himself, means that he is a being dear to God either because of himself, or he was created because of something else. If a person is dear to God because of himself, then the unconditionally good God has decided regarding a person in His council, which means that there is something good, and the charm of love in a person, that means there is something that we call the breath of God. If we assume that man is dear to God because of something else, then God, therefore, created man because of nothing else but because of this something; This means that creation without man could not be perfect: because then it could not reach the thought of its Creator. Without people, God would not have created the things that He created for people. Initially, God fulfilled His will hidden in Him alone in perfection through the external act of His creative omnipotence, so that man in himself, therefore, is the cause of his existence. And God saw whom he had in man; and man became what God pleased him to become. There is nothing that God cannot bring to pass. Therefore, man, a creation of God, is dear to God because of himself. But this means that in general, what is kind to someone is worthy of affection and love. If there is nothing worthy of love, which at the same time would not constitute an object of Divine love, and man, as shown, is a being worthy of love, then it means that he is dear to God. And how could he not be loved by God, when for his sake the only begotten Son of God, the Word (Logos), the object, the abundant source of our faith, the Lord, who himself clearly confesses and declares: “The Father Himself loves you, because you have loved Me” (John 16:27); and again: “And he loved them as he loved me”? (John 17:23) So, what does the Teacher want from us? What does He preach about in both word and deed? He gives commandments and prohibitions; some are clear - for fulfillment, others - as a warning on our part of actions that contradict those commandments. But it is equally certain that there is also another kind of word, a teaching word; it is addressed to the intellectual faculty, expounds subtleties, and its content is the contemplation of mysteries. However, this time we will not talk about this word. “But it is fitting that we, for our part, should testify through our very deeds our love for the One who so lovingly leads us along the paths of perfection; - so that we live according to the instructions of His commandments, so that we not only do what is commanded and avoid what is forbidden, but also partly warn ourselves and partly encourage ourselves with examples of moral life; in this way we will become like the Teacher in our mode of action, and His word about “image and likeness” (Gen. 1:26) will be fulfilled as far as possible. Living, we wander as if in some kind of thick darkness; Therefore, we need a faithful and knowledgeable guide to life. But the best guide is, of course, not any of the blind, who, as Scripture says, will lead the blind into a pit, but the Logos, who has a discerning eye and a despising heart. – Just as there is no light that does not shine; as there is nothing mobile that does not move; - no love that would not be aroused by love: so there is nothing morally good that would not be useful and saving. So, let us follow the commandments that the Lord proclaims with his life; because the Logos, clothed in visible flesh, taught this or that virtue together by word and example. If we accept the Logos as the law, then we will learn that His laws and commandments are the shortest and closest paths to heaven. These are the laws of love, not intimidation. Chapter 4. That the Logos is the Teacher of both husbands and wives Having embraced this good guidance of Love with ever fuller and stronger love, let us trust - clinging to such a strong rope of faith - to the Lord in the conviction that this virtue should be the work of both husbands and wives equally. Because if they both have the same God, then it means that they both have the same Teacher; This means that they also have one church; This means that the same law of measure exists for them, the same natural shame, the same food, the same marriage relationships, the same breathing, sight, hearing, reasoning, hope, Christian love; all this should be equally characteristic of them. But if all the conditions of life are common to them, then they participate equally, which means they also participate in grace, the path of salvation is the same for them, Christian love is equally valuable for them; and therefore they are subject to the same thing and to their education by the Logos. “The children of this age,” it is said, “marry and are given in marriage” (Luke 20:34). Here (on earth) there is a difference between the male and female sexes; but on the other side of the coffin there is no such difference. The reward for a holy, compassionate life here on earth is promised not to a husband or wife, but to man in general, a reward where sexual desires, which here separate the two human sexes, disappear. There is also a common name for husband and wife, this is the word “man”. In the same way, the Attics called the word (παιδαριον) (child) not only a male creature, but also a female one; As a witness to this, one can put forward the comedian Menander, who in his work “Blinded” says: My daughter; dear child, By nature she is built very tender. In the same way (αρνες) (sheep) is a mutual name for both male and female sheep. - So the Lord is our (common) Shepherd forever. Amen. Without a shepherd, neither a sheep nor any other animal can live. Likewise, children cannot live without a Teacher, and households cannot live without a Master. Chapter 5. That all who seek truth are children of God That pedagogy is bringing children to something is revealed from this very word. It is therefore recommended that they not lose sight of the children mentioned in Scripture, and then assign a Teacher to them. Children are us. Scripture often calls us by this honorable name; still more often it expresses this simple religious concept symbolically, alternately using various other words for this purpose. So, the Gospel says: “Standing” on “the shore, the Lord called out to the disciples” who were fishing: “children! “Do you have any food?” (John 21:4–5) He calls men who were in the position of disciples “children.” – It is also said that “children were brought to Him, so that He would lay His hands on them and pray; the disciples rebuked them. But Jesus said, “Let the little children come and do not hinder them from coming to Me, for of such is the Kingdom of Heaven” (Matthew 19:13–14). What the Lord wanted to say by this, He himself interpreted in the words: “unless you are converted and become like children, you will not enter the Kingdom of Heaven” (Matthew 18:3). He is not talking allegorically about rebirth here, but He is recommending for us to imitate the simplicity of a child’s feeling. – And the Prophetic Spirit calls us children. “The children,” He says, “plucked branches from olive trees and palm trees and walked towards them. They cried to the Lord: Hosanna to the son of David! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord” (Matthew 21:9; John 12:13), i.e. “light, glory and praise with humble supplication to the Lord,” for this is the meaning of the word “Hosanna” in translation. And it seems to me that by the reminder in this place of prophecy Scripture wants to make the rebuke frivolous. “Have you never read: ‘From the mouths of babes and sucklings You have ordained praise?’” (Matt. 21:16; Ps. 8:3) Encouraging the disciples to be attentive to Him, since He wants to return to the Father; the message that He would soon be separated from them, awakening in the listeners jealousy so that they would be more abundantly stocked with fruits from the tree of truth, plucking them from it in greater numbers than ever before those moments. On this occasion, the Lord again calls them in the Gospel “children.” Children!" . - He says, “I will not be with you for long” (John 13:33). And again He compares the Kingdom of Heaven with children who sit on the street and say: “We played the flute for you, and you did not dance; We sang songs of lamentation to you and you were not sad”; and He adds something similar. And not only does the Gospel think so, but David also says: “Praise the Lord, children, praise the name of the Lord” (Ps. 112:1). And through Isaiah the Lord says: “Here am I and the children whom the Lord has given me” (Isaiah 8:18). Are you surprised to hear that older men, and, moreover, from the pagans, are called “children” by the Lord? But it turns out that you poorly, which means you know the Attic dialect, in which beautiful and blooming girls, and specifically free ones, are called παιδισκαι, and those belonging to the slave class παιδισκαρια; While they are still girls, as long as they relate to the blossoming state of childhood, they are called by this flattering and honorable name. And when the Lord says: “Let the lambs stand at my right hand” (Matthew 23:33), by this word He means children with their simple minds, because by their nature children are lambs, and not men and not sheep. He gives preference to lambs, highly appreciating in people the innocence and simplicity of mind, the gentleness of their nature. And again speaking about the calves still feeding on milk (Amos 6:4), He means us; and, speaking about the simple-minded and gentle doves (Matthew 10:16), He means us. Through Moses (Lev. 15:29; Lev. 12:8; Luke 2:24) He commands the sacrifice of two young doves or a pair of doves, which means that God is pleased with the innocence of these gentle creatures, the ingenuousness, the ability to forgive, characteristic of these young animals. What makes people like these animals just as pleasing to God is their reconciliation with Him through the cleansing of their sins. Further, with its fearfulness, the turtle dove symbolically depicts the nature of sin, which inspires horror. And that by “chicks” He means us, Scripture testifies to this, saying: “as a bird gathers its chicks under its wings” (Matthew 23:37). Therefore, we are the Lord's chicks. – In an amazing and mysterious way, the Lord denotes the simplicity of the soul through childhood. He calls us sometimes “children”, sometimes “chicks”, sometimes “babies”, in other places “sons”, often “youths”, and “young people”, or “new people”. “My servants,” He says, “will be given a new name” (new, that is, young, heavenly, not used, simple, childish, true name), “which will be blessed on earth” (Is. 63:15). Again He figuratively calls us “foals” who did not bear the yoke of sin, free from the bonds of evil; in simplicity of feeling rushing to the Father; not horses neighing at their neighbor's wife (Jer. 5:8), but free and newborn; playing for the joy of faith, leaping forward towards the truth; moving quickly along the path to salvation, trampling and destroying the things of this world with their feet. “Rejoice for joy, daughter of Zion; Rejoice, daughter of Jerusalem: behold, your King is coming to you, righteous and saving, meek, sitting on a donkey and a colt” (Zech. 9:9; Gen. 49:11). He was not satisfied with the expression “on a donkey,” but added “on a young donkey” and thereby points to the rejuvenation of humanity brought about by Christ, and to the never-aging heavenly existence of simple feelings. Consequently, our Divine Tamer of “foals” raises us as such foals, as little ones. And if the young animal about which Scripture speaks is a donkey, then how much more so is the colt. “He ties his colt to the vine,” it says; i.e., simple people who lived in childhood. He tied to the Logos, which is symbolically called the vine. Wine flows in the vine, blood flows in Christ. Both serve as a drink for man, giving him life; wine is for the body, blood is for the spirit. That the Lord also calls us lambs, the Holy Spirit is a reliable witness to this from the prophet Isaiah: “As a shepherd He will feed His flock and take the lambs in His arms” (Is. 40:11). He makes the still tender sheep a symbol of simplicity of morals. Therefore, we also add the word children to the name of the most beautiful and highest of the blessings of life and call them “the teaching of a child” (παιδεια) and “raising children” (παιδαγωγια). We consider the upbringing of children to be their friendship with virtue from infancy. The Lord revealed to us more clearly the meaning of the name “children” regarding the dispute that took place between the apostles about which of them was greater (that is, more powerful). Then the Lord placed a child between them and said: “So whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 18:3). He used the name “children,” therefore, not to designate minors, as some believed; and His words: “Unless you are like children, you will not enter the Kingdom of Heaven” is not some kind of nonsense that should be understood; because we are not little children who tend to lie on the ground; and we do not crawl along it like snakes, as we once did, writhing with our whole bodies to achieve the goal of reckless desires; on the contrary, with a feeling turned forward, turning away from the world and sins, only touching the earth with the edges of our clothes, as if we only visibly belonged to the earthly world, we strive for sacred wisdom, which only to people who are sophisticated in evil (Ps. 51:4), seems stupid (1 Cor. 2:14). Truly children, therefore, are those who recognize the one God as the Father, being simple, innocent and pure worshipers of the Unicorn (in a figurative sense, this is what is said about God - the power of Israel (Num. 23:22; 24:8). - Ed.). He calls out to those moving forward in the Logos (Word) and says that they should not worry about earthly things and invites them to turn only to the Father, imitating the children. That is why He says later: “Do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things” (Matthew 6:34). Thus removing the cares of life from ourselves, we must, in accordance with His commandment, gravitate only towards the (heavenly) Father. And whoever fulfills this commandment is truly like a little child both before God and before the world; he appears like this before the world because here he is considered a fool; before God - because he is loved by God. But if “there is one Teacher,” the Heavenly Teacher, as Scripture affirms (Matt. 23:8), then with consistency all people on earth can be called disciples, for in reality the situation is like this: perfection lies in God, the Constant Teacher; childishness and imperfection are characteristic of us, who are constantly in the position of students. Therefore, in many places in the prophetic writings, the perfect is designated by the word “husband.” David says about the devil: “The Lord abhors the bloody man” (Ps. 5:6). Calls the devil a man because he is perfect in evil. And the Lord is called man because He is perfect in righteousness. So the Apostle in the Epistle to the Corinthians says: “I have betrothed you to one husband, in order to present you to Christ as a pure virgin” (2 Cor. 11:2), that is, as children and dedicated to the one Lord. But most beautifully he explains the essential concept in the Epistle to the Ephesians, saying: “until we all come into the unity of the faith and knowledge” of the Son of God, into “a perfect man, to the measure of the full stature of Christ: so that we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro, and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by the wickedness of men, by the cunning art of deception, but by true love we may restore all things to him who is the head, Christ” ( Eph. 4:13–15). The apostle says this for the building up of the body of Christ, “who is the head” (of it) “and man,” the only one perfect in righteousness. We are little children who must beware of the blowing winds of false teachings (Col. 2:18; Eph. 4:14) and have no right to believe those who want to instill in us something other than what our fathers taught us; We achieve perfection by forming a church, recognizing Christ as its head. It would be appropriate here to explain the word νηπιος baby. It is not at all identical to the word “stupid”; this meaning is characteristic of the word νηπυτιος; νηπιος is equal to νεηπιος, and ηπιος means subtly sensitive; νηπιος, this word means, therefore, a newborn, meek, quiet, gentle in soul. Blessed Paul explained this word especially clearly by saying: “We could appear as Apostles of Christ; but you were gentle among you, just as a nurse treats her children tenderly” (1 Thess. 2:7). The child is therefore quiet; and, in particular, tenderly, softly and simply, artlessly and unhypocritically, straightforwardly and sincerely, and these traits are the foundations of simplicity and truthfulness. “To whom,” it is said, “I will look: to the humble and contrite in spirit”? ( Isa. 66:2 ) Such is the speech of a virgin; she is gentle and unfeigned. That is why the bride is usually called “tender” and the boy “soft-hearted” ((Iliad, VI, 400)). We are soft-hearted if we do not persist, refusing to obey persuasion, if we show a readiness to do good, if we do not harbor hatred in our hearts, if we do not stain our feelings with malice and deceit. The ancient generation was “deceitful and hard-hearted” (Acts 2:40; Phil. 2:15; Matt. 12:39; Mark 8:38), but the choir of children, that is, we, the “new people” (2 Cor. 3:17), are as gentle as a child. The apostle in the Epistle to the Romans admires sincere children; and he gives, so to speak, a definition of children in the words: “But I desire that you should be wise in good, and simple in evil” (Rom. 16:19). We associate the word νηπιος with a meaning that is not negative, although the boys, under the guidance of grammarians, talk about νη privatium, although the detractors of childhood call us madmen. But look at how they insult the Lord by doing this, considering those who seek refuge in God to be madmen. And when they—this is worth listening to—consider children to be simple-minded, then we rejoice at this definition. Newborn souls are simple-minded, having only recently become rational after ancient madness, having appeared in their youth in accordance with the New Testament; Only recently have we learned to know God after the coming of Christ. Because “no one knows the Father except the Son, and to whom the Son wants to reveal it” (Matthew 11:27; Luke 10:22). Yun "new people" in contrast to the ancient ones; he learned to experience new blessings. And we reach the full age of never-aging virtue. Constantly our knowledge is mature, constantly we are young, constantly tender, constantly new. Those people who have joined the new Logos tend to be new. But what takes part in the eternal also tends to be immortal. Therefore, the expression “childhood” for us is equal to the spring of life, for the truth in us does not grow old and our morals are saturated (breathe) with the truth. Truth blooms forever, it is always equal to itself, it never changes. It says: Children! “They will carry you in their arms and caress you on their knees. As his mother comforts someone, so I will comfort you, and you will be comforted in Jerusalem” (Isaiah 66:12–13). The mother calls the children to her: in the same way we look for our mother, the church. Every weak and tender creature, due to its weakness, in need of help, represents something pleasant, amiable and beautiful; and usually everyone readily helps such a small creature. As (earthly) parents look with special joy at their pets: a horse at its foal, a cow at its calf, lions at its cubs, deer at its fawns, a man at his little child; likewise, the Heavenly Father of all accepts those who come running to Him and, as a result of their rebirth by the Holy Spirit, sees in them his reverent children, loves them, supports them, protects them, and because of this calls each of them a child. In my opinion, the name Isaac has something to do with childhood. Isaac means "laughter." The curious king saw him playing with his wife and assistant, Rebekah (Gen. 26:7). The king - his name was Abimelech - I think means heavenly wisdom descending on the mysterious play of children. Rebekah is interpreted to mean “patience.” This is truly intelligent children's play: laughter is maintained by patience! And the king looks at this game, as the spirit of the children of Christ, who spend their lives in patience, rejoices. In a similar way, Heraclitus imagines his Zeus playing games. For for a perfect sage, what is more fitting than not to play and, with patience and a good lifestyle, to remain joyful, with your life, as it were, celebrating some kind of festive celebration together with God (and like Him)? The prophet’s hint can be understood differently, namely, that we, like Isaac, rejoice and greet our salvation with laughter. And he laughed, being saved from death (Gen. 26:7; ff.); he joked and rejoiced with his savior, his bride. The bride is our helper in achieving salvation: the church. She is given a name meaning firmness; She is called “patience,” Rebecca, either because she alone is eternal with constant joy, or because she consists of the patient faithful - this is us, members of Christ. It is a living testimony to the existence of people who endure to the end and represents in their faces joyful gratitude to God (for life). The Church, therefore, is the mysterious play of children and an assistant in salvation that provides sacred consolation. – The King, further, is Christ, looking down on our laughter from above. And “looking through the window,” as the Scripture says, He takes in gratitude and praise, joy and triumph, and also looks at patience and then at the union of all this in His own. He only belongs to the church. He shows her his face, which is necessary for her, for through her royal Head she achieves perfection. What is this window through which the Lord appears? This is the flesh in which He appeared. – The Lord himself is Isaac (because you can understand the matter that way). Isaac was a type of the Lord; Being a (human) child, he was the son of Abraham, just as Christ was the Son of God. As Lord He is the sacrifice; but, being the Lord, He did not perish at the same time. Isaac carried the wood for the sacrifice: likewise the Lord carried the wood of the cross. But He laughed in a mysterious way, predicting that He would fill us with joy, saved from destruction by His blood. (The only difference is that) Isaac did not suffer, having yielded the beginnings of suffering to the Lord and through the fact that he was not sacrificed, symbolically depicting the Divinity of the Lord, for after burial the Lord arose as if He had not suffered, remaining, like Isaac, untouched by death. In support of the above, can I cite another important point. The Holy Spirit calls the Lord Himself a child, predicting about Him through Isaiah: “A child is born to us; A son is given to us; the government is upon His shoulder” (Isa. 6:9). Who is this baby? This is the one in whose image we are children. Through the same prophet the Spirit thus proclaims His greatness: “Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God. Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. To the increase of His government and peace there is no “limit” (Isa. 9:6). O great God! O perfect Child! The Son is in the Father and the Father is in the Son! And shouldn’t the upbringing of children after this be perfect through this Infant, who, guiding us, his little children, is our common property? He spread his arms towards us. About this Child John, the prophet “greatest of those born of women” (Luke 7:28), testifies: “Behold the Lamb of God” (John 1:29, 36). Since the Scripture calls little children lambs, then God the Logos (Word), for the sake of us becoming human and in all things desiring to become like us, called the “Lamb of God,” i.e., the Son of God, the Child of the Heavenly Father. Chapter 6. Against those who believe that the name “children” and “babies” means the initial stage of education In addition, may we be allowed to show the wrongness of those who disparage these names. Scripture calls us “children” and “babies” with a view not to the childish state of our teaching and its low value, with which those who boast of their knowledge falsely characterize it (1 Cor. 8:1). With rebirth we immediately achieve the perfection we strive for. For in baptism we receive into our soul the light of the knowledge of God. But he cannot be called imperfect who knows what is perfect; and let no one blame me for claiming that I know God. This expression is kind to the Logos, and He is free (John 8:35–36). Immediately after baptism, a voice from heaven sounded over the Lord, testifying about Him as the beloved: “You are My beloved Son; Today I have given birth to You." Now we ask these wise men: Christ, about whom Scripture says that He is now “(re)born.” Is he perfect or - which is very incongruous - not perfect? If imperfect, then He had to learn something. But He had nothing to learn, because He is God. There is no being greater than the Logos; for the only Teacher there is no teacher. Must they not, therefore, confess against their will that the Logos came perfect from the perfect Father and that, according to the dispensation of our salvation, He was regenerated completely and completely? But being perfect, why did He, perfect, accept baptism? They answer that He had to be completely satisfied with the form of life He had assumed in the form of a man. Absolutely right. I agree with this. Therefore, the baptism from John immediately makes Him perfect? Obviously. Therefore, he had nothing to learn from John? Nothing. He achieves perfection, therefore, in simple washing and is sanctified through the descent of the Holy Spirit on Him? So. The same thing happens to us, for whom Christ is the prototype. Through baptism we receive light into the soul, with light we receive the right to sonship, with sonship we receive perfection, with perfection we receive immortality. “I said,” it is said, “you are gods, and you are all sons of the Most High” (Ps. 81:6). This act is called variously: grace, enlightenment, perfection, ablution. It is called washing because in baptism our sins are washed away; grace - because in it we are freed from punishment for sins; enlightenment - because in it we see the heavenly saving light, that is, we know God. We call perfection the absence of any defect; but what is lacking to the one who knows God? Truly, it would be meaningless to call something that does not have the full degree of perfection a gift of God. Being perfect, God lavishes gifts, of course, perfect ones (James 1:17). Just as everything happens according to His word, so His gracious will is followed by a perfect gift. What is yet to happen to us is forestalled in baptism by the omnipotence of the Divine will. – Further: the forgiveness of sins for us is already the beginning of our salvation. Therefore, whoever achieves the goals of life is already perfect. And whoever escaped death is alive. Salvation, therefore, consists in following Christ. For “what happened in Him, that is life. Truly, truly, I say to you, he who hears My word and believes in Him who sent Me has eternal life and does not come into judgment, but has passed from death to life” (John 5:24). Therefore, only faith and regeneration represent perfection in life. Because God doesn't do anything bad. Just as His will is already an action and is seen by us in the form of this world, similarly the same will of God represents the salvation of man and is called the church. God knows those called by Him. Saved by him. But calling and salvation for God are one and the same. “You yourselves have been taught by God,” says the apostle (1 Thess. 4:9). But it is impermissible to consider what God himself teaches to be imperfect. This teaching is the teaching of eternal salvation, mediated by the ever-present Savior, to whom be praise forever. Amen. Inextricably linked with the concept of a person reborn and enlightened is the concept of a person brought out of darkness; this is already given by the literal meaning of those words: those people have been walking in the light since that very moment (enlightenment and revival). Like sleep, those who shake off their eyelids immediately become spiritually awake; or better to say: just as those who strive to clarify their vision, weakened by blurred vision, help the eye not by attracting light from the outside into it, but by removing the obstacle from the eye, thus freeing the eye pupil: similarly, we, with the help of the Holy Spirit, having washed in baptism the foggy eye of our spirit and closed by the darkness of sin, after that we have it clean, healthy and bright. We know God only because (in baptism) the Holy Spirit is poured out on us from heaven. A heavenly ray enters our eye, giving it the ability to see heavenly light. Like makes friends with like; the holy is friends with its original source, and this one is primarily called light. “You were once darkness, but now” you are “light in the Lord” (Eph. 5:8). That is why man, I believe, is called light, φως. But,” they object, “the baptized person receives a gift that is not yet perfect.” - Let's say; but he walks in the light, and darkness has not overcome him (John 1:3); and between light and darkness there is no intermediate state. The faithful, they further object, will face perfection in the resurrection. But this perfection is not the achievement of any special good, but nothing more than the fulfillment of the promise received (in baptism). But it cannot be allowed that at the same time both the achievement of a goal and the hope for it can exist together. Time and eternity are not the same thing; therefore, the goal cannot be identified with the aspiration.” - Without a doubt. Indeed, the goal that someone strives for and achieves is another matter, and the person who strives for it and achieves it is another matter. The aspiration is, so to speak, the faith of this life, but the goal is the fulfillment of the promise in eternity. But the Lord himself clearly identifies both of these moments in salvation with the words: “This is the will of Him who sent Me, that everyone who sees the Son and believes in Him may have eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day” (John 6:40). We therefore believe in our perfection, as far as it is possible in this life. He means this moment by the expression “the last day,” until the onset of which it will be “preserved” (cf. 2 Pet. 2:4, 9; 2 Pet. 3:7; where "to persist" means to exist) and with the onset of which it will be destroyed. Faith is the perfection of doctrine; That’s why He says: “Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life” (John 3:36). Therefore, if, as a result of faith, life is characteristic of us, what else is in store for us in the future if not the inheritance of life in its heavenly form? Faith is not something insufficient; by its very essence it is something perfect, and it is characterized by completeness (perfection). If faith is characterized by any shortcoming, then it means that it is not completely perfect; faith is not characterized by any shortcomings, and it makes believers expectant (of the fulfillment of the promise) not only after departing from this world, but already here on earth, it endows all of them without distinction with guarantees (of the fulfillment of the promise). What we know in advance through faith that something in the future will become our property, that very thing after the resurrection we will actually receive into our possession; and then the word will be fulfilled over us: “According to your faith, be it done to you.” (Matthew 9:29). Where there is faith, there is promise; but the fulfillment of the promise is rest (in God). Gnosis, therefore, consists in enlightenment, and the goal of gnosis is peace, the final limit of what is achievable. How, as a result of experience, inexperience disappears; just as with abundance lack ceases, so through enlightenment darkness must disappear. And by darkness we must understand ignorance, as a result of which we fall into sins, remaining blind to the truth. Gnosis is, therefore, that enlightenment by which ignorance is banished and in which the organ of vision is given to us. But even in leaving the worst there is knowledge of the better. For whatever is kept in a painfully bound state by ignorance (Is. 58:6) is gloriously resolved by knowledge. These shackles are quickly broken by human faith and Divine grace, which in baptism into the Logos, as if through some kind of Paeonian grass, heals us from sins. All our sins are washed away in baptism, and immediately we cease to walk in the ways of evil. The beneficial effect of enlightenment, therefore, consists in the fact that after washing we leave behind our former morals. But since with enlightenment the sun of gnosis rises above us, illuminating our spirit, we, (until then) ignorant, are immediately known as “disciples”, knowledgeable” in the teaching. And if so, then when did we listen to the teaching? Truly, it is impossible to determine these moments with precision. Catechetical catechism only leads to faith; This means that in baptism itself the Holy Spirit teaches us. That faith is the saving means common to all mankind and that God, who is just and loves people, equally favors everyone, the apostle clearly teaches about this in the words: “And before the coming of faith, we were imprisoned under the guard of the law, until the time when it was necessary to open ourselves to faith. So the law was a guide for us to Christ, so that we might be justified by faith; after the coming of faith, we are no longer under the direction of a “schoolmaster” (Gal. 3:23–23). Do you hear? We are no longer under the law, based on the principle of fear, but are guided by the Logos, the Teacher of freedom. Then the apostle added a saying in which there is nothing about the preference of certain persons. “For you are all,” he says, “sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus; all of you who were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. There is no longer Jew nor Gentile,” “there is neither slave nor free; there is neither male nor female: for you are all one in Christ Jesus” (Gal. 3:26–28). Therefore, it is not necessary to understand the matter in such a way that some are Gnostics in the Logos (gifted with knowledge), while others remain “spiritual” people (who are characterized by only a common life with all animate beings), but in such a way that we all, having abandoned carnal desires, have equal dignity before the Lord, we are all “spiritual”. Elsewhere the apostle writes: “For we are all baptized into one body by one Spirit. Jews or Greeks, slaves or free; and they are all made to drink of one Spirit” (1 Cor. 12:13). It is not indecent to use the own words of (our) opponents. “The thought of the best” they call “the product of the straining of the spirit” διυλισμον, because with the thought of the best the abandonment of the worst is connected.” – But the thought of the best necessarily follows repentance for the bad. So, our opponents must, therefore, admit that the breath of the same Spirit leads to repentance. But that’s exactly what we have. Through baptism we are cleansed and returned to the light, as children we approach the Father, having previously repented of our sins and vowed to renounce their repetition. Therefore, rejoicing in spirit, Jesus says: “I praise You, Father, Lord” (Luke 10:21; Matt. 11:25) “of heaven and earth, because You have hidden these things from the wise and prudent and have revealed them to babes” (Luke 10:21). The Teacher and Teacher calls us “babes” because “they are more disposed towards salvation than the wise men of this world, who, “imagining themselves to be wise men, became fools” (Rom. 1:22). And He, rejoicing and triumphant, as if singing with the children, says: “Hey, Father! For such was Your good pleasure” (Luke 10:21). Therefore, what is hidden from the wise and intelligent of this world is revealed to infants. It is right that we are called children of God, we who have put off the “former way of life of the old man” (Eph. 4:22), who have put off the clothing “which was defiled by the flesh” (Jude 1:23; 2 Cor. 5:4), who have put on “the immortality” of Christ (1 Cor. 13:33), so that we, born again into a new holy nation, may preserve ourselves undefiled “the (new) man” (Eph. 4:24). And this baby, as God’s nurse, is pure from excesses and atrocities. But let us leave a further exposition of this subject better to Paul, who frees us from this exposition, because in the First Epistle to the Corinthians he writes like this: “Brothers, do not be children in mind: in evil you will be infants, but in understanding be mature” (1 Cor. 14:20). And that word: “When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child” (1 Cor. 13:11) means his life under the law, when he, not wanting to be a simpleton, recklessly persecuted the church of God, thinking like a child. By speaking recklessly, he acted wickedly against the Logos. The word “baby” has a double meaning. “But when he became a man,” Paul says again, “he left behind his childish things” (1 Cor. 13:11). He does not mean here an imperfect age and generally not a specific period of time, and also not the highest mysterious teaching assigned to husbands - because he extends the state of childhood beyond its borders, he claims about himself that he proclaims God's recognition of us as children - but by babies he means those who were subject to the law, feared as children fear stuffed animals; By husbands he means those who obey the Logos and have the right to self-determination. We believers achieve salvation by choosing it out of freedom; fear is distinguished in us by its rational character, and not by its unreasonable character. The apostle himself testifies to this, calling the Jews heirs according to the Old Testament, and us heirs of the promise. “I will also say,” he writes, “the heir, as long as he is a child, is no different from a slave, although he is the master of everything: he is subordinate to trustees and stewards until the time appointed by his father.” “So we, as long as we were children, were enslaved to the material principles of the world. But when the fullness of the time had come, God sent forth His (Only Begotten) Son, who was born of a woman, made subject to the law, to redeem those under the law, that we might receive adoption as sons” (Gal. 4:1–5). Pay attention: the apostle here called the slaves of fear and sin children, but he called the believers sons and recognized them as adults, in contrast to children under the law. “Therefore you are no longer a slave,” he says, “but a son; and if a son, then an heir of God through Jesus Christ” (Gal. 4:7). (But what else does the son lack upon entering into inheritance rights?) This place is: “When I was a baby.” – it is best, therefore, to explain it this way: “when I was a Jew”; the apostle was previously a Jew. “Then I thought like a child,” because I followed the law; “And when he became a man, he left behind his infancy,” that is, about what the law says, but I think about what the husband says, i.e. Christ, whom Scripture, as we showed above, calls one man; “I left the baby.” – Childhood in Christ, compared to the law, is perfection. We must take our childhood under protection here. It is also necessary to interpret the subsequent saying of the apostle: (As to babes in Christ) “I fed you with milk and not with solid food, for you were not yet able, and even now you are not able” (1 Cor. 3:2). This saying, it seems to me, can no longer be interpreted in relation to Judaism if we contrast it with another text of Scripture: “I will bring you out into a land flowing with milk and honey” (Ex. 3:8, 17; and in many other places). Anyone who reflects more carefully on these passages of Scripture encounters a significant difficulty here. If the initial phase of faith in Christ is the milk-fed infancy (of faith) and if this phase is equivalent to its imperfection, then how then is the blissful peace of a Christian, in the knowledge of the gifted (gnostic) and perfect, which comes after eating this (solid) food, again called milk, i.e., the food of infancy? One cannot think that this passage contains something contradictory; it is, of course, very precise and should read something like this: “I fed you with milk in Christ.” Now let’s add to this another expression standing after a certain interval: “like babies.” This combination of individual expressions gives the following meaning: through the oral presentation of the teachings about Christ to you, I fed you with simple, nutritious spiritual food that was appropriate for your age. For it is precisely these properties that distinguish the milk flowing from a loving breast, which feeds all living things. Therefore, in general, the word of the apostle should be understood in this way: just as nurses feed newborn children with milk, likewise I fed you with the milk of Christ, the Divine word, pouring this spiritual food into you drop by drop. It turns out, therefore, that milk, far from being an imperfect food, is a perfect food, since it leads to eternal bliss. That is why the same milk and honey are promised to us in the place of peace. It is so natural that the Lord here again promises milk to the righteous, so that with this promise he can speak clearly about both, about alpha and omega, about the beginning and the end (Rev. 1:8; Rev. 21:6; Rev. 22:13), for under the image of milk allegorically speaking about the Logos. Homer sings about the same thing. Being an involuntary prophet, he calls the righteous “galactophages” (mammal eaters). But this passage of Scripture can be understood this way: “I could not speak” to you “brothers as to spiritual ones, but as to carnal ones, as to babes in Christ” (1 Cor. 3:1). By “carnal” people and by “babes in Christ” we must understand the recently catechumens; The apostle addresses those who already believe in the Holy Spirit as “spiritual” people, and the newly catechumens as “carnal” people who have not yet been purified (by holy baptism). These, almost like pagans, he still rightly calls “carnal” people, because they were imbued with carnal dispositions. “For if there is envy, strife, and disagreement among you, are you not carnal? and are you not acting according to human custom? (1 Cor. 3:3) “Therefore,” he says, “I gave you milk to drink,” I poured knowledge (gnosis) into you, and enlightened you with the teaching that should support eternal life in you. But the expression “I gave you something to drink” also indicates the perfection of the message; because the word “to drink” is used in relation to adults, but when talking about children, it is used to “suck”. “My blood,” says the Savior, “is truth and drink” (John 6:53). By the expression “I gave you milk,” does not the apostle therefore mean the fullness of joy that is contained in the milk of the Logos, namely the knowledge of the truth? In the further words: “but not” (solid) “fed with food, for you were” not yet in “strength”, (solid) “food” can mean the removal of the veil that must occur in the future life, seeing face to face. Because “now we see as if” through a dark “glass,” says the same apostle, then “face to face” (1 Cor. 13:12). Therefore, he adds: But “even now you are not able, for you are still carnal,” you think carnally, are not free from carnal desires, prone to sensual love, to passion, to anger, to envy (cf. Gal. 5:19-21). “But we are no longer in the flesh” (Rom. 8:9), some argue, for although with flesh, we see the promise face to face with a face like that of an angel. - But if this is really the contemplation of that promise, which will be fulfilled only after death, if this is the contemplation of what “the eye has not seen, nor has it come” “to the heart of man” (1 Cor. 2:9), then how are they able to contemplate this promise now, when they have not listened to spiritual inspiration, but through teaching, have learned what no other ear has ever heard except this ear? the one who was “caught up to the third heaven” (2 Cor. 12:2–4) and there received a command to remain silent about it? If this arrogant knowledge (gnosis) - and we should pay attention to this - is human wisdom, then regarding it there is a commandment from Scripture: “Let not the wise boast in his wisdom, and let not the mighty boast in his strength. But he who boasts, boast in this, that he understands and knows Me” (Jer. 9:23). We are “taught of God” (1 Thess. 4:9) and we boast in this in the name of Christ. This is how we understand the apostle’s word about “baby milk”; and why not understand it that way? If we, the leaders of the church, are shepherds following the example of the Good Shepherd (John 10:11, 14), and you are sheep, then shouldn’t it be allowed, so that the comparison remains fully consistent, that we can talk about the Lord’s flesh and blood under the image of the milk of the flock? Such an allegory is completely consistent with the above words of the apostle: “I gave you milk to drink, and not” (solid) “food.” By (solid) “food”, which we are talking about after milk, we must understand nothing more than essentially the same thing. Because the teaching remains the same, no matter whether it is presented in an unartificial and simple form, in the form of milk, or in a coherent and orderly form, in the form of (solid) food. But truly, if this is the meaning of these words of the apostle, then by milk we can also understand preaching, spilled everywhere, and by food, faith, which, after listening to the catechumen teaching, is strengthened to the foundation and which, being much more reliable than the catechumen teaching, is likened to the food that the soul assimilates to its body. The Lord spoke symbolically and in other ways about food of this kind in other places in the Gospel of John: Eat My flesh and drink My blood (John 6:54). Obviously, He speaks here allegorically of faith and promises, and of which the church, like a person consisting of many members, receives its vital juices and by the strength of which it grows. But faith is composed and connected from two component parts: from the body, that is, faith itself, and from the soul, that is, hope, just as the Lord consists of flesh and blood. Indeed, hope is the blood of faith; by hope faith is kept in harmony with itself, as if by a quickening soul. If hope, like flowing blood, evaporates, then the liveliness of faith also fades. And when some would still like to jealously insist that the first fruits of Christian teaching, so to speak, the original nutrition, are called milk; solid food is the name given to the highest spiritual knowledge of those who boast of their gnosis: then let them understand that by solid food they mean nourishment necessarily only with solid elements, through this very thing they could through their own, so arrogant knowledge? to get to the understanding of the simple truth that by “milk” the apostle (1 Cor. 3:2) means the flesh and blood of Christ (and not elementary Christian teaching). Blood is the vital core in a person, which is why some have decided to make the very essence of the soul dependent on it. This blood, now circulating (in the living) as a result of the natural process of digestion, after the mother becomes pregnant due to some natural sympathy, begins to bloom and ripen, so that the child no longer fears for herself. And just as blood is the more liquid part of the flesh and is even the same flesh only in a more liquid form, so milk is the sweeter and more tender part of the blood. It is primarily the blood through the umbilical cord that delivers nutrition to the fetus contained in the mother’s womb; This blood, being difficult to move through its channels and unable to find an outlet as monthly cleansing, spreads naturally throughout the body and, according to the design of the nourisher of all and the culprit of God, rushes to the breasts, which is why these become fuller; Here, undergoing some transformation under the influence of warm breath, blood becomes a desirable food for the child. Thus, (into milk) nothing other than blood is converted, because the breasts, more than all other members of the body, have a relationship with the uterus. Therefore, as soon as the end of childbirth, the placenta, through which the blood delivered nutrition to the fetus, comes out from the inside by squeezing out from there, although the normal circulation of the blood is restored, it still receives direction to the breasts; and when enough of it flows here, they become fat, and the blood here turns into milk, just as when wounded it turns into pus. This blood from the veins located in the breasts, which open at the end of pregnancy, is received into the natural cavernous being of the breasts, comes into contact here with the breath coming from neighboring arteries, and, spreading here in waves, becomes, without changing its own being in this process, white like moving waves of water. As a result of this contact with the breath, the blood turns into a kind of foam. Something similar to this happens with the sea; in the same way, due to excitement by the winds, it, in the words of the poets, “spits out salty foam” ((Iliad, IV, 423, 426)), although in other respects it retains its substance. In the same way, “hissing, foaming” (αφρονμορμυρ &#9 59; υσι) and river waves, with the rapidity of the current, raised by a strong influx of surrounding air ((“Iliad”, V, 596)). And in our mouth, the moisture under the influence of breathing turns into white saliva. What kind of stubbornness is this, therefore, not to admit that under the influence of breathing the blood can turn into a lightish and white liquid? After all, it undergoes this transformation only in quality, and not in its substance. There is nothing more nutritious than milk, nothing sweeter, nothing whiter. How similar it is to spiritual food! And this spiritual food is just as nutritious, because it brings life with it; and this spiritual food is just as sweet, because it represents grace; This spiritual food is white, because it is the day of Christ. And the blood of the Logos turns out to be milk. We outlined above how, even during pregnancy, according to expediency, the milk process begins in the mother, and then, after the birth of her child, how milk itself is formed for him; and the breasts, which were previously looking at the husband, then turn to the child; and, as if by some suggestion from him, they most conveniently deliver to him the food prepared by nature to preserve his existence. Because breasts are not filled with milk like springs: it does not flow into them in a ready-made form, but in them themselves, through transformation, this food is prepared, then absorbed into itself by the child. This food, so decent and healthy for newborns, is prepared, therefore, by God himself, the Father and Nourisher of newborns and the reborn. Likewise, to the ancient Jews, manna was given from heaven; That is why it is called heavenly and angelic food. Therefore, to this day, nurses call liquid milk food, originally given to children, by the name of this heavenly food, manna. Upon release from pregnancy, women, having become mothers, ooze milk. However, the Lord, the fruit of the Virgin, did not call the mother’s breast blessed and did not recognize her as a nourisher (Luke 11:28). Having sent the Logos like some rain to the earth, the loving and philanthropic Father himself feeds virtuous people with spiritual food. Oh, mysterious miracle! There is one Father for the universe, one Logos for the universe, one and the omnipresent Holy Spirit; one and mother: with pleasure I call the one church by this name. This mother has milk, but it did not come from her alone, because she is not a wife (giving birth) by herself; she is both mother and maiden; she is pure and holy like a virgin, and her love is characteristic of a mother. She calls her children to her and feeds them with the sacred milk of the eternally youthful Logos. That’s why I said that this mother’s milk did not come from her being alone. Her milk itself is this beautiful, friendly Child, the body of Christ, which brings newborn humanity to a more mature age. It was born of the Lord amid bodily sorrows; He himself wrapped it in swaddling clothes, sprinkled it with His precious blood. Oh, holy birth! Oh, sacred shrouds! The Logos is everything to this newborn humanity: father, mother, educator. Eat My flesh, He says, and drink My blood (John 6:53). The Lord provides us with food that is appropriate for health. He offers us his flesh and pours out his blood into us, thereby promoting the growth of his children. Oh, wonderful mystery! He commands us to abandon our former carnal passions, as well as our former indulgence in them, and follow something else. His Christ, the way of life - by Him, as far as possible, internally imbued with Him, reproducing Him in ourselves. Carrying the Savior in our breasts, so that through this we can curb the desires of our flesh. Or maybe you don’t want to understand it all that way, but more specifically? Hear from me an exposition of this subject from this side as well. Under the image of the flesh, it is allegorically spoken of the Holy Spirit, for the flesh is created by Him. Blood in a pictorial way signifies the Logos, because just as blood brings life with it, so the richest Logos spills life throughout the world; the mixture of both, Lord (the sacrament of the Eucharist, taught by the church), is the food of children. This word, Lord, specifically designates both the Holy Spirit and the Logos. Our food is the Lord Jesus; this means we feed on the Logos of the Father and together with the incarnate Holy Spirit, sacred heavenly flesh. This is our food, the milk of the Father: this is the only food for us, His little children. Our friend and nourisher Logos, He shed His blood for us, sacrificing Himself for the good of humanity. He taught us to believe in God; through Him we have access to the Father, to His very bosom, “comforting care” ((Iliad, X, 84)), for the Logos is the bosom of the Father. It is natural, therefore, that He alone pours out the milk of His love to us, children; hence it happens that only we, who suck milk from this breast, are the only ones who are blessed. That is why Peter says: “putting aside all malice and all deceit, and “hypocrisy, and envy, and all slander,” and like newborn babes, desire the pure milk of the word, so that you may grow from it: it is your salvation, for you have tasted that the Lord is good” (1 Pet. 2:1-3). But if someone, yielding to our opponents, wanted to admit with them that milk, which the Apostle mentions along with (solid) food, is something else (and not the body and blood of Christ): he thereby, having discovered a lack of natural scientific information, would do the equivalent of helping them to thrust their own spears, our opponents, into themselves. In winter, when everything freezes and when the warmth hidden in us (due to the compression of the pores) from the cold less of us comes out, the food is heated and boiled and enters (into the body) in this form, becoming blood in the veins. The veins, not penetrated by inhaling warm air, fill up more, become fuller and beat more intensely. That is why nurses provide more milk around this time. But shortly before this, we showed that in pregnant women milk is formed from the blood through a transformation that does not affect the substance of the blood. In a similar way, old people's brown hair turns gray. In the summer, when the body’s body is weaker, lighter food is introduced into it, which is why it abounds less in milk, and hence in blood, because the food is not (always) retained in it all. So, if food is processed into blood, and blood can be converted into milk, then it means that blood is the material for milk, just as milk is the material for the formation of a bodily organism, in the same way as the seeds of a grape berry contain all the material for the formation of a grapevine. So, immediately after birth we feed on milk, food that has a relationship with the Lord; and upon rebirth, we are immediately rewarded with an honorable gift, the promise of eternal peace, which should one day become our lot, the hope of bliss in heavenly Jerusalem, where, according to Scripture, milk and honey flow. Thus, under the material image we receive assurance that we must one day become ours; share the heavenly litany. Food, after all, will be abolished, as the apostle himself says (1 Cor. 6:13), but milk nutrition will ascend to heaven with us, feeding you into heavenly citizens and members of angelic choirs. But since the Logos is the ever-flowing source of life (Rev. 21:6; Rev. 22:1; John 7:38; James 3:11); since He is also called a river of oil, then, speaking about Him allegorically and calling Him milk, Paul could naturally add the following expression: “I gave you something to drink” (1 Cor. 3:2). The Logos—the content of all that is true—is what is drunk. In any case, only liquid food is called a drink. But the same nutritious material can be both food and drink, depending on the state in which it is found. So, for example, cheese is the condensation of milk, or condensed milk, whatever you want to call it, I have no desire to chase after words; I just want to say that essentially the same nutritious material for food can be offered in one or another form. But for children who feed on their mother’s breasts, milk alone is enough; it can be both a drink and food for them. “I have food,” says the Lord, “which you do not know. My food is to do the will of Him who sent Me” (John 4:32, 34). Here you are dealing with another food, which, just like milk, must be understood in a figurative sense; this is the will of God. – But the fullness of His own suffering in an improper sense is called a “cup” (Matthew 20:22; Mark 10:38; John 18:11), since it was only His duty to drink it and empty it to the bottom. Thus, fulfilling the will of the Father for Christ was His food, and for us, His children, He Himself serves as food; we absorb it into ourselves from the heavenly Logos. Hence the concept of “seek” (strive, desire, strive) in the Greek language is transmitted through (μαστευε ιν) (stretch to the breast), because for babies striving for the Logos, milk flows in abundance from the Father’s humane breasts. In addition, the Logos also calls itself heavenly bread. “It was not Moses,” He says, “who gave you bread from heaven, but My Father gives you the true bread from heaven. For the bread of God is the one that comes down from heaven and gives life to the world. The bread that I will give is My flesh, which I will give for the life of the world” (John 6:32, 33, 31). Here, through the attached sign, the sacrament of (Eucharistic) bread is indicated, and because the Lord calls his flesh bread, saying about it that when the world burns, it will rise again, just as wheat rises from sowing and decay. But what should be prepared as bread through fire for the triumphant church means how bread should be baked. But we will present this in more detail in the book “On the Resurrection.” And how did the Lord say: “The bread that I will give is my flesh”; since the flesh is then irrigated with blood, and since the blood is allegorically called wine, the following must be kept in mind: just as bread, dropped into fragments (wine and water), absorbs the wine into itself, but does not accept the watery components, in the same way the flesh of the Lord (the Holy Spirit, the church), being the bread of heaven, absorbs the blood, that is, the heavenly from people, raising them to immortality; and she does not deal only with carnal desires, leaving them to perish. Thus the Logos is spoken of under various sensory images. He is called food, flesh, nourishment, bread, blood, milk; The Lord consists of all this for us who believe in Him, so that we may grow in Him. Therefore, let our assurance not seem strange to anyone that it is the blood of the Lord that is spoken of under the image of milk. Isn’t it also referred to allegorically under the image of wine? “He washes his garments in wine, and his garments in the blood of grapes” (Gen. 49:11). This passage means that in His (Holy) Spirit the body of the Logos (church) achieves beauty and glory, just as He Himself feeds with His Spirit those who passionately seek communion with Him. And the fact that blood itself signifies the Logos is evidenced by “the blood of righteous Abel” (Gen. 4:10; Heb. 12:24), crying to heaven. Blood can never make a voice; It’s a different matter if by blood we mean the Logos. The Righteous One of ancient times is a prototype of the new Righteous One; and the crying ancient blood cries out in relation to the new blood. This blood cries out to God not on its own, but the Logos cries out under the image of it, since it foreshadowed He who must suffer. But the milk itself, and the blood circulating in it, in which they, as it were, meet some answer to their love, brings refreshment, and it contributes to their multiplication. The development of the embryonic fruit further occurs due to the fact that the seed is mixed with the remaining pure results of the monthly purification. The power of the semen causes the blood to coagulate, just as the milk from a sourdough coagulates, and a (new) educational process begins. The more or less successful course of this educational process depends on more or less complete mixing; the contact of the seed with the blood, superficial for the production of the fruit, is unreliable. Likewise, from the ground, if too much rain falls, the seed is carried away; Due to the dryness of the soil, the seed also dries out; The moisture is fertilizing, somewhat sticky, and retains the seed and promotes its growth. Some argue that animal semen in its essence is nothing more than foam of blood. Due to the natural fervor of the male sex during intercourse, the blood, having become excited, agitated, foams and is deposited in the seminal passages. Hence, as Diogenes Apolloniates says, love affairs are called in Greek αφροδισια. From all this it now becomes clear that blood is the substance of the human body. And whatever is in the mother’s womb, it all first remains a milky wet mass, and then it, being assimilated by the blood, turns into flesh; this condenses in the womb due to natural warmth maintained by breathing; under its influence the embryo is formed, developing further and more fully. But even after birth, the baby is fed with the same blood, because the flows of blood become waves of milk, and milk becomes a nutritious spring for him. The same milk process also serves as clear proof that the wife has indeed given birth and is a mother; he also encourages the mother to share with the child the magic drink of maternal love. That is why the Holy Spirit in the person of the Apostle, using the imagery of the Lord’s speech, says mysteriously: “I fed you with milk” (1 Cor. 3:2). Because if we are reborn in Christ, then the One who regenerated us means that he feeds us with the Logos, with this milk of his. Every mother in childbirth has the desire to immediately deliver nutrition to the newborn. But just as the rebirth of a person is spiritual, so similarly, nutrition should be spiritual. Thus, just as in all other respects we maintain communion with Christ, so we become participants in His Divine nature through the acceptance of His blood, which He shed for our redemption; we participate in His sufferings through accepting the food offered to us by the Logos; We become participants in immortality due to our lifestyle, in accordance with His commandments. And between mortal people, feeding children often develops greater love than bringing them into the world. Blood and milk, equal in substance to each other, therefore, are a symbol of the suffering and teaching of the Lord. We, His children, can therefore boast in the Lord and say: I'm proud of what's happening From a glorious father and the same blood ((Iliad, XIV, 113)). That milk is formed from blood through transformation is now clear. But the same thing can be observed in herds of sheep and cows. At that time of the year, which we call spring, when the air becomes damper, when both the grass and pastures are full of juice and wet, these animals fill with blood more quickly and easily, which can be observed in their tense and congested blood veins; from the blood and milk is then released from them more abundantly. In summer, the process of turning blood into milk stops again, because it is absorbed by heat, evaporating under its influence; That’s why the animals then become less milk-producing. Milk, therefore, has some affinity with water, based on their very nature, just as a spiritual cleansing bath has similarities with spiritual nutrition. Therefore, those Christians who, along with milk (accepting faith in the Logos), which we spoke about above, take in some refreshing water (of course, repentance), immediately find salvation for themselves. For mixing with water does not allow the milk to dry out, which occurs, however, not due to some of their opposites, but precisely due to the fact that a complete mixture with water is formed. And just as there is a related relationship between the Logos and baptism, the same relationship exists between milk and water. Because of all liquids, it tolerates mixing only with water, as a result of which it becomes purer, just as baptism serves as cleansing from sins. And milk easily tolerates the addition of honey; this helps to cleanse it and at the same time gives it sweetness, which is felt when eaten. Passions are healed by the Logos, since He is imbued with love for mankind, and at the same time He cleanses from sins. And Homer’s word about Nestor” His word flowed sweeter than honey ((Iliad, I, 249)), it seems to me that it was said with reference to the Logos, who is honey. In many places the prophecy puts Him “sweeter than honey and drops of the honeycomb” (Ps. 18:11; Ps. 119:103). And with sweet wine, milk carries the mixture. And mixing wine into milk like this is beneficial for milk. Passion by this addition is, as it were, subverted for the purposes of incorruption. When milk is mixed with wine, it turns into whey, it coagulates; and whatever additions there are in it, they are derived from it as if through some channel. The same effect in a person possessed by passions is produced by spiritual communication with a believer in the Logos; it cleanses him from carnal desires, eternally keeps him close to the Divine, makes him immortal. The fatty parts of milk, the so-called butter, are used by many for lighting. In this they have a very clear indication that in the Logos oil means a lot, for truly He only gives nourishment to children and promotes their growth and enlightenment. Therefore the Scripture says of the Lord: “He fed them with the produce of the fields; and he fed him with honey from the stone and oil from the solid rock; butter of cows and milk of sheep and fat of lambs,” etc. (Deut. 32:13–14). And announcing the birth of the Divine baby, the prophet says: “He will eat milk and honey” (Is. 7:15). I can only marvel at how some dare to call themselves perfect and Gnostics, in their arrogance and pride even placing themselves above the Apostle. Paul himself admits: I say this “not because I have already achieved or been perfected; but I strive, lest I attain as Christ Jesus attained me. Brethren, I do not count myself to have attained, but rather, forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead, I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus” (Phil. 3:12–14). He therefore considers himself perfect because he abandoned his former life and began to strive for a better one, and not because he considers himself perfect so that he is truly perfect in gnosis, because he still strives for perfection. Therefore, he adds: “So whoever is perfect among us should think this way.” (Phil. 3:15). It is clear, therefore, that by perfection he understands the renunciation of sins, rebirth for faith and the only Perfect One, as well as the oblivion of sins that remain behind us. Chapter 7. About the face of our Teacher and His educational method We have shown that Scripture calls us all children; and not only children does it call us, the followers of Christ, but also inexperienced babes, because only the Father of the universe is perfect: in Him is the Son, and in the Son is the Father. Now observing the sequence of thoughts in the course of thoughts, we will say about who is our Teacher. His name is Jesus. But sometimes He calls Himself a shepherd and says: “I am the good shepherd” (John 10:11). In this metaphorical expression, taken from shepherds, leaders of flocks, a shepherd must be understood as a “Teacher,” i.e., a caring leader of children, a diligent shepherd of inexperienced creatures. Children are simple in mind; That's why they are figuratively called sheep. And “there will be,” it says, “one flock and one Shepherd” (John 10:16). The Logos, which leads us children to salvation, in all fairness therefore consists of a Teacher. He himself spoke very clearly about Himself through Hosea: “I am your teacher.” ( Hos. 5:2 ). His pedagogy consists of Divine religion, instruction in how one should serve God, and teaching leading to knowledge of the truth. This is truly true guidance, because it moves towards heaven. The word “Pedagogy” is used in various meanings. By this we mean educated and trained; then – educating and teaching; it denotes, thirdly, the act of education itself; fourth, transmitted teachings, such as commandments. Pedagogy, which is in agreement with the will of God, consists in discerning the truth in a direct direction (κατευθυσμος) to God, in tirelessly imprinting on oneself deeds of eternal value. How does a commander keep his army in order by taking care of the health of his soldiers? and just as the helmsman steers the ship, meaning to preserve the lives of the passengers, in the same way our Teacher, in his loving care for us, his children, teaches us a way of life that leads to salvation. But in general, whatever we ask from God without prejudice to justice is given to us through Obedience to the Teacher. Just as now the helmsman does not always tack with the wind, but sometimes positions the ship with its front part against all the blows of the wind, in the same way our Teacher does not take into account the morals and customs blowing in the world, and does not leave his pet to their mercy like some kind of boat. The teacher does not allow His pupil to be drawn into the life of a dissolute animal by the radiance of worldly morals, but inspires him to hold firmly to the only wind of truth with his right oars, that is, with his understanding, until, without suffering any harm, he enters the heavenly harbor as a carefully nurtured child. Because the so-called “fatherly morals” among the pagans are a transitory thing; Divine education is an eternally valuable treasure. Achilles' tutor is said to have been Phoenix; educator of the sons of Croesus - Adrastus; Alexander’s teacher is Leonid; Philip's teacher was Nausifa. But one, namely Phoenix, was a womanizer; the other, namely Adrastus, an exile; Leonidas was unable to humble Alexander’s pride, and Nausiphaus never cured the king of Pella from his drinking bouts. The Thracian Zopyrus could not curb the excesses of Alcibiades; Yes, and he was a slave purchased by purchase. The teacher of Themistocles' sons, Sikinnus, was a flighty servant; he was the inventor of pantomime dances and especially satirical dance. And the so-called royal teachers among the Persians are unknown to us. The Persian kings choose them in groups of four from among the noblest among all the Persians and assign them as educators to their sons. But the royal princes learn from them only archery; Having arrived at the age of manhood, they live with their sisters, mothers, countless wives, sometimes legitimate, sometimes concubines, and give themselves over to sexual relations like hogs. Our Teacher is holy; he is the Divine Jesus, the Logos, the leader of all humanity; He Himself, the humane God, is our Educator. Somewhere in one song of praise, the Holy Spirit says about Him: He “found him in the Desert, in the sad steppe” and “wild; He protected him, looked after him, kept him as the apple of His eye. Like an eagle calls its nest; hovering over his chicks, spreading his wings, taking them on his feathers: so the Lord alone led him, and there was no foreign God with Him.” (Deut. 32:10–12). Scripture, I think, here clearly points to the Teacher, depicting the education that came from Him. But He himself recognizes Himself as a Teacher, speaking about Himself with His own lips: “I am the Lord your God. Who brought you out of Egypt” (Ex. 20:2). But who has the power to bring in and take out? Isn't it the Teacher? He appeared to Abraham and said: “I am God Almighty; walk before Me and be blameless” (Gen. 17:1, 2). And in a completely pedagogical manner, He attracts the pet to Himself, saying: “And I will establish My covenant between Me and you and between your descendants after you throughout their generations” (Gen. 17:7). Here friendship with the Educator is already established. But it is very clearly revealed (from Scripture) that the Logos was the Educator of Jacob. He says to him: “And behold, I am with you; and I will keep you wherever you go; and I will return you to this land; for I will not leave you until I have fulfilled what I have spoken to you” (Gen. 28:15). It is also said that He fought with him. “And Jacob remained,” it says, “alone. And Someone wrestled with him” (this is the Teacher) “until the dawn appeared” (Gen. 32:24). The one who fought here was the Son of Man - the Leader and Provider; and He encouraged Jacob, who fought with Him, to fight evil. And that the preparer of Jacob for this fight against evil, the Logos, was the Teacher of humanity, is revealed from the following: “Jacob also asked, saying: tell (me) Thy name. And He said: “Yes, why do you ask about My name?” (Gen. 32:29) He preserved His new name for the new people, for the people of children. Then the Lord God was still worshiped without a name, because at that time He had not yet taken on human form (John 1:14). Yet Jacob called the name of the place Penuel; for, he said, I have seen God face to face, and my soul is preserved (Gen. 32:30) But the face of God is the Logos, in which God appears and is known (John 14:9). And Jacob then received the name “Israel,” because he saw God the Lord. The one who appeared was God the Word (Logos), the Teacher, who again later spoke to Jacob: “Do not be afraid to go to Egypt” (Gen. 46:3). Pay attention (that is, in the subsequent story of the book of Genesis) how consistently the Teacher conducts the matter, teaching the wrestler and showing him how he should substitute his leg for the opponent. And the Teacher taught Moses how to lead children. Because the Lord spoke to Moses: “Whoever has sinned against Me, I will blot out from My book. So go, (descend), lead this people where I told you” (Ex. 32:33–34). At this point the Lord turns out to be the Teacher of Pedagogy. And in fact, through the person of Moses, the Lord was the Teacher of the Old Testament people; personally, face to face, He is the Leader of the New Testament people; because “behold,” God says to Moses, “My angel will go before you” (Ex. 32:34). In the image of a good Angel and Leader, the power of the Logos is placed at the head; but at the same time the Logos retains the dignity and greatness of the Ruler. On the “day,” He says, “when I test them, I will bring out their sin” on them, that is, on the Day when I appear as a Judge, I will pay vengeance to them for their sins. Because, as a Teacher and Judge, at the same time the Logos judges those who disobey Him. The humane Logos does not condone the sins of disobedient people, but condemns them for them so that they correct themselves, because the Lord wants better the conversion of a sinner than death (Ezek. 18:23). We, like children who know sin only by hearing, should be kept from such crimes by the fear of the threat that they will do the same to us. What was the crime of the disobedient of old? That in their “anger they killed the husband and, at their whim, cut the veins of the calf. Cursed be their wrath” (Gen. 49:6). So, who could raise us to be more philanthropic than the Lord? Previously, the ancient people had the old covenant; by law the ancient people were brought up in fear (Rom. 8:15), and the Logos was a simple Angel. A new and young covenant was given to the new and young people; The Logos came into the world, fear was transformed into love, and the former mysterious Angel was born in the image of Jesus. The teacher once said: “so that you fear the Lord” (Deut. 6:2); and He reminds us: “Thou shalt love the Lord thy God” (Matthew 22:37). That is why He gives us the following commandments: “Get away from our deeds” (i.e., from old sins) (Is. 1:16): “Learn to do good” (Is. 1:17); “Turn aside evil and do good” (Ps. 37:27): “thou hast loved righteousness and” “hated iniquity” (Ps. 36:8). This is My new covenant, written in the letters of the old. Therefore, one cannot blame the Logos for being young; Already in Jeremiah the Lord says: “Do not say: “I am young”; Before I formed you in the womb, I knew you; and before you came out of the womb, I sanctified you” (Jer. 1:7, 5). This passage from the prophet can be applied to us, to us, whose faith was known even before the creation of the world by God (Eph. 1:4; 1 Pet. 1:20). Now we are called children in relation to the will of God, which has only recently been carried out. In relation to our calling and salvation, we are truly newborns. That is why it was added: “I have made you a prophet to the nations”; in that sense, this was done so that the prophet would proclaim that the name “new testament” does not constitute any reproach for those who are called children. The Law is an ancient grace given by the Logos through Moses; That’s why Scripture says: “The Law was given through Moses” (John 1:17); not by Moses, but by the Logos through Moses, His servant; therefore it was fitting for the law to be temporary. Eternal “grace and truth came through Jesus Christ” (John 1:17). Pay attention to the words of Scripture. In relation to the law it is said only: “it was given”; by truth, which is the grace of the Father, is the eternal work of the Son; and it is not said of it that it “was given,” but that it “came into being” through Jesus (John 1:17), without whom “nothing was made” (John 1:3). Therefore, without any delay, Moses, foreseeing in spirit the coming of the most perfect Teacher, the Logos, self-consciously retreats into the background and speaks to the people in advance about this Teacher of the last times and His educational method, and also commands the people to obey this Teacher. “A prophet,” he says, “from among you, from among your brothers, the Lord will raise up for you like me.” (Deut. 18:15), through Joshua the son of Joshua, pointing to Jesus, the Son of God. The name "Jesus", foreshadowed in the law, was precisely a foreshadowing of the Lord. That is why Moses gives useful advice to the people, saying: “Listen to him”; and whoever does not listen to this prophet (Acts 3:23), he threatens. This is the name proclaimed to us by Moses as the name of the Teacher, bringing salvation with Him. Therefore, the prophecy also gives Him a rod (rod) in his hands, a rod of education, domination, power, so that whoever he does not heal through persuasion, this Teacher could heal with threat; and whoever the rod (rod) does not heal, the fire will devour him. It is said: “There will come forth a rod” (rod, rod) from the “root of Jesse.” Observe the care, wisdom and power of the Teacher, “He will not judge by the sight of His eyes,” it is said, “and He will not decide the grandfather by the hearing of His ears. He will judge the poor in truth and decide the grandfathers of the earth’s sufferers in truth.” (Isa. 11:3–4). And through the mouth of David He says: “The Lord punished me severely, but did not put me to death.” (Ps. 117:18). Because to be taught and educated by the Lord is salvation from death. The same prophet also says: “You will strike them with a rod” (rod) “and crush them like a potter’s vessel.” (Ps. 2:9). The apostle also writes in relation to this in his Epistle to the Corinthians: with “a rod (with a rod) to come to you,” or with “love and a spirit of meekness”? (1 Cor. 4:21) And another prophet says: “The rod” (rod) “the Lord will send Your strength from Zion” (Ps. 22:4). These Your pedagogical “rod” (judicial) and “staff” (pastoral) - they calm “me,” someone else said again (Ps. 22:4), that is, I found consolation in this power of the Teacher, venerable, comforting, saving. Chapter 8. Against those who believe that goodness and justice are mutually exclusive There are still some who claim that the (judicial) rod, threats and intimidation exclude the goodness of God. But, obviously, they do not understand the Scripture well, which in one place says: “He who fears God will be converted” (Sir. 21:7) and do not think about the most majestic proof of God’s love for mankind, namely, that for our sake the Lord became man. The Prophet turns to Him with the following prayer in a sincere tone: “remember us, because we are dust” (Ps. 102:14), that is, be touched by regret for us, because you yourself have experienced the weakness of the flesh. The completeness of the Lord, our Teacher, goodness and the fact that in this respect He is highly praiseworthy is evidenced by the fact that out of the fullness of his love for mankind, He treats compassionately the weak nature of each person in particular. “There is nothing that the Lord hates” (Wis. 9:23). For it is impossible for Him to hate anything, and yet desire the existence of that which He hates. And again He cannot will that something should not exist; but at the same time, He should be the author of the existence of that which He does not want to exist. It is further impossible that He did not want the existence of any thing and that, despite that, it existed. Therefore, if the Lord hates something, it means He wants it not to exist. But there is nothing of which God is not the cause; hence. Everything that exists is not at all hateful to God, and neither is the Logos; for both One and the Other are one, both Divine beings, as it is said about them: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was” God (John 1:1). But if nothing of what happened by the will of God. God does not hate, then it remains to admit that everything is pleasant to Him. More than anything else, man is dear to God; and natural; because man is the most beautiful of His creations and a being capable of loving God. Therefore, God is philanthropic; Accordingly, Logos is philanthropic. But if someone has love for someone, he also desires his benefit; and what is useful is in any case better than what is useless. There is nothing better than good; therefore, good is useful. But the fact that God is good (Matthew 19:17) after this should be considered undoubted; hence. God also favors useful things. Good, because it contributes to nothing other than good, is useful. Therefore, God promotes what is useful first of all. If He does not favor a person’s benefit, then, therefore, He does not care about him, does not provide for him. It is better if someone brings us benefit out of goodwill towards us, than for someone to contribute to our benefit out of ill will towards us. But nothing is more beautiful than God. And out of favor towards someone, to contribute to the benefit of that person, this is nothing other than taking care of that person. And that God cares about man, He testifies by His very deeds, having given you the Logos as a Teacher, a true Helper to God in His love for mankind. The essential feature in the concept of good is not that it is part of virtue. Therefore, justice is not something good because it partly realizes virtue - it is, after all, virtue itself - but because it is something good because of itself and in itself. On the other hand, what is useful is called good not because it is pleasant, but because it is useful. But all this applies to justice; it is something good because it represents virtue; it is something good also because it is desirable because of its essence, and not because it is pleasant; because it does not judge flatteringly, but rewards everyone according to his deserts; what is useful in it is determined by its useful essence. Consequently, the concept of justice is determined by all the components of the concept of good. Both concepts equally participate in the same attributes. But things that are characterized by the same attributes are both equal and similar to each other. Therefore, justice is something good. They say: “Can the Lord be humane and kind when He is angry and punishes”? – I find it appropriate to explain this here, as briefly as possible. A strict method for the correct upbringing of children is useful; it has the significance of a necessary auxiliary tool in education. Many of the passions can be eradicated only through punishment, the announcement of the strictest commandments and the teaching of certain (strictest) speculative principles. For example, censure for spiritual passions is a kind of surgical operation. Passions are purulent growths (on the body) of truth: through censure, as if through an incision, they are opened. Reproach is like a medicine, liquefying the hardened growths of passions and cleansing the ugliness of some aspects of life from dirt; what is overgrown and overgrown with the flesh of arrogance is leveled and softened by censure; it heals and renews a person again. In a similar way, an admonition for a sick soul acts like a dietary rule: it advises what it should take into itself, but it also prohibits, indicating what it should not eat. But both reproof and exhortation are meant to bring us salvation and eternal health. And the commander - imposing monetary fines or subjecting him to corporal punishment, depriving him of his honorable name, such as imprisonment and greater dishonor, sometimes even punishing some with death - has a good goal in mind: he does this to intimidate his subordinates. In a similar way, our great Commander, the Ruler of the universe, the Logos, deals with those who throw off the bridle of His law. He turns them to the sacred world with (church) society, reminds them of the need to dominate spiritual passions and through this free themselves from slavery to the enemy, wandering in the area of ​​​​sin and the bonds of the enemy. Just as exhortation and invitation are natural for the Logos who advises, so reproach, reproach and reproach are natural for the Logos who praises. He has a special skill in censure. Blame is a sign of goodwill, not hatred. Both friend and enemy reproach; but the enemy does this with a malicious laugh, and the friend does it out of heartfelt goodwill. It is not out of hatred that the Lord turns to man with reproaches - He could have swept all people from the face of the earth for their sins - but He even suffered for us. The teacher, precisely because He is good, very skillfully offers admonition in the form of a reproach; He motivates the lazy man with reproach, as if with a whip. Sometimes He tries to influence a famous person by changing the form of exhortation. On whom praise has no effect, He forces him with censure; and those whom reproach does not lead to the path of salvation are like corpses who are awakened to the truth by reproach. Because “punishment and the teaching of wisdom are appropriate for every time” (Sir. 22:6-7). “He who teaches a fool is the same as one who glues cuttings and awakens a sleeper from a deep sleep.” (Sir. 22:6–7); which is why it is clearly added: “awakening the sleeper from deep sleep,” because the sleeper most of all resembles the dead. The Lord Himself, taking as an example the earth, which represents different types and, when cared for, provides different benefits, allegorically, but very clearly, speaks about Himself: “I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser” (John 15:1). And then He further adds: “Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit. He cuts off; and every one that bears fruit he cleanses, that she may bear more fruit” (John 15:2). A grapevine, if not pruned, grows into branches (with all its strength going into them): so does a person. The Logos, being like some kind of garden knife, cuts off the growths that multiply on a person, forcing him with his feelings not to go into passion, but to bear fruit. But reproaches addressed to sinners have the same saving purpose; because the Logos is conformed in them to the characteristics of each person; sometimes he uses a whip, sometimes a bridle. Therefore it is said very clearly through the mouth of Moses: “Do not be afraid; God (to you) came to test you and so that the fear of Him might be before your face, so that you would not sin” (Ex. 20:20). That is why the word of Plato is wonderful, speaking from experience like this: “Everyone who is punished truly receives through that great benefit. Namely: through the punishment they deserve, their soul receives the benefit that it is given the opportunity to become better.” If now those who are instructed in this way by some truthful person receive from him a benefit, then according to Plato this goodness is also justice. Fear itself, therefore, brings benefit to people and is capable of improving them. For “the spirit of them that fear the Lord shall live; for their hope is in Him who saves them” (Sir. 34:13). The same Logos that imposes punishments on us. He is also our Judge. Isaiah says about him: “The Lord laid on Him the sins of us all” (Is. 53:6), on Him, that is, as our corrector and liberator of us from sins. For this reason, He alone can forgive sins. He, who was appointed by the Father to be our Teacher; He can only distinguish obedience from disobedience. But whoever threatens does not have an indispensable desire to satiate his anger and fulfill the threat, but, by bringing fear, through this he cuts off in us the inclination to sin; His love for mankind is also revealed in the fact that He hesitates and shows what would follow if someone remained in sin. Not like a biting snake. It doesn't hurt right away. God is good; and before He gets to the point, the Lord exhorts for a long time. “I will heap disasters on them, and I will spend My arrows on them,” He says, “they will be exhausted by hunger, destroyed by fever and fierce infection; and I will send upon them the teeth of beasts and the poison of things that crawl on the earth. The sword will destroy them from without, and terror in their houses” (Deut. 32:23–25). The Deity, therefore, is not as angry as some people think, but in most cases He wants to curb people, constantly admonishes them and explains to them what they should do. But this art of instilling fear in us, so that we do not sin, is a good art, because “the fear of the Lord drives away sins; he who does not have this fear cannot justify himself” (Sir. 1:21), says Scripture. God does not send punishment out of anger, but out of justice, because it would reflect badly on us ourselves if punishments were imposed because of us. Each of us himself asks for punishment, because he himself sins of his own free will. The culprit of punishments, therefore, is the one who inflicts them on himself; God is not to blame for them. “If our untruth reveals the Truth of God, then what shall we say? won't God be unjust when he expresses anger? -I speak from human reasoning. No way” (Rom. 3:3–6). In a thunderstorm He says this: When “I sharpen My shining sword, and My hand receives judgment,” “then I will take vengeance on My enemies and repay those who hate Me, I will make My arrows drunk with blood, and My sword will be filled with flesh, the blood of the slain and captives” (Deut. 32:41–42). It is clearly written here that whoever is not an enemy of the truth does not harbor hatred against the Logos and is not a hater of his own salvation, that he will be free from punishment, but from enmity (for he did not have it). “The crown of wisdom”, as the book of Wisdom says, “the fear of the Lord” (Sir. 1:18) Through the prophet Amos, the Logos quite clearly depicted his educational method, saying: “I destroyed among you, as God destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah, and you were plucked like a brand from the fire, and for all that,” you did not “turn to Me, says the Lord” (Amos 4:11). Pay attention to how God, in His goodness, seeks an outcome in regret and how His love for mankind is hidden in education through threats. “I will hide My face from them,” He said, “(and) “I will see what their end will be” (Deut. 32:20). Where the Lord turns his face, there is peace and joy; and from where it turns away, evil begins to creep in. God does not want to bear evil, because He is good. If He turns His face away from somewhere, then He does so because of human unbelief, and evil develops there. “So you see,” says Paul, “the grace and severity of God: severity toward those who have fallen, but kindness toward you if you continue in the goodness of God” (Rom. 11:22), that is, in faith in Christ. Good by its very nature is characterized by hatred of evil. Therefore, perhaps, it can still be assumed that God punishes non-believers - punishment serves, after all, for the good and benefit of the person being punished; it is a corrective against the stubborn; - but we cannot assume that God is vengeful. Revenge is retribution for evil that occurs in the interest of the one who avenges himself. But Whoever teaches us to pray for our enemies (Matthew 5:44), of course, does not thirst for revenge. However, that God is good, everyone recognizes this, and that the same God is just, there will be no need to argue about this anymore if I cite the Word of the Lord from the Gospel. The Lord calls God “one: that they may all be one: as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You,” so “that they also may be one in Us, so that the world may believe that You sent Me. And the glory that You gave Me, I have given them: that they may be one, just as We are one. I am in them, and You are in Me; that they may be perfect in one” (John 17:21–23). God is one and more than one, something higher even than unity itself. The word “You” has a demonstrative meaning here; they point to God, who alone exists in the proper sense, “who you are and who was and who is to come” (Rev. 11:17). These three dimensions of time embrace one concept, namely the concept of being. And that indeed this one God has both properties, unity and justice, the Lord testifies to this in the same Gospel: “Father, I want them whom You have given Me to be with Me, so that they may see My glory, which You gave Me, because You loved Me before the foundation of the world. Righteous Father! and the world did not know You, but I knew You, and these knew that You sent Me. And I have made your name known to them, and will make it known” (John 17:24–26). This is the One who punishes “the children for the iniquity of the fathers, to the third and fourth generation of those who hate” Him and who shows “mercy to a thousand generations of those who love” Him (Ex. 20:5). Since by putting some on the right and others on the left, of course, the good Father, then He is called good according to His main property; and since the Son, who is His Logos, abides in the Father, the Father is given the epithet “just” according to the relationship of both (i.e., Father and Son). The concept of omnipotence here is measured by the equality of love. “He judges a man,” it is said, “according to his deeds” (Sir. 16:13). God shows us the prototype of justice on the same scales, in the person of the Lord Jesus, who, being, as it were, a pagan of these scales. Gives us to know God. Divine wisdom speaks clearly about Him: “both mercy and wrath are in His power; “He is powerful” to show mercy and pour out wrath. As great is His mercy, so great is His reproof” (Sir. 16:12–13). Regret is the motive of censure, and the salvation of the one to whom the censure relates is the goal of censure. However, that God, the Father of our Lord Jesus, is good, the Logos himself can tell us about this. He says about his Father: “He is good to the ungrateful and the wicked” (Luke 6:33). And further: “Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful” (Luke 6:36). He even says directly: “No one is good except God alone” (Matthew 19:17) “in heaven” (Matthew 5:12). Moreover, another time He says: My Father “commands his sun to rise on the evil and on the good” (Matthew 5:45). Here you need to pay attention to the fact that the Logos at the same time calls his Father, who is good, the Demiurge (creator and decorator of the world), and that the Demiurge is just, this is not rejected. And further: “My Father sends rain” on “the just and the unjust” (Matthew 5:45). Since He sends rain, it means that He is the Demiurge for the kingdom of waters and clouds, and since He sends it to everyone, it means that He divides it on the basis of perfect equality and justice; and because He is good, He sends rain evenly on the righteous and the unrighteous. Therefore, we conclude quite correctly that God, one in number and in essence, is spoken of in the following expressions of Scripture: “When I look” to “Thy heavens, the work of Thy fingers” (Ps. 8:4) and in this: “He who dwells in the heavens” (Ps. 2:4). “His throne is in heaven” (Ps. 10:4; Ps. 103:19), the Holy Spirit sings songs about Him. And the Lord Himself says in prayer: “Our Father who art in heaven (Matthew 6:9) Heaven is the property of Him who founded the world. Now, therefore, it is irrefutable that the Lord is the Son of the Creator of the world (Demiurge). If, however, it is now recognized that the Creator of the world is, by “God’s” preeminence, just, and the Lord is His Son (the Demiurge), then, consequently, the Lord is the Son of the just God. That is why Paul says: “Today, apart from the law, righteousness has been revealed” (Rom. 3:11). And again, to put this matter even more in relation to God: “the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ is in all and on all who believe, for there is no difference” (Rom. 3:22). And as a witness of the truth, He further adds: during “the longsuffering of God, for the demonstration of His righteousness at this present time, that He may appear righteous and the justifier of him that believeth in Jesus” (Rom. 3:26). And that the apostle knows the identity of the concepts “good” and “just”, this is revealed from his words: “Therefore the law is holy, and the commandment is holy and righteous and good” (Rom. 7:12): he characterizes the same subject with both predicates. But no one is “good except God alone” (Matthew 19:17). Many predicates are attributed to His Father, namely the One. And He understands this with the words: “Who is the Father,” no one knows “except” the Son (Luke 10:22; John 17:25), so that it becomes truly clear that there is only one God of the universe, that He is good and just, that He is the creator (Demiurge), the Son in the Father, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen. But the Logos, as the Savior, out of concern for the salvation of some, is not alien to addressing them with reproaches; because this represents one of the saving means of Divine love for mankind; from it comes the red color of shame and the fear of sin arises. If it is possible to blame, then it is appropriate to vilify. There are times when a soul that has reached the point of insensibility to sadness needs to be given wounds, not mortal wounds, but healing ones, since a little sadness protects against eternal death. Great is the wisdom of the Teacher in education and His method in relation to the goal is diverse. The Teacher testifies about virtuous people; He calls those called to something better; those who want to commit untruth, from the very beginning He rejects them and invites them to turn to a better life. For not one of these moments remains unattested, while the other is attested; from all the evidence comes the highest grace. And the affect of anger - if only God’s warning can be called anger - has its original beginning in love for mankind, because God descends to a passionate state because of man; for his sake the Divine Logos became a man. Chapter 9. About the fact that the business of the same power is to do good and to punish justly and also (continued) about the educational method of the Logos Quite powerfully, therefore, using all the methods of his wise art. The educator of humanity, our Divine Logos, takes care of the salvation of his children. He inspires, reproaches, reproaches, denounces, threatens, heals, promises, bestows. With many, as it were, bits, He curbs the unreasonable aspirations of people. Briefly: The Lord deals with us exactly the same way as we deal with our children. “Do you have sons? Teach them to speak wisdom, and bend their necks from youth. Do you have daughters? Take care of their body and do not delight in the beauty of their face” (Sir. 7:25-26). And yet we love our children: sons and daughters - more than anything. And since people who like to constantly give others only pleasure do not favor the fact that a person can be saddened, they are not distinguished by true love; on the contrary, those who practice beneficent severity, although they cause temporary grief, provide benefit for the future: then the Lord does not have temporary pleasure in mind, but eternal joy. Therefore, let us consider, based on prophetic evidence, the educational method of this Lover of Humanity. Suggestion is censure arising from care and mediated by an accurate understanding of the matter. The Teacher acts as such a Mentor, saying in the Gospel: “how many times have I wanted to gather” your children, “like a bird gathers its chicks under its wings, and you did not want to!” (Matthew 23:37). And again the same suggestion is contained in the words of Scripture: They “committed adultery” with “wood and stone” (Jer. 3:9), “burnt incense to Baal” (Jer. 7:9; Jer. 11:13; Jer. 32:29). The greatest proof of God’s love for man is that, seeing the shamelessness of the people, kicking and chomping at the bit, God nevertheless calls them to conversion and through the mouth of the prophet Ezekiel says: “Son of man, you will live among the scorpions; do not be afraid of them and do not be afraid of their face. And speak My words to them, whether they listen or not.” (Ezek. 2:6–7). But He said to Moses: “Go to Pharaoh and tell him to let the people go. I know, however, that he will not agree to let him go” (Ex. 3:18–19). Here He reveals two sides: the Divine - foreseeing the future, and the humane - honoring the soul gifted with free will with an invitation to convert. And in Isaiah, “caring for the people” (Is. 1:3–6), He turns to them with inspiration, saying: “This people draws near to Me with their lips” and “honors Me with their tongue, but their heart is far from Me” (Is. 29:13). And here is pure reproach: But “in vain they worship Me, teaching doctrines the commandments of men” (Matthew 15:9; Mark 7:7; Isaiah 29:13). Care here will manifest itself in exposing sin. The teacher also points out healing remedies through contrast. Reproach is censure expressed regarding someone's shameful behavior; the purpose of such censure is to arouse moral feeling. Something similar is found in Jeremiah: “These are fattened horses; each of them laughs at the other's wife. Am I not going to punish you for this? says the Lord,” and “will not My soul take vengeance on such a people as this”? (Jer. 3:8–9) He adds fear to everything, because “the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom” (Prov. 1:7). Again from Hosea: “Shouldn’t I punish them, since they associated with fornicators and made sacrifices with the church ones: and the people, who had been prudent until that time, embraced the fornicator”? ( Hos. 4:14 ) Here He exposes the sin of the people more clearly and admits at the same time that they were reasonable, and, therefore, fell into sin quite freely. Reason is the eye of the soul; therefore, the word “Israel” means “one who sees God,” that is, comprehends Him with his intellect. Reproach is censure of the frivolous and careless. The Lord uses this form of pedagogical reproach when he says in Isaiah: “Hear, O heavens, and listen, O earth, because the Lord says I have raised and raised up sons, and they rebelled against Me. The ox knows its owner, and the donkey its master’s manger, but Israel does not know (Me)” (Isa. 1:2). Isn’t it terrible if the leader of God forgets Him? The ox and the donkey are lazy, unreasonable animals, they know their feeders, and Israel turned out to be more unreasonable than them. And in Jeremiah, after a severe rebuke addressed to the people, He adds: “They have forsaken Me,” says the Lord (Jer. 1:16). Reproof is a reproachful reprimand or censure with the addition of reproachful words. The Teacher uses this educational tool in Isaiah, saying: “Woe to the disobedient sons, says the Lord, who hold councils, but without Me; and they make covenants, but not according to My spirit” (Isa. 30:1). Like some kind of sharp corrosive liquid, in some individual cases he uses intimidation, closing the mouths of the people and turning them onto the path of salvation. Similarly, when dyeing wool, it is usually etched so that it takes on the color for a longer time. Shaming is public reproach for sin. God uses it as a necessary educational means if faith among the people disappears. This is what He says in Isaiah: “they have forsaken the Lord, they have despised the Holy One of Israel” (Isaiah 1:4). And in Jeremiah: “Marvel at this, heavens, and tremble, and be horrified, says the Lord. For My people have committed two evils: They have forsaken Me, the fountain of living waters, and have hewed out for themselves broken cisterns that cannot hold water” (Jer. 3:12, 13). And again he has everything: “Jerusalem sinned grievously, and for this reason it became disgusting; all who glorified him look at him with contempt, because they have seen his nakedness” (Lam. 1:8). But He softens the harshness and shame of shaming through Solomon, silently proclaiming his educational love for children with the words: “Do not reject the discipline of the Lord, my son, and do not be burdened by His reproof, for whom the Lord loves He chastens and favors, as a father does to his son” (Prov. 3:11–12; Heb. 12:6; Rev. 3:19), because “only man the sinner avoids reproof” (Sir. 32:19). This is why Scripture says quite consistently: “Let the righteous punish me: this is mercy; let him reprove me: this is the best oil, which will not hurt my head” (Ps. 140:5). Admonition, instruction on the true path, is censure acting on the mind. And God did not leave this pedagogical moment unused; He says in Jeremiah: “Whom shall I speak to, and whom shall I exhort so that they will listen? Behold, their ear is uncircumcised” (Jer. 6:10). Oh, blessed long-suffering! And again from the same prophet: “all these nations are not circumcised; and the whole house of Israel is uncircumcised in heart” (Jer. 9:26). A visit is a powerful rebuke. The Lord uses this form of education in the Gospel: “Jerusalem, Jerusalem, who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent” to “you” (Matthew 23:37). The double appeal expresses the power of reproach. Because “who” knows God, how can he persecute God’s servants? “Therefore,” He says, “your debt is left empty. For I say to you, from now on you will not see Me until you cry, “Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord” (Matthew 23:38–39). If you did not want to accept His love, you will become acquainted with His omnipotence. Reproach is extremely angry treatment. The Lord uses reproach, as if it were some kind of saving remedy, in Isaiah in the words: “Alas, a sinful people, a people laden with iniquities, a race of evildoers, sons of destruction” (Isaiah 1:4). And in the Gospel, through the mouth of John, He says: “Snakes, brood of vipers” (Matthew 23:33, 37; Luke 3:7). Accusation is censure of those who do wrong. This educational tool is used by David: “a people whom I did not know serve me; because of one rumor about me they obey me; foreigners caress me. The foreigners turn pale and tremble in their fortifications” (Ps. 17:44–46). And in Jeremiah: “I gave him a letter of divorce, and treacherous Judah remained without fruit” (Jer. 3:8). And again: “For the house of Israel and the house of Judah have dealt with me very treacherously,” says the Lord. They lied against the Lord” (Jer. 3:11–12). A complaint (about fate) is a skillfully hidden reproach, covertly meaning to turn it towards the path of salvation. God uses it in Jeremiah: “How lonely the city, once crowded, sits! he became like a widow; great among nations, the prince over the regions became a tributary. He weeps bitterly at night” (Lamentations 1:1, 2). Ridicule is mocking reproach. And the Divine Teacher uses this auxiliary means, saying in Jeremiah: “You had the forehead of a harlot, you threw away shame. Will you not cry to Me from now on: “My Father!” You were the guide of my youth!'” (Jer. 3:3–4). And: “for the many fornications of a harlot of a pleasant appearance, skilled in sorcery” (Nahum. 3:4). Very wisely here He instills decency in the virgin, calling her a harlot. Indignation is a just punishment, or a reprimand to those who are self-willed. The Lord of Moses was the teacher of this kind: “But they have become corrupt before Him; they are not His children because of their vices, a rebellious and depraved race. Do you repay the Lord for this, you foolish and senseless people? Isn’t He your Father? Who "mastered you"? (Deut. 32:3-6) And in Isaiah He says: “Your princes” are “transgressors and accomplices of thieves; they all love gifts and chase bribes; they do not protect the fatherless” (Isa. 1:23). In general, these artificial means for awakening fear are a treasure trove of salvation. But to mediate salvation is the work of a good being. “He rebukes and admonishes, and teaches, and converts, like a shepherd his flock. He has mercy on those who receive admonition" and "those who diligently turn to His law" (Sir. 18:13-14). With such leadership He saved 600,000 men on foot (Ex. 12:37), who went out together. He scourged them for their bitterness of heart, caressed them, beat them, healed them through mercy and in the form of education. “For both mercy and wrath are in His power” (Sir. 16:12). It is wonderful not to sin, but it is also good if the sinner is converted; just as it is very good to always be healthy, but it is also wonderful to recover from an illness. So through the mouth of Solomon He commands: “You will punish him with a rod and save his soul from the grave” (Proverbs 23:14). And again: “Do not leave the young man unpunished; if you punish him with a rod, he will not die” (Proverbs 23:13). Shame and reproach, as the word itself shows, are the scourging of the soul, as punishment for its sins; they protect her from death, and they bring those who allow themselves to indulge in unbridledness to their senses. So Plato, in agreement with the Logos, in shaming censure recognizes the most effective improving power and the best purifying agent, arguing that “whoever is extremely sinful has reached the point of intemperance and immorality because he was not blamed, whereas for true happiness he must be completely pure and moral.” But if earthly authorities no longer scare away good deeds (Rom. 13:3), can God, who is naturally good, be a terror to someone who does not commit sins? “If you do evil, be afraid” (Rom. 13:4), says the apostle. Therefore, in some cases, he treats communities strictly, following the example of the Lord. So, with complete frankness and seeing the spiritual weakness of his listeners, he writes to the Galatians: “Have I become your enemy by telling you the truth”? (Gal. 4:16) Just as “those who are sick need a physician” (Lk. 5:31), since they feel well, and the “sick” need the art of medicine: similarly, for us, in our lives suffering from shameful desires, reprehensible intemperance and feeding other passions, a Savior is needed. But He uses not only “emollient healing agents” ((Iliad, IV, 218)), but also acute ones. Bitter roots stop the spread of gangrenous abscesses: in a similar way, fear is saving, although it is bitter. In exactly the same way, we - since we are sick - need a Savior; since we are mistaken, we need a guide; since we are blind, we need a leader; for us who are thirsty, we need a living spring, drinking from which quenches our thirst forever (John 4:13–14); since we are dead, we need life; since we are sheep, we need a shepherd; Since we are children, we need a Teacher. In general, all humanity needs Jesus, so that, left without guidance, we do not turn out to be the worst sinners and fall into condemnation; separated from the rubbish, we can be received into the Father's granary. For “the shovel is in the hand” of the Lord, with which He separates the chaff from the wheat that is subject to fire (Matthew 3:12; Luke 3:17). If we only want, we can learn the high wisdom of the most holy Shepherd and Teacher, the Almighty and the Father's Word (Logos), from the words in which He figuratively calls himself the shepherd of the sheep (John 10:11, 14); but under this image He portrays Himself as a teacher of children. That is why, turning to priests and offering them, so to speak, an excellent model letter for the correct execution of their ministry. He says in Ezekiel: “And whatever is lame I will bind, and that which is sick I will heal, and that which is lost I will bring back; and then I will lead you to pasture, to my holy mountain” (Ezek. 34:14–16). These are the promises of the good Shepherd. Yes, shepherd us. Lord, we are Your children; feed us. Your sheep; satisfy us in the fields of Your justice. Again, Teacher, lead us pastorally to Your holy mountain, to Your church, striving to transcendental heights, reaching into the sky. “I will shepherd you,” He says, “and I will be close to you.” (Ezek. 34:14–16) how close the tunic is to the surface of the body (2 Cor. 5:2). He wants to save my flesh, clothing it with the garment of immortality and anointing my skin. “Then you will call, and the Lord will hear; You will cry out, and He will say: “Here am I” (Is. 8:9) Lord, You heard sooner than I expected. “And when you cross,” He says, “you will not slip” (Is. 43:2), that is, we will not perish when we cross into eternity, for He will support us; He himself says it; He himself wants this. “I did not come to be served, but to serve” (Matthew 20:28; Mark 10:45). Therefore, He is depicted in the Gospel as “working hard” (John 4:6), enduring labor for us, promising to give His own “life as a ransom for many” (Matthew 20:28). Only such a shepherd does He recognize as good (John 10:11). Consequently, He is generous, the greatest, sacrificing His own life for us. He brought with him salvation and philanthropy to people, wanting to be a man and calling himself the brother of people, although he could have been their Lord. He is so good that He even died for us. But His justice also cried out: “If you come to Me, being sincerely disposed, then I will also be disposed towards you; But if you come to Me with false feelings, then I too will turn out to be evasive towards you, says the Lord of hosts.” The reproaches addressed to sinners are called here “crooked paths”; – a direct and natural feeling is symbolically indicated in the name of Jesus by the iota; His goodness to those who believed in Him through hearing about Him is unchangeable and unshakable: “Because I called you, says the Lord, and you did not listen and rejected all My advice and did not accept My reproof (Prov. 1:24-25). Thus, shaming coming from the Lord is very useful. In this sense, He speaks through the mouth of David: “Do not be like their fathers, a stubborn and rebellious race, unsettled in heart and unfaithful to God in their spirit. They did not keep the covenant of God and denied walking in His law” (Ps. 77:8, 10). This is the reason for anger; as a result of which the Judge comes, bringing with Him punishment to those who did not want to choose a good way of life. Therefore, He bursts out against them with somewhat stronger reproaches, in order to see if it is possible to turn them away from their path and protect them from death. Through David, He proclaims this motive for his threat clearly: “They did not believe His miracles. And he destroyed their days in vanity and their years in confusion. When He killed them, they sought Him and turned, and from early morning they ran to God, and remembered that God is their refuge and God Most High is their Savior” (Ps. 77:32-33). So He knows that out of fear of Him they turned to Him, having previously disdained His goodness. Because goodness, if it constantly appears in the form of goodness, is for the most part little valued; if God humanely adds intimidation to His admonition through His justice, then they serve Him. There are two types of fear. One is connected with reverence. This is the kind of fear citizens have for the most efficient of their rulers; This is the fear we have for God and reasonable children for their fathers. Because “an unbroken horse becomes stubborn,” it is said, “but a son left to his own will becomes impudent” (Sir. 30:8). Another type of fear is associated with hatred. This is the fear slaves have for their harsh masters; The Jews had such fear of God, considering Him to be a ruler and not a Father. And there is a big difference, I think, between forced service to God and voluntary service to Him, based on free choice; between one and the other the distance is equal to the whole sky. “But He, the merciful,” it says, “forgave sin and did not destroy them; He turned away His anger many times and did not stir up all His wrath” (Ps. 77:38). Pay attention to how the just element of the Teacher is revealed in censure, and the benevolent element in mercy! Therefore David, or rather the Holy Spirit through Him, sings: “Justice and righteousness are the foundation of Your throne; mercy and truth come before Your face” (Ps. 89:15). The same revelations of Divine life are reported here - about what is characteristic of God to judge and do good. In both of these manifestations of Divine life, God’s omnipotence is reflected: as a just Judge, He distinguishes between opposites; but, being just, this Judge is also good, being the true God, who is everything and by whom everything is - God and precisely the one God. And just as an ugly person cannot consider a mirror a bad thing on the grounds that he sees his true image in it; and just as a doctor cannot yet be considered by a sick person to be an evil person on the basis that he recognizes a feverish state in him (he is not to blame for the fever, but only establishes the fact of it): similarly, the one who blames us is not yet an ill-wisher for the sick soul: He does not put sins into the soul, but only points out its inherent shortcomings in order to turn it away from such inclinations. God, therefore, is in himself good; He is just because of us; and He is just because He is good. And His justice is revealed to us by His Logos, descended from above - from where the Father is. Because even before anything was created. God already existed and He was good; That is why He wanted to become both the Creator of the world and the Father. It was this love and His relationship to the world imbued with it that became the beginning of His justice, which kindled His sun and sent His Son. And this Son for the first time announced justice descending from heaven, saying: “And who the Son is, no one knows except the Father, and who the Father is,” no one knows “except the Son” (Luke 10:22). This knowledge of each other is a symbol of eternal justice. This justice then descended to earth to people in the form of the letter and the flesh, in the person of the Logos and in the form of the law, forcing humanity to a salutary change of disposition, because that justice was good. You do not obey God: therefore, blame yourself for the fact that you are bringing the Judge closer to you. Chapter 10. That the same God, through the mediation of the same Logos, both restrains from sins by threatening, and saves humanity by encouraging Having shown that the punitive element in the educational method is expedient and salutary, that its use on the part of the Logos is necessary and that it can result in a change in the way of thinking and disposition and in restraining sins, now we will turn our attention to the goodness of the Logos, for it has already been shown that He is just. He calls us to salvation, addressing us with especially wonderful invitations to this; in them, in accordance with the will of the Father, He willingly reveals to us partly what is morally beautiful, partly what is useful. In doing so, pay attention to the following. The morally beautiful is the subject of speeches of praise, while the useful is the subject of only advice. Types of advice are encouragement and discouragement; types of laudatory speeches: (affirmative) - praise and (negative) - censure. In some cases, the advice is presented precisely in the form of encouragement and persuasion, in others – dissuading; in the same way, praise of virtue, depending on the circumstances, has the appearance of either censure or (positive) praise. In this (last) tone, our Teacher speaks especially as a just Judge, with the goal of our salvation. But since we have already spoken about the moment of censure and reprimand, we must now say something about the moment of praise and encouragement, and, as it were, on what scales we will contrast justice (in the future) with goodness. The Teacher favors pointing out what is useful through Solomon, saying here: “To you, people, I call, and to the sons of men I turn my voice. Listen, because I will say important things,” etc. (Prov. 8:4, 6). He advises here what is salutary, because the advice has the goal of either encouraging one to do something or deviating from it. This is what God means when he says through David: “Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked, who does not stand in the way of sinners, who does not sit in the seat of the wicked; but in the law of the Lord is His will” (Ps. 1:1). The advice could be threefold. Firstly, examples are taken from past times; for example, it is taken from what befell the Jews after worshiping the golden calf, what befell them after fornication, etc. Secondly, they use for it what is observed in the present, what can be touched, as if with one’s hands. This includes the words spoken to those who asked the Lord, “Are you the one who is to come, or should we expect someone else?: Go and tell John what you hear and see: the blind receive their sight and the lame walk, lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the poor are preached to the gospel. And blessed is he who is not offended because of Me” (Matthew 11:3–6). This means that this was what was foretold by David in these words: “As we heard, so we saw” (Ps. 47:9). Based on the foreknowledge of future things, the third type of council is formed, in which God threatens future events. Therefore He says: Those who have fallen into sins will be thrown “into outer darkness; there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth” (Matthew 22:13), etc. From this it becomes obvious that God uses all kinds of educational means just to call humanity to salvation. Addressing with encouragement, He turns away from sins, on the one hand, dulling wishes, on the other, infusing the hope of salvation. This is what He says in Ezekiel: “If you turn with all your heart and say: Father, then I will listen to you as a holy nation” (Ezek. 18:33). And again He says: “Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28); This also includes what the Lord says about his face. Most clearly He invites to good through Solomon in these words: “Blessed is the man who has gained wisdom, and the man who has gained understanding!” (Prov. 3:13). Because the seeker finds good things and catches his eye (cf. Proverbs 2:4; Jer. 2, etc.). And in Jeremiah He speaks about wisdom: “Happy are we, Israel, that we know what is pleasing to God” (Bar. 4:4); it is known through the Logos, thanks to whom we are blessed and wise. Prudence and understanding are commanded by the same prophet when he says: “Hear, O Israel, the commandments of life: take them in order to understand wisdom” (Bar. 3:9). In Moses, the Teacher, due to His characteristic love for mankind, also promises a reward for those who zealously seek salvation, for He says here: “I will bring them into the (good) land, as I swore to their fathers” (Deut. 31:20). And further through Isaiah He says: “I will bring” to “My holy mountain, and I will make them glad” (Is. 56:7). He also has another type of education - pleasing. "Blessed" - He says in David - “who does not stand in the way of sinners. And he will be like a tree planted by streams of water, which bears its fruit in its season, and whose leaf does not wither” (through this He also hinted at the Resurrection); “and whatever he does, he prospers” (Ps. 1:1-3). He wants us to be like this, so that we can be blessed. And again, pointing to another leveling scale, to justice, He says: “Not so - the wicked (and so); but they are like dust swept away by the wind (from the face of the earth)” (Ps. 1:4). Pointing out the punishability of sin, the volatility and frivolity of its nature, the Teacher gave advice not to deprive oneself of the right to enjoy all the advantages of a free person through guilt; and, having threatened with appropriate punishment, He revealed His gracious goodness, through which he very skillfully invited us at the same time to discover the beauty of goodness in ourselves, and to understand the interest in getting used to it. And to gnosis (the highest contemplative wisdom and life) He calls us in Jeremiah with the words: “If you walked in the way of God, you would live in peace forever” (Bar. 3:13). Pointing to the reward of gnosis, He invites the wise to strive for it. And granting the erring petition, “Take heed, O Jerusalem, lest My soul depart from thee,” He says, “Work with thy hand as a grape-gatherer, filling baskets” (Jer. 6:8-9). Do you see goodness in justice that advises a change of disposition? And in Jeremiah He approaches the erring one with the lamp of truth. “Thus says the Lord: Stand still in your ways and consider, and ask about the ancient ways, where is the good way, and walk in it, and you will find rest for your souls” (Jer. 6:16). He leads us to repentance, desiring our salvation. Therefore He says: “And the Lord your God will circumcise your heart and the heart of your descendants, that you may love the Lord” (Deut. 30:6). To defend our positions, we should also refer to philosophers who claim that only good is praiseworthy, and bad is worthy of blame. But since some people teach incorrectly about the Blessed Being, allegedly that He neither harbors any goodness in Himself, nor does He reveal it in His relations with people, and His love for mankind is not recognized, then for the sake of these people and also for the sake of those who share the concepts of “good” and “just”, I added the previous remarks. Because, observing the sequence, we would have to further state that an incriminating and blaming form of education for humanity is the most decent, since, as they say, all people are fools. God alone, they say, is wise, and wisdom comes from Him; He alone is perfect, and therefore He alone is worthy of praise. But I do not dare to draw such conclusions, but only assert that praise and blame, or something similar to praise and blame, are the most necessary medicines for people. People who cannot be healed by threats, censure and shaming are brought to proper behavior, like iron by fire, a hammer and an anvil; and those who adhere to faith by themselves are, as it were, autodidacts and, like men of free determination, are encouraged with praise. Virtue grows like a tree. And it seems to me that, recognizing the truth of this position, Pythagoras Samos warned: “Censure” is also denoted in Greek by the word νουθετειν. Its etymology is as follows: νουφετησις νουεν φεματισμιος (instilling reason). The punitive educational method, therefore, is the source of prudence. Meanwhile, countless other methods have been invented to invite good and ward off evil. “There is no peace for the wicked,” says the Lord (Isa. 48:22; Isa. 57:21). In this sense, through the mouth of Solomon, He commands His children to pay attention to themselves. “My son! If sinners persuade you, do not agree. If they say: “Come with us, we will set an ambush for murder, we will lie in wait for the blameless without guilt, we will swallow them up alive like the grave” (Prov. 1:10-12). This passage prophetically points, however, to the suffering of the Lord. In Ezekiel, the Lord, our life, further gives us the following commandments: “The soul that sins will die. If someone is righteous and does justice and righteousness, he does not eat the sacrificial food on the mountains, and does not turn his eyes to the idols of the house of Israel, does not defile his neighbor’s wife or his own wife, (during purification) does not approach her uncleanness, does not oppress anyone, returns his deposit to the debtor, does not commit theft, gives his bread to the hungry, and covers the naked with clothing. He does not give at interest and does not take interest; he withholds his hand from unrighteousness; he brings justice to man against man; walks according to My commandments and keeps My statutes sincerely: then he is righteous,” he “will certainly live, says the Lord” (Ezek. 18:4–9, 15, etc.). These words contain an outline of Christian social life and a noteworthy indication of a happy life, of being rewarded with bliss, eternal life. Chapter 11. That the Logos educates through the law and prophets The type and image of the love of mankind of the Logos and His educational method, as far as possible, have now been outlined by Us. It is revealed that, introducing His personality, the Logos beautifully likens Himself to a mustard seed (Matthew 13:31; Luke 13:19), thereby indicating the spirituality and fertility of His crops, as well as the greatness and purity of His influence, as well as the fact that the very bitterness of the punitive and cleansing element in His severity is useful. With the allegory of the small mustard seed, He hints at the salvation that He delivers to all humanity in the richest measure. Honey, no matter how sweet it is, produces bile. Likewise, the (constant) goodness (of the benefactor) gives rise to contempt (for him), and this becomes the source of sin. Mustard reduces the amount of bile, i.e., desires, and removes heat, i.e., pride. Thus, Logos becomes the source of mental health, mediates eucracy, the eternally correct mixing of juices. In ancient times, the Logos educated through Moses, and after that through the prophets. However, Moses is also a prophet. His law is the education of unbridled children. “The people sat down to eat and drink,” it says, “and then stood up to play” (Ex. 32:6; 1 Cor. 10:7). Recklessly burdening yourself with food is called nourishing yourself, not eating. Therefore, the ancient Jews, having foolishly eaten to excess, foolishly began to play; after that, the law and fear followed on their heels, turning them away from sins, turning them to the fulfillment of the commandments, leading them to obedience to the true Teacher, that is, the same Logos, insisting on the fulfillment of the law, for “the law was a teacher for us to Christ,” as Paul says (Gal. 3:24). From here it is clear that our Teacher is the one true, good and just Jesus, the Son in the image and likeness of the Father, the Divine Logos. God the Father entrusted us to him, just as a loving and caring father entrusts his children to a noble educator. The Father clearly declared this: “This is My beloved Son; Listen to Him” (Matthew 17:5). This Divine Teacher is completely reliable, being adorned with three most beautiful properties: knowledge, favor and impartiality - knowledge, because He is the wisdom of the Father: “For the Lord gives wisdom; from His mouth knowledge and understanding" (Prov. 2:6); impartiality - because He is the Lord and Creator of the world: “All things came into being through Him, and without Him nothing began to be” (John 1:3); favor - because He sacrificed Himself for us; “The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep” (John 10:11), and He sacrificed it. But benevolence is nothing more than the desire for good to one's neighbor for his own sake. Chapter 12. That the Teacher, in accordance with his fatherly way of thinking, shows both severity and kindness in his relations with us Based on the presentation of the subject that has hitherto occupied us, it would be time for our Teacher Jesus to portray the true life and educate a truly Christian person. In fact, the character of the Logos is not at all as terrible (as the Gnostics portray it), but the Logos does not blur into goodness either. He gives commandments, but their characteristic feature is their feasibility. And I think it was He who formed man from dust, and revived him with water, and strengthened him, breathing spirit into him; it was He who raised him through his word to sonship; through His holy commandments, He shows man the right path to salvation, transforming the son of the earth through His coming (to earth) into a holy and heavenly man, and thus especially accurately fulfilling the Divine word: “Let us make man in our image and in our likeness” (Gen. 1:26). Christ is the embodiment of these words of God. The only expression that has the closest relation to other people is: “in the image”; We, the children of the good Father, the pupils of the good Teacher, have the will of the Father to fulfill. To listen to the Logos, to become like our Savior in a truly saving life, to be preoccupied with the heavenly life, already here on earth, in which we will once deify; already here on earth, possessing in the life of Christ the clearest image of heavenly immortality and following His Divine footsteps, we try to anoint ourselves with a world that sparkles with eternal joy and spreads the purest fragrance. It is only fitting for Him, our Logos, to observe—and this is truly His heart’s work—how to give a sound direction to people’s lives. But already on earth He prepares us for the future life - when we will not need anything - already accustomed here to be content with little; already here on earth He prepares us for the journey to heavenly life through the commandment of garments that are lightly girded and burdens that are little burdensome, for He teaches that each of us is His own treasury. “Do not worry about tomorrow” (Matt. 6:34), - He says, by which he wants to say that the one who has entrusted himself to Christ must surrender to a life that does not have complex needs, is satisfied only with itself, lived day after day. Because it is not in times of war, but in times of peace that our salvation is accomplished. War requires complex preparations, a life of freedom requires great expenses; peace and feeling imbued with Christian love, simple and contented brothers do not need any weapons or any complex equipment. Their food is the Logos, to whom, since He is a teacher and educator, is entrusted with our educational leadership, from whom we learn contentment and unpretentiousness of life and, in general, love for freedom, philanthropy, and nobility of aspirations. But on whom lies the obligation to become like the only Divine Logos through the communication of virtue, he can no longer fall into carelessness and frivolity. So, try and do not become weary; you will become stronger to such an extent that you never hoped for a measure of strength, which you could not even dream of. A philosopher receives a different education, a rhetorician another, an athlete another: in a similar and nobler way, the way of life, the fruit of Christian education, determines the beauty of desires and aspirations. And what is brought up in activity has an excellent appearance both in gait and when sitting, while eating, during sleep, calmness, in the order of life, in everything that relates to upbringing. This direction of the Logos is not something vague, but is a complete order. That is why the Logos is called the “Savior”; After all, he invented spiritual medicines for people in the interests of their health and salvation; He protects their well-being, points out harm, the causes of passions; It is He who cuts off the roots of unreasonable desires, prescribes Temperance, and prescribes life-saving antidotes to the sick. The salvation of mankind is the truly majestic, truly royal word of God. Patients become angry with the doctor if he does not give them any advice regarding their health. But can we not owe the greatest gratitude to the Divine Educator for the fact that He is not silent, that He does not restrain His threats of death, but also expresses them, and cuts off passionate desires that lead to death and teaches teachings that establish the correct way of life? Undoubtedly, we should be very grateful to Him for this. Man, a rational creature, shouldn’t he only pay attention to the Divine? But, I assert, the requirements of human nature must be taken into account; one must live as nature demands. We should be very surprised at the Teacher himself, and at His commands, where everything corresponds to one another and one agrees with the other; We ourselves must imitate this ideal, bringing word and deed in real life into harmony with one another. Chapter 13. About the fact that what is morally good corresponds to reason (Logos), but sin is contrary to reason (Logos) Everything that disagrees with common sense (Logos) is sin. Therefore, philosophers find it possible to define the most important passions as follows. Desire is a desire for something that is inconsistent with reason (Logos); fear is counter-rational (not approved by the Logos) relaxation; pleasure is an unreasonable (prohibited by Logos) disintegration of the soul. If now disobedience to reason (Logos) is the source of sin, then obedience to reason (Logos), which we call faith, is not necessarily the source of the so-called compliance with duties? For virtue itself is nothing other than the harmonious disposition of the soul generated by reason (Logos), which is revealed in the entire way of life; even the most sublime, philosophy itself, is defined in such a way that it is the study of the soundness of reason (Logos); therefore, of necessity, everything sinful must be thought in such a way that it is generated by deviation from reason (from the Logos) and is rightly called “delusion.” Therefore, about the first man who sinned and disobeyed God, it is said: “Man was likened to cattle” (Ps. 68:13, 21), since he strayed from reason (from the Logos). Having been called unreasonable (devoid of Logos), he is therefore rightly placed on the same level with animals, which is why the Wise One says: “A dissolute one is a horse eager for allowance; an adulterer is like this foolish animal” (Sir. 33:6; Jer. 5:8). That’s why he continues: he laughs at every rider. He no longer uses the expression “speaks” about him, which should be used about a person, but “neighs” as about an animal, for whoever sins against reason (Logos) means he is deprived of it (Logos); he is an unreasonable animal given over to desires; all kinds of lusts sit on his neck. A healthy way of activity, consistent with reason (Logos), the teaching of the Stoics is called προσηκον (duty, obligation) and καθηκον (law). What is prescribed by law is obligatory. Obedience is nothing other than obedience to the commandments. But these are identical with exhortations, have truth as their subject, and lead to the final goal of desire, to what is called the end. The end of penetration by the fear of God is eternal rest in God; our end is the beginning of eternal life. Complete penetration with the fear of God fulfills legal duties in the most perfect manner, from moral motives. It is quite natural for a Christian to fulfill his duties not in words, but in deeds, since only one way of thinking is characteristic of the Christian soul, the active one. Its activity is reasonable activity, not different from healthy activity. It consists in a fully developed prudence and in activities conducive to the achievement of truth, carried out through the medium of the body, which it accepts into union with itself and with its facilitating participation. The duties of a Christian are determined by the obedience of his will to God and Christ; He adheres to the well-known good order of life because he hopes for its continuation in eternity. Life, to which Christianity educates us, is a harmonious totality (system) of actions imbued with reason (Logos), that is, it consists of the fulfillment, free from falls, of what reason (Logos) prescribes to do and what we call faith. But the very commandments of the Lord represent the same harmonious totality. Having the form of sayings of the Lord, reminders of the Divine Spirit, they were written down for our edification; and their fulfillment both for us and for our neighbors is completely obligatory. Having been preserved by people, those words are addressed to people, just as a hit ball returns again to the player playing with it. That is why the teaching about duties is a necessary component of Divine education; the teaching about them was revealed to us by God himself, and was offered to us for fulfillment as a saving work. And just as some of the basic necessities have a relationship with this temporary life, while handling others contributes to inspiration, inspiration for a blessed life: in the same way, among the duties, the fulfillment of some is important for life in general, while the fulfillment of others for a perfect life. The laws that are important for the life of a pagan are well known; and what relates to the perfect life, from which life in heaven will one day develop, this must now be considered by us in the form of sketches, which we will sketch through a comparison of different passages of Scripture. Chapter 1. Rules regarding food Pursuing the predetermined goal and choosing in this section of our Pedagogy passages from the Scriptures that are especially important for practical life, we will now depict in main features what one who bears the name of a Christian should be and turns out to be in all his days. Therefore, we should begin by depicting our true “I” and the ways in which we can maintain harmony within ourselves. With a view to showing the correct relations between the constituent parts of our nature, we should first of all talk about how everyone should treat his body, or better yet, how he should control it. Because if someone, being converted by the Logos from his false views on external things and especially on caring for his body to a sensible way of thinking, were to formulate for himself a conscientiously clear idea of ​​the natural processes in man, he would come to the conviction that there is no need to bother with external things, but that one should zealously take care of the purity of the spiritual eye, from where illumination should extend to the body. Having been cleansed of that which still makes man a mortal creation, what organ for the knowledge of God could man have more gloriously than his own being? There are people who live only to eat. But this is also characteristic of irrational animals, “whose entire existence is reduced to the belly.” The Teacher commands us to eat only in order to live. Food is not the task of our life and pleasure is not its goal. We eat to support our life on this earth, during our stay on which the Logos educates us for immortal life; hence the need for food selection and discrimination. And it should be simple and unrefined, in accordance with the simplicity and undemanding nature of the children being raised; Their life, and not intemperance in food, should be supported. Bodily life is determined by two things: health and strength; and they especially depend on moderation in food, which makes it easier for the body to assimilate it. From here, healthy growth arises, and normal bodily strength develops, and not the unnatural, dangerous and burdensome kind that occurs in athletes as a result of forced nutrition. Therefore, we must avoid diversity in the quality of food. Failure to comply with this results in various harmful consequences: bodily ailment and upset stomach; the sense of taste is spoiled and weakened by this unfortunate culinary art; This vain (confectionery) art of preparing afternoon cakes and desserts also affects him in the same way. And after this there are still people who dare to call these inventions of gluttony, which so easily give rise to the most vile of desires, food! The Delian physician Antiphanes calls the variety of foods the only cause of illness in those people who refuse truly nutritious foods, who, out of a vain desire to please the belly in various ways, do not observe wise measures in life’s needs and carefully investigate whether various overseas foods have been brought. As for me, I regret their painful condition, although they themselves are not ashamed to glorify their dishes, especially those that satisfy their delicacy-hungry taste, in poetic works. These are their favorite snacks: moray eels from the Strait of Sicily, eels from the Maendra River, Melian goats, awl-shaped fish from the island of Skiathas, gigantic bivalve shells, oysters from Abydos. They do not forget the small salted fish from the island of Lipara, the Mantinean turnip, or the vegetables from Askra. Everywhere they look for comb shells from Metumna, Attic flounder (kosobok), sea thrushes (fish) from Daphne and Attic figs. Because of these latter, the ill-fated Persian king came to Greece with half a million troops. Next, they wholesale livestock from Phasis, hazel grouse from Egypt and Median peacocks. Having irritated the sense of taste with such pleasures, these intemperate people then greedily pounce on the delicious dinner dishes. Whatever walks on land, whatever swims in the depths of the sea, whatever flies in the immeasurably wide air space, their greed seeks out all this. Truly, these greedy and restless people would be ready to devastate the whole world to satisfy their lust; the whole neighborhood can hear the hissing of their frying pans; Their whole life has been reduced to a mortar and pestle; They are like the fire that devours the forest, these all-devourers. They emasculate bread itself, this lightest Food, and separate what is truly nutritious from the wheat, as if eating what is truly nourishing could be an insult to their voluptuousness. The gluttony of this kind of people is limitless. Because then they pounce on cookies, sweet pies and dessert dishes; they invent a long list of subtleties; They get themselves a wide variety of delicacies. And it seems to me that such a person turns into nothing more than a jaw. “Do not be enticed,” says Scripture, “by his delicious delights.” (Prov. 23:3): they are signs of a life of deceit and shame. This kind of people are addicted to tasty foods; but after a short time this constitutes the contents of the sewers (Matthew 15:17). We, who seek the bread of heaven (John 6:1), must rule over the belly, which is under heaven; the less dependent we should be on what is pleasing to the belly, because these are transitory things. “God will destroy both,” says the apostle (1 Cor. 6:13), thereby condemning in all justice the whims of the sensualists. These subtle dishes are “food for the belly,” and carnal and immoral life has a connection with them. Some dare not, without restraining their wicked tongue, boldly give the name of the feast of love, (agape), to those small feasts from which the smell of various varieties of roasted meat and soups emanates. Through this they pitifully reduce the beautiful and saving institution of the Logos, the holy supper of love, to wine, pots and soups. But this voluptuousness and children from the prepared foods are blasphemy against that name. These sensualists are deceived, hoping to buy the promise of God with such feasts (Acts 8:20). If we are talking about meetings for pleasure, we call them by their proper name: lunches, dinners, parties. The Lord does not call such gatherings suppers of love. He says in one place: “If you are invited to a marriage, do not sit in the first place, but in the last” (Luke 14:8, 10). And in another place: “If you are hosting a lunch or dinner” (Luke 14:12, 13). And again: “If you are holding an invited meeting, then invite the poor.” And further: “A certain man held a great feast and invited many” (Luke 14:16). But I can guess where that beautiful guise for this kind of feast came from. “From the throat, as the comedian says, and an insatiable mania for feasting.” And, naturally, because “everything is offered to everyone here for food.” They do not know that God prepared food and drink for his creation, man, so that he would support his life with them, and not so that he would indulge in voluptuousness. The body, after all, is not at all designed in such a way that the variety and delicacy of food can benefit it; quite the opposite. Those who are content with simple and ordinary food are much stronger, healthier and better physically built. In this, domestic servants have an advantage over masters, workers and farmers over landowners. And not only the body, but also the spirit develops better, as for example, among philosophers (people of a virtuous, moderate, frisky, wise lifestyle) compared to rich people, because the former do not pour out their intelligence along with food and do not deceive it with voluptuousness. But let's return to the evenings of love. They are heavenly food, feasts of spiritual significance. “Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things; endures everything” (1 Cor. 13:7, 8); Blessed is he who “tastes bread in the Kingdom of God!” (Luke 14:15). But the heaviest of all falls is when enduring love, this resident and child of heaven, is cast from heaven to earth, into soup dishes. Do you understand that feasts that will be canceled cannot be considered love feasts? “And if I give away all my possessions, but do not have love, it profits me nothing,” says the apostle (1 Cor. 13:3). The law (Old Testament) and the word (Logos, New Testament) are entirely established on it. And if you love the Lord your God and your neighbor, then this festive and blissful public meeting, having heavenly properties, takes place as if in heaven. The earthly table is called only dinner, as follows from Scripture. Without a doubt, earthly feasts presuppose love, but they are not the essence of this love itself; and these are not suppers of love, but they are only manifestations of a loving, generous feeling. “Let not your good be blasphemed” (Rom. 14:16)! For “the kingdom of God,” says the apostle, “is not food and drink,” so that you do not understand the suppers that pass by it, but “righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit” (Rom. 14:17). Whoever, fortunately, manages to take part in such an evening, will take part in the most blessed thing, in the Kingdom of God, because even here on earth he was concerned about participating in the sacred meeting of love (which will be) in the heavenly Church. So, love suppers are something pure and pleasing to God; their goal is help. All care of “education” should be aimed “at awakening love,” says the Book of Wisdom; and she testifies to the same love: Love “is the keeping of the laws of wisdom” (Wis. 6:18). The joys of love suppers, as a result of eating together, have a somewhat revitalizing effect on Christian love; they are a premonition of eternal joys. The essence of love suppers therefore lies not in feasting; the treat is their accident. “So that Your sons,” it says, “whom You, O Lord, have loved, may know that it is not the generation of fruits that nourishes a person, but Your word preserves those who believe in You” (Wis. 16:26). “Man does not live by bread alone” (Deut. 8:3; Matt. 4:4). Our dinner should therefore be simple and decent; it should promote night wakefulness; his dishes should not be varied by the art of cooking. These remarks are not without relevance to the service of the Teacher. The evenings of love are A wonderful young people's teacher If they are accompanied by filling the pockets of the poor, satisfying them, then they support the feeling of public opinion in the most excellent way. If food is distributed to them in the correct quantities, then not only the body is healthy, but the neighbor, in addition, also receives something (and for the house). Eating or drinking in excess of the limits of moderation leads a person to the worst state. Because of this, the soul becomes inactive and powerless, the body becomes unwell. In addition, these pleasures, which consist in eating delicious and deliciously prepared dishes that require a lot of care and trouble, are associated with many other worries and inconveniences. They harm the good opinion of us by sullying us with shameful nicknames. Because these pleasures themselves bear the following names: lust, gluttony, greed, insatiability, greed. They are also characteristic of flies. And people who are partial to them are given the following nicknames: cats, parasites, gladiators and the rest of the vulgar race of dish-lickers. For the pleasures of the belly, some sacrifice their minds, others - friendship, others - life. On their bellies (Gen. 3:14) they crawl, these animals in human form, following the example of their father (the devil) (John 8:44), this most voracious animal. Those who first called them ασωτοι (sensualists), it seems to me, hinted at the end that once awaited them; Only the letter ασωστοι was released in this nickname; they are therefore lost to salvation. Burdened with troubles around dishes and painstakingly prepared dishes, harboring such a pitiful way of thinking, aren’t these unfortunates really like those earthly creatures (criminals sentenced to death), who are determined to live only one more day? The Holy Spirit complains about such people through Isaiah, at their feasts (which were devoid of spiritual meaning), with which they insulted the Logos (mind), in some hidden way and quietly taking away the name “supper of love.” “But here is joy and joy,” He says. “They kill oxen and slaughter a ram: they eat meat and drink wine: “Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we will die” (Isaiah 22:13). And as evidence that such feasts should be considered sinful, He adds: “This wickedness of yours will not be forgiven you until you die” (Isa. 22:14). The Prophet here does not mean liberation from guilt for sin through the insensible state of death, but calls death the righteous retribution for sin through punishment (eternal death), deprivation of salvation. “Do not be attached to feasts,” therefore says the Book of Wisdom of the son of Sirach (Sir. 18:32). Here we should also mention the so-called funeral feasts, since these are the ones we are commanded to avoid. These sacrifices turn out to be unclean and vile, on whose blood the souls of the departed dead fly from Erebus “But I do not want,” says the apostle, “for you to be in communion with demons” (1 Cor. 10:20): it cannot be the same food for those who are saved and those who are perishing. One must, therefore, avoid participating in these funeral revelries; - not out of fear, because there is no secret power in them; but to preserve the purity of our conscience, which is holy; out of disgust for the demons to whom those drinking sessions are dedicated, we must abhor them. And, besides, we should not take part in them for the sake of those people who, due to their frivolity, interpret many things in a bad way; “and their conscience, being weak, is defiled” (1 Cor. 8:7). “Its food brings us closer to God” (1 Cor. 8:8). “It is not what goes into the mouth,” says the Savior, “that defiles a person, but what comes out of the mouth defiles a person” (Matthew 15:11). Thus, eating different kinds of foods (in this regard) is indifferent. “If we eat,” says the apostle, “we gain nothing; if we do not eat, we lose nothing” (1 Cor. 8:8). But it is obscene in a meal dedicated to demons (1 Cor. 10:20), to take part in those who are worthy of Divine and spiritual nutrition (participation in agapes). “Or do we not have the right to eat and drink,” says the apostle, “and to lead wives?” ? (1 Cor. 9:4-5) But it is only through mastery over voluptuousness that we are able to restrain desires. “Beware, however, that this freedom of yours does not serve as a stumbling block to the weak” (1 Cor. 8:9). So, it is not permissible for us, following the example of the rich man’s son in the Gospel, to abuse the Father’s gifts by living wastefully and dissolutely. We must use them as masters should, without having a passionate inclination towards them. Because we are appointed lords over food and masters, and not slaves to it. It is something glorious and a work worthy of effort, turning one’s gaze from this earthly world to the truth, to become addicted with one’s soul to this Divine food, like a mountain, to be filled with an insatiable contemplation of the true Being, experiencing at the same time an enduring, undoubted and pure pleasure. That this is exactly how one should participate in the suppers of love (agapas) is revealed by the fact that at the same time we receive the body of Christ. In general, it is unreasonable, indecent and unworthy of a person, feeding oneself like fattened cattle, to prepare oneself as a victim of death; - looking at the earth, bending over tables laden with earthly food, living the life of gluttons, in some way burying true happiness here on earth (the highest good) in the ground, exchanging for life (for a tasty table), which has no future, only pleasing the throat, because of it, valuing the cook slave more than the free farmer. We do not prohibit the handling of cups around those dining, but we are suspicious of this custom, as a custom of dubious significance, and as such we consider it bad. Lust, therefore, we must avoid, although in extremely rare cases and when there is an urgent need, we can take part in these deliberate feasts. “And if one of the unbelievers calls you and we decide to go there, -” for it is good not to maintain relations with people who behave indecently (1 Cor. 3:9, 11; 2 Thess. 3:6, 11, 14), - then we have permission to “eat everything that is offered and not worry in our conscience” (1 Cor. 10:27). In the same way, “what is sold in the market” the apostle advises to “buy” without any disturbance of conscience and without a particularly careful, but useless investigation. One should not completely abstain from various foods, but one should not be especially seriously interested in them. What is offered should be eaten, as is proper for a “Christian,” out of politeness to the owner, but only to a certain innocent sociability when staying in the same place, not exceeding the boundaries of moderation. Internally, you need to be indifferent to the delicacy of the proposed dishes; should not be given particularly important significance; they cease to exist after a short time. “Whoever eats, do not humiliate the one who does not eat; and if anyone does not eat, do not judge him who does eat” (Rom. 14:3). And a little further the basis of this commandment is stated, for it is said: “Whoever eats for the Lord, eats, for he gives thanks to God. And whoever does not eat, for the Lord, does not eat and thanks God.” (Rom. 14:6). Right eating, therefore, is thanksgiving. One who is constantly imbued with a feeling of gratitude to God cannot be given over to sensual pleasures. If we would like to convert some of those we serve to moderation, then we should be all the more abstinent in relation to tasty dishes, presenting ourselves as a shining example of virtue (moderation), just as we ourselves have one in Christ. “If food makes my brother stumble, I will never eat meat,” says the apostle, “so as not to make my brother stumble” (1 Cor. 8:13). With insignificant abstinence I endear myself to a person. “Or do we have no power to eat or drink”? (1 Cor. 9:4) “We know the truth,” says the apostle, “and that there are no demons in the world,” and that there really is only one God, from whom are all things and one Lord Jesus. But because of this “knowledge of yours,” the weak brother for whom Christ died perishes. But those who insult weak brothers in this way sin against Christ” (1 Cor. 8:6, 11, 12). Thus, in his concern for us, the apostle makes a distinction between feasts. “But I wrote to you not to associate with anyone who, while calling himself a brother, remains a fornicator, or a covetous person, or an idolater, or a slanderer, or a drunkard, or a predator; “You shouldn’t even eat with someone like that” (1 Cor. 5:11), whether it be for simple conversation or for food: the apostle fears the same dishonor from participating in pagan sacrificial feasts. “It is better not to eat meat, not to drink wine” (Rom. 14:21), such is the advice of the apostle and the Pythagoreans. There is something animalistic about it; heavy and unclean fumes rising from meat dishes darken the soul. However, even if someone eats them, he does not sin. Just let this happen in moderation; let him not make himself dependent on this kind of food, let him not become a slave to them, let him not pounce on them with greed, because a certain voice whispers in his ear the following words of the apostle: “For the sake of food, do not destroy the work of God” (Rom. 14:20). It is stupidity, having tasted the (spiritual) pleasures offered to us by the Logos, to be amazed and numb at what is offered at public feasts. But it is the height of stupidity to follow with your eyes every dish with such greed, as if it were being carried around by servants, this very voluptuousness of yours. Is it really proper (to inspect the food being carried) to rise from the beds, almost touch the food with your face, and bend down from the bed, as if from a nest, so that, as they usually say, “to smell the spreading fumes with your nose”? Isn’t it really absurd to rummage through delicacies with your hands, then to one of them, then to another, holding them out, no longer in the manner of people who taste, satisfying themselves, but in the manner of robbers, immoderately and indecently indulging in pleasure? If you look at people of this kind (while they are eating), then because of their greed, you might think that you are seeing some kind of dogs and pigs in front of you, and not people; they are in such a hurry to eat enough that from food taken on both jaws at once, both cheeks swell at once, the veins on the face swell; from the constant convulsive closing of the jaws due to greed, sweat appears on the face, from exhaustion they breathe heavily, while food is squeezed into the stomach with reckless haste - as if it were a bag of provisions, and not a digestive organ. Excessiveness in all other respects is bad, but in food, excess is accompanied by especially harmful consequences. In relation to them, greed in Greek is called οψοφαγια, it is nothing more than excess in the consumption of tasty food; it is also called gluttony, λαιμαργια, that is, a kind of rabies of the throat; and - γαστριμαργι α, excess in food, which, as this very word shows, is a kind of celiac rabies, because μαργος means the same as mad. Therefore, those who especially in food reveal their wickedness, the apostle, condemning, says: “Everyone hastens before” others to “eat his food,” so that “others” are “hungry,” and “others get drunk.” Have you no houses to eat and drink? Or do you despise the church of God and humiliate the poor”? (1 Cor. 11:21-22) But just like homeowners, those who gorge themselves (at public suppers) without any embarrassment, being insatiable in food, disgrace themselves. Both of them act badly: some by offending the poor, others by revealing their immoderation to the rich. Therefore, the apostle considered it necessary to raise his dissatisfied voice again and again against those who had lost all shame and revealed their greed at dinners, against the insatiable, for whom there was still little: “Therefore, my brethren, when you gather for supper, wait for one another. But if anyone is hungry, let him eat at home, so that you will not gather together for condemnation” (1 Cor. 11:33–34). Therefore, one must keep oneself far away from all kinds of low and slavish actions and refrain from all immoderation; the offered food must be treated with decency; You should be careful not to stain your hands, the spread tablecloth, or your chin; one should not eat with greed that distorts facial features; Do not allow yourself any other indecency when drinking and eating, extending your hand to them modestly and intermittently. One must be careful not to speak with a full mouth, because the sounds of the voice, if they must pass between full cheeks, cannot be definite and intelligible; and the tongue, burdened with food and hindered in its natural action, makes strangled sounds. It is also indecent to drink and eat at the same time: it is a sign of the greatest intemperance to merge two completely different actions into one. “Whether you eat or drink, do everything for the glory of God” (1 Cor. 10:31), says the apostle, indicating the goal of our aspirations in real unpretentiousness. It seems to me that the Lord pointed to this when he brought thanks to the Father for the loaves and fried fish that He gave to his disciples for lunch, and in this he gave us a wonderful example of simple and unrefined nutrition. Therefore, the fish that Peter caught at the command of the Lord (Matthew 17:27) is a symbol of the light and simple food God provides. By the fishes being pulled out of the water, He reminds us that, following the bait of righteousness, we should abandon the intemperance of the love of money, just as the coin was given away by the fish. And so that we abandon vain love of glory, He encourages us to do this by handing over the statir to the tax collector: “Render unto Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and unto God the things that are God’s” (Matthew 22:21). Perhaps this Gospel story about the statir is explained in another way; but in the present case, we, who are turning our thoughts to further topics of our work, have no time to enter into this subject, because regarding the present subject (which must be observed regarding food), the reminders made, which are completely in agreement with the colors (with the teachings) of the Logos, are quite sufficient. But since we often explained the previously discussed topic with passages of Scripture, now we will water this plant of Logos (the subject discussed) from the same source (i.e., we summarize what has been said, again drawing passages from Scripture into our speech). “Everything is lawful for me, but not everything is profitable” (1 Cor. 10:23). While doing everything that is permitted, they often end up doing what is prohibited. Just as justice does not come from wealth and moderation does not come from luxury, so the introduction of a Christian is not acquired in a free life. Because the table of purity and holiness of mind and life is very far removed from the table furnished with dishes that indulge sensuality and arouse voluptuousness. Because although everything was created for the sake of man, it is impossible to make use of everything at all times; circumstances, time, type and manner of use, purpose - all this for the one being instructed (by the Logos) is of considerable importance in determining what exactly is useful for him. But this decent thing is what determines its decency and what tends to restrain the pregnant life. Wealth causes this prenatal life; It does not look at gluttony with sharp vision, but with closed eyes. In relation to the necessary, no one is poor, not a single person is forgotten. One and the same God constantly supplies food to both the creatures of the air and the water - in a word, to all the unreasonable; and they lack nothing, although they do not care about food (Matthew 6:26). We are above them, because we are their masters; we are more related to God because we are more intelligent than them; and we were not created for food and drink, but for the knowledge of God. “The righteous,” it is said, “eats until he is full, but the belly of the wicked suffers deprivation” (Prov. 13:23), for he is devoted to his shameful desires, which have no end. But since the rich organize magnificent and expensive feasts not only for their personal pleasure, but they have a social purpose, then we must abstain from this kind of food, which even without hunger excites the urge to eat in us, misleading our appetite with some kind of seduction and sorcery. Is it not possible, even in simple food, observing moderation, to find many types of it that contribute to health? These are: onions, olives, various varieties of vegetables, milk, cheese, fruits and many other foods prepared without irritating seasonings; if necessary, you can include fried or boiled meat in your diet. “Do you have any food here” (Luke 24:41–44), the Lord said to his disciples after the Resurrection. The disciples, taught by the Lord to live simply, offered him a piece of fried fish. “And he took it and ate before them,” says Luke, “And he said to them, “This is what I told you about.” In addition to these foods, those who eat in the spirit of the Logos have the right not to deny themselves the consumption of dessert fruits and honeycombs, because among the foods suitable for us are especially those that can be eaten immediately, without lighting a fire, since they can be prepared more quickly and easily. The second group includes the simpler and more ordinary dishes we mentioned above. At the tables of those who have an inclination towards whimsical dishes, who feed their passions through this, there is a demon of the most evil voluptuousness, which I do not hesitate to call the demon of gluttony, because he really resembles the so-called womb of the broadcasting demon. It is much better to be ευδαιμον (prosperous) than to have a demon as your cohabitant; ευδαιμωνια, (prosperity) consists in the practice of virtue. The Apostle Matthew ate only bread, fruits and garden vegetables without meat. John (the Baptist) extended abstinence further and ate “locusts and wild honey” (Matthew 3:4; Mark 1:6). Peter abstained from pork meat. But “he felt hungry,” as it is written in the book of Acts, “and wanted to eat. While they were preparing, he went into a frenzy and sees the open sky and a certain vessel descending towards it, like a large canvas, tied at the four corners and lowered to the ground; in it were all four-legged creatures of the earth, animals, reptiles and birds of the air. And a voice came to him: Arise, Peter, kill and eat. But Peter said: No, Lord, I have never eaten anything bad or unclean. Then another time” there was “a voice to him: what God has cleansed, do not consider unclean” (Acts 10:10–15). In the same way, we can eat everything without distinction, for it is not “what goes into the mouth that defiles a person” (Matthew 15:17-18), but a sinful disposition towards immoderation. Having created man, God said: “Everything will be food for you” (Gen. 9:2, 3). And yet, “better is a dish of greens, and love with it, than a fatted ox, and hatred with it” (Proverbs 15:17). These words remind us of what we were told earlier - that the essence of the feast of love is not in salads (not in the simplicity of the dishes), but in the love that should permeate the feast. But if the middle way is the best in everything, then it should be observed especially when arranging feasts; extremes are dangerous, but middle paths are right; By the middle way I mean the absence of a lack of what is necessary; Necessary is everything that serves to satisfy natural needs. The law of the Jews made abstinence their most important duty. A myriad of different types of food were forbidden by the Teacher to the Jews through Moses. The reasons for this were also announced to him, partly hidden, spiritual, partly obvious, carnal; they still believe in the latter to this day. One of these laws prohibited the consumption of animals that did not have a cloven hoof; others - animals that do not regurgitate; from aquatic animals - those that do not have scales (Lev. 11:1; Deut. 14:1), so that the number of animals that they were allowed to eat was reduced to a very limited number. But from among these even they were not allowed to eat food that had been killed, sacrificed to idols, or strangled; they were forbidden to even touch this. Since it is impossible for someone who has acquired the habit of foods that flatter the sensuality to refuse to eat them, the Logos contrasts this with a different way of life, relentlessly trying to counteract even the emergence of this deep and seething inclination to pleasure. Lust often brings harm and evil to people; overeating dulls the receptivity of the soul, affects the weakening of memory and strength of reason; They even say that the body of small children, with meager nutrition, develops stronger and grows in height, because the breath that nourishes the body penetrates it, but then spreads through it with greater ease, while excess food restricts its paths. Therefore, Plato, who strived for truth more zealously than all other philosophers, shining in his works with some sparks of Jewish philosophy, condemns the life of people who are effeminate and devoted to voluptuousness. “When I arrived,” he says, in Italy and Syracuse and became acquainted with a life there considered happy and consisting of constant feasts, this life did not improve for me at all. Eating without moderation twice a day and not even sleeping alone and peacefully at night, these are, along with other consequences, such a life. Not a single person under the sun, even if he has the most excellent gifts by nature, can be well-behaved and prudent if he lives like this from his youth” (“Plato”, Epist. VII hand longe a principio)). Plato, no doubt, heard something about David, how this one, having placed the Ark of the Covenant in the tabernacle, in the middle of his native city, arranged a feast for all the people who bowed before this before the face of the Lord, distributing to the entire mass of Israel, from husband even to wife, to each a large piece of leavened bread, a piece of roasted meat and one flat cake (2 Sam. 6:17-19; 1 Chr. 16:1–3). This was the simple food of Israel; pagan is refined. Whoever feeds on this does not care about being wise, but buries his mind in the belly and thus becomes completely like that fish, which is called a donkey and which, according to Aristotle, alone of all animals carries a heart in the belly. The comedian Epicharmus calls her a fat belly. These are the people who believe in the womb. “Their belly is, and their glory is in shame: they think about earthly things,” the apostle does not foretell anything good for them. “Their end,” he says, “is destruction” (Phil. 3:19). Chapter 2. How to behave regarding drinking “Drink a little wine for the sake of your stomach” (1 Tim. 5:23), the apostle advises his disciple Timothy, who drank only water. It is very advisable for a sick and damp person to use a product that promotes the compactness of the body. But at the same time, the apostle advises using it moderately, “a little,” making it clear that using this remedy in a larger dose would require a medicine for itself. The natural and sobriety-sustaining drink that best quenches thirst is water. It was this drink, as the only one compatible with moderation, that the Lord gave to the ancient Jews, flowing it from a steep cliff (Ex. 27:1; Num. 20:1). In their nomadic life, abstinence was especially beneficial. Later, the sacred vine produced the Prophetic Grape (i.e., the Lamb). It is a sign for those who, due to the educational influence of the Logos, have returned from wandering (at crossroads) to peace. This sign is this great bunch, the Logos, which was squeezed out for us. The blood of this vine, i.e. The Logos wanted to be dissolved into water, which is why our salvation is mediated by the blood of the Lamb. Two natures are characteristic of the blood of the Lord: one is bodily, through which (by drinking) we are freed from death (this is the redeeming, saving blood); the other is spiritual, through which (when drinking) we are anointed (that is, we are cleansed: this is cleansing blood); and drinking the blood of Jesus is tantamount to participating in the Lord's immortality. The power of the Logos (Lamb) is the Divine Spirit, just as the power of the body is in the blood; therefore, according to this, wine is mixed with water, and the Spirit is united with man; one is a mixed drink, given for faith; the other, Spirit, leads to immortality. The mixing of both, drink and Logos, is called the Eucharist, that is, laudatory and glorious grace; because those who partake of this sacrament with faith are sanctified both in body and soul; by the will of the Father this divine mixture, i.e. man mysteriously unites with the Spirit and Logos; because the Holy Spirit with the soul fertilized by Him (through this sacrament) becomes one, and with the Logos (in it) the flesh (unites), because of which in some way (in fact) “the Word became flesh” (John 1:14). Therefore, I am surprised at those who, having chosen a strict life and being content with the drink of abstinence - water, avoid wine, as if it were some kind of fire threatening to conflagrate. It is enough if young people of both sexes absolutely abstain from this medicine. It is not suitable to add the heat of the hottest of all liquids, that is, wine, to the ardor of youth: this would mean adding more fire to the fire. From such a mixture, rude and wild desires and fiery passions flare up, and ardor of character arises. Young people, inflamed internally, are then especially inclined towards sensuality, so that the disastrous influence of wine is already revealed on their body. The members of carnal desire ripen earlier than necessary; fueled by wine, these people become even more passionate; the breasts and genital parts swell and begin to present a picture of debauchery: the spiritual wound transfers the fire to the body: shameless movements seek satisfaction, people who were respectable until that time, inclining them to lawlessness; the grape juice of youth begins to flow over the edge of modesty. That is why it is necessary to try by all possible means to suppress the emerging passions of young people, removing from them the flame of this fire, which threatens Bacchic dangers, and introducing into them elements with which the heat of their already smoking soul would be cooled, the flow of juices to their genital parts would be delayed, and the fire of passions already beginning to flare up in them, with which it would be extinguished. Those who are experiencing the blossoming age of development of strength, if, of necessity, they have to take lunch during the day, they should eat only bread and abstain from drinking altogether: the dryness of the food allows us to absorb the excess moisture in the body as if with some kind of sponge. This eliminates the need to constantly spit, blow your nose and run to the latrine, which is a sign of intemperance, since due to excessive introduction of moisture into the body, it begins to bother us. If someone begins to feel thirsty, a small amount of water can serve as a means to satisfy it. Not much, because drinking a lot of water is not beneficial: it can dilute the nutritional juices of food too much; a small amount of it promotes digestion, thickens food into a compact mass, and then a small amount of it is ejected from us through excrement. In general, especially when thinking about divine things, it is decent not to burden yourself with wine. “Wine, not diluted with water, is not very conducive to reflection,” says the comedian; I am already silent about the fact that it drowns out and overthrows all wisdom. However, in the evening we can drink a little wine at dinner, unless we then intend to engage in reading, which requires the highest sobriety. The air then becomes colder than during the day, so that when internal heat weakens, it has to be maintained by introducing heat from outside into the body. But even at this time you should use wine in moderation; Even at this time it should not go as far as the unbridled use of whole cups for mixing wine. People who are already old, in order to stimulate energy weakened by years and restore depleted strength, can be allowed to drink wine in doses and somewhat larger ones. They can awaken their already cooled nature, the dying flame of their age, without fear of any particular harm to themselves, with the blood of the vine. Elders, as a rule, no longer flare up fiery passions; They no longer have to fear shipwrecks from intoxication. Standing firmly on the anchors of reason and experience, without much effort they withstand the storms of passions, excited and freed from the shackles of intoxication. It is permissible for them to entertain others at the table with more cheerful jokes. But for them, too, there are boundaries in drinking wine, determined by modesty and decency: their thinking should remain unshakable, their memories should be fresh, their body should not stumble or hesitate under the weight of wine; people who are knowledgeable about such things call such people decently charged. In fact, rather than falling, wouldn’t it be better not to bring yourself to a fall? A certain Artorius, as I remember, in his Macrobiotics, expresses the opinion that you need to drink only to moisten your food, and this is supposedly the surest means of prolonging life for as long as possible. It is in the order of things, therefore, to use wine as a kind of medicine and, moreover, exclusively for health purposes, on the other hand, to amuse oneself and distract oneself. First of all, wine improves the mood compared to the previous one; it makes the drinker more friendly towards his interlocutors; It makes him softer and kinder in his dealings with servants and more kind with friends. But as soon as the drinker is hit, he will lose his temper and repay the insult with an insult. Since wine is an intoxicating drink and contains sweet juices, when properly mixed, it softens excrement with its warmth and imparts a fragrant mixture to the pungent and bad juices. Therefore, the word of the Holy Scripture is apt: “Wine, consumed in moderation at the right time, is a delight to the heart and a consolation to the soul” (Sir. 31:31, 33). It is especially good to mix as much water as possible with wine, but this mixture should not be drunk to satisfy thirst, like water, and thus not reach the point of complete stupidity through drunkenness; and if you are addicted to wine (even if mixed with water), you should not drink a lot of it, as if it were water; both of these things are creations of God, and therefore the mixture of both, water and wine, promotes health. And all life, after all, is made up of the necessary and useful; Therefore, to what is necessary, i.e., to water as it exists in large quantities, a little useful, i.e., wine, should be mixed. Due to excessive consumption of wine, the tongue becomes tongue-tied; the lips lament; the gaze is perverted, and the eyes begin to wander, floating in a significant amount of what appears to be some kind of liquid; they are forced to give false impressions and make one think that everything around seems to be spinning; They cannot count individual objects in the distance. “It seems to me as if two suns are shining there,” said the drunken Theban elder. Under the influence of the wine's warmth, trembling, the optic nerve perceives diverse impressions from the same object; it makes no difference whether the optic nerve is in motion or a visible object; both affect vision in the same way, because the object, due to flickering, cannot be clearly distinguished. And the steps become uncertain, it’s as if you have to walk on waves. Finally, nausea, vomiting and unconsciousness end these miserable pleasures. The tragic poet says: He is a slave to his anger and lacks rationality. Empty words flow from his tongue. He reviles his neighbor, and slanderous speeches he cannot stand those addressed to himself.” And the wise one, even before the tragic one, said: “Excessive consumption of wine increases the rage of the foolish to the point of stumbling, diminishing his strength and causing wounds” (Sir. 31:33). Therefore, many people think that they can allow themselves freedom at feasts, and postpone serious matters until the morning. I think that it is here that reason, (Logos), should be invited as a table companion, so that he can lead a meeting of tipsy people and watch over how the table pleasures little by little turn into shameful drunkenness. If not a single reasonable person sleeps without closing his eyes, then no one can seriously wish that reason (Logos) should leave the feast; Reason (Logos) would be a bad helper for us if, with the onset of day and daytime activities, it went to bed. After all, the original Reason (Logos) never separates from those who treat Him in a friendly manner, even during sleep, because we must call on Him even when going to sleep. Wisdom, perfect as a science of things divine and human, embracing everything, is the art of life, because it watches over the human herd; constantly staying with us, constantly engaged in her beneficent service throughout our entire lives, she guides us in the right way of life. The unfortunate ones, who banish reasonable moderation from their evenings, find their pleasure during feasts in extreme drinking bouts. Revelry, hangover, baths, unbridledness, chamber pots, idleness, binges - this is their life. You can see some of them half-drunk, swaying on their feet, with wreaths on their necks, as if they were some kind of amphorae; under the pretext of friendship, they drink wine with each other from the same goblet. Others, with their heads spinning from hops, dirty, with a pale face, with a deathly blue in it, add a new one to yesterday's hops in the morning. It is wonderful, therefore, my friends, it is wonderful if this funny and at the same time pathetic picture teaches us to abhor this vice and if it forces us to organize our lives according to the best models, permeating us with fear, lest we present a similar funny spectacle to others. It is beautifully and aptly said: “Sadness tests the strength of the blade by tempering; Thus wine tests the hearts of the proud—by drunkenness” (Sir. 31:30). Hopping (μεθη) therefore is the excessive consumption of wine undiluted with water. Intoxication (παροινια) is indecent behavior resulting from intoxication. A hangover (κραιπαλη) is the nausea and ill health that follows drunkenness, and it is called so from the (involuntary) movement (παλλειν) of the head (καρα). Looking askance at such a frivolous life, spent in shameful pleasures, which extinguishes all the light of the soul - if it can only be called life - Divine wisdom commands its children: “Do not be among those who are drunk with wine, nor among those who are full of meat: for the drunkard and the satiated one will become poor, and drowsiness will be dressed in rags” (Proverbs 23:20-21). Here anyone is called drowsy who is not animated by wisdom and falls into sleep as a result of intoxication. “A drunk,” it goes on to say, “will dress in rags and he will have to be ashamed of his drunkenness before those who see him.” The holes in the bodily tissue caused by this kind of shameful service to the passions are like windows on the sinner; through these, one can penetrate with one's gaze into the shame of his soul, into sin, in which it is difficult to keep the bodily tissue intact; therefore, everywhere she finds herself bursting at the seams, driven by many desires into a state of flabby, unfit for correction (for salvation). That is why Wisdom remarkably adds: “Who is howling? who's moaning? who has quarrels? Who's in grief? who has wounds for no reason?” ? ( Proverbs 23:29 ) Look at the wine drinker, completely worn out (both in soul and body). He neglects reason itself (Logos) and indulges in drunkenness. What terrible things the Sacred threatens him with. Scripture! To this it adds the following threat: “Who has dull eyes? Is it not those who scout out where the free drinking parties are? (Prov. 23:29–30). Here Scripture, speaking of dull eyes, thereby testifies that for the Logos the drunkard is already dead; cloudy eyes, after all, serve as a distinctive feature of a corpse; This expression means that the drunkard is dead to the Lord. Neglect of the laws that determine true life leads to death. That is why the Teacher, caring for our well-being, gives us such a strict commandment: “Do not look at the wine, how it turns red, how it sparkles in the cup, how it flows smoothly.” Why? - you ask. Because, He answers, “later it will bite like a serpent, and sting like an adder: your eyes will look at other people’s wives, and your heart will speak depraved things; and you will be like one who sleeps in the middle of the sea and like one who sleeps on the top of a mast” (Prov. 23:31–34). Here the poet joins us to help, saying: If wine enters a person with its fiery power, It creates excitement in the soul, like the swell of the Libyan Sea, Exploding from north to south. wine reveals the secrets of the heart; It seduces the soul with itself. Do you notice the danger of a shipwreck? When drunk, the heart is washed with wine, as if in waves. The writer of the book of Proverbs compares the excess of wine to a stormy sea into which the body has plunged; and, like a ship, it sinks into the abyss of shame, buried under the third wave of wine. The helmsman, that is, the human mind, is thrown hither and thither by excitement, being overcome by drunkenness. On this sea he wanders in the darkness of the storm, being in no way able to get into the harbor of truth, until, finally, having run over underwater cliffs, he crashes on them and dies in the sea of ​​these shameful pleasures. “Do not get drunk with wine, which causes debauchery,” says the apostle (Eph. 5:18). With the word debauchery, ασωτια, he means here τοασωτον, the impossibility of salvation for drunkards. Because, although the Lord turned water into wine at the wedding, He still did not make it clear that one can get drunk with wine. What was watery in the spirit of the law, He revived, fulfilling its executor, starting with Adam, that is, the whole world, with His blood and giving to the God-fearing souls, when the time was fulfilled, from the vine a drink of truth, mixing the ancient law with the new Logos. Scripture, under the image of wine, therefore designated the mysterious symbol of the holy blood. Pointing to the bad consequences of drunkenness, it says: “Wine is mocking, strong drink is violent; and everyone who is carried away by the name is foolish” (Proverbs 20:1). But it is completely consistent with the requirement of common sense to drink wine in winter during cold weather, so that those who are prone to chilliness do not get cold; at other times, it is permissible to use it as an aid to the digestive organs. Because just as you need to eat in order not to starve, you should drink in order not to languish from thirst; and yet one must carefully guard against falling; Wine faces certain dangers if it sneaks into the body. Thus, let our soul remain pure, dry and luminous; the dry soul is the wisest and most beautiful, most disposed towards contemplation; it is not moistened by rising wine vapors, it is not fogged and limited by them, as if by some heavily hanging cloud. Therefore, there is no need to try very hard to get Chios wine if you can get homemade wine, or Arius wine if there is no other one. Thirst is, after all, a feeling of need and it is consoled by natural means, and not by vanity; the desire of a softened soul, the fruit of immoderation, seeks foreign and imported wines, because desires tend to darken the soul even before intoxication. That is why there is the seasoned wine of Thasos, and the aromatic wine of Lesbos, and the pleasant wine of Crete (raisin), and the sweet wine of Syracuse, and the Mendesian; there are varieties of Egyptian wine, and wine from the island of Naxos, and fragrant varieties from the lands of Italy - their names are legion. For one who drinks wine in moderation, one type of wine is enough - that which, through the fruits of the field, is a gift from the one God. And why not, to quench your desires, be content with the one type of wine that is produced in a given area? After all, we cannot imitate those reckless kings who even ordered water for themselves to be brought from abroad. (There is a river in India called Khoasp, with the most beautiful water for drinking). This means, just as there are experts in wines, similarly there are experts in water. The Holy Spirit complains about the rich, and for that matter the effete, saying through the prophet Amos: “Lie on beds of ivory and drink wine from cups” ( Amos 6:4, 6 ). And so on the prophet adds to their reproach. When drinking wine, one should be most concerned about decency (with regard to this, according to myth, Athena, even though in other cases she could be anything she wanted, due to the distortion of her facial features, threw away the flute in which she found so much pleasure). When drinking wine, facial features should not be changed, nor should they be distorted; and then before the sight of drinks one should not make numb eyes, then greedily stopping them at one of them. You shouldn’t even wet your chin; You should try not to get your clothes wet, and not to pour the entire portion down your throat at once, without just washing your face from vials (drinking cups). It is a shameful and indecent spectacle of intemperance and that gurgling sound, when we drink a drink for one spirit, as if falling down like a torrential rain and as if being poured into some clay vessel, while the pharynx, when quickly swallowed, makes guttural sounds. In addition, the love of drinking is a dangerous addiction for the one who gives himself to it. That’s not really why, my friend, hurry up with your harm. No one, after all, takes your bottle from you; for you, after all, it has been placed and is waiting for you. It’s not the same as drinking, as filling your belly, imagining that you are some kind of hole. Your thirst will still be quenched if you drink more slowly, observing decorum and dividing the drink properly. Time will not take away from you what you pour into yourself with such greed. “Do not show yourself brave against wine,” it is said, “for wine has destroyed many” (Sir. 31:29). The Scythians, Celts, Iberians, and Thracians are especially noted for their drunkenness—they are entirely warlike peoples; and they think that, by indulging in drunkenness, they are indulging in a beautiful activity that makes them happy (("Plato", De legibus 1, 777)); We, a peaceful people, sit at the table for pleasure, and not for licentiousness; we partake of the drink of friendliness in moderation, through it, truly, denoting only the friendliness of our connections. How, in your opinion, did the Lord touch and taste wine, taking on human flesh for our sake? As shameless as us? Without observing subtle decency and order? Equally unreasonable? You know that He also drank wine; He was, after all, a man. And He gave thanks for the wine and said: “This cup is the new covenant in My blood” (1 Cor. 11:24-25), the blood of the vine. The Logos, “poured out for many for the remission of sins” (Matthew 26:27–28), is allegorically portrayed by Him as a river of joys. And that he who drinks wine must remain in his mind, He showed through the teachings He expounded at feasts; Of course, He remained sober if He taught. And that it was wine that for which He gave thanks, He proves once again, saying to His disciples: “I will not drink of the fruit of this vine until the day when I drink new wine with you” “in the Kingdom of My Father” (Matthew 26:29; Mark 14:23). And what wine it was that the Lord drank, He once again said about himself, condemning the hard-heartedness of the Jews. “The Son of Man has come,” He says, “eating and drinking; and they say: “Here is a man who loves to eat and drink wine, a friend of tax collectors and sinners” (Matthew 11:19; Luke 7:34). All this is stated here by us to refute the errors of the so-called Encratites. Women, remembering their beauty and their special duty to observe decency, so as not to stretch their lips, should not drink from wide goblets, pouring the drink into wide-open mouths; It is more appropriate for them to drink from alabaster goblets with a narrow opening, while keeping their heads back, however, without throwing their necks back, which, in my opinion, is indecent, as well as pouring the drink down their throats with their throats extended upward, as if they wanted to expose themselves as much as possible in front of the guests. And to belch like men, or, better said, like slaves, means exposing to them your passion for satiety and thereby revealing your bad manners. If it is indecent for any reasonable man to act worthy of reproach, then much less for a woman, who, having already remembered her nature, should be ashamed. “Great annoyance,” says Scripture, “is a woman given over to drunkenness” (Sir. 26:10), i.e., an intoxicated wife represents the wrath of God, as it were. Why? Because she reveals all the obscenity of behavior unusual for her (Sir. 26:11). The woman quickly turns to licentiousness as soon as she indulges in these shameful pleasures. – Above, I did not forbid women to drink from alabaster cups; But we want to eliminate the tendency to drink only from such as boasting, advising us to drink without choice what we have, through which greed, which leads to a fall, would immediately cut off the further path to development. – The air rushing upward and producing belching must be released unnoticeably. But under no circumstances should women allow themselves to expose any part of their body in front of men, lest both of them fall to the point of falling: men as a result of incitement by women to pay attention to them, and thereby as a result of attracting the gaze of men. We must constantly behave decently, as if the Lord himself were present among us, and so that the word addressed with indignation by the apostle to the Corinthians could not have any relation to us: “You are gathering in such a way that this does not mean eating the Lord’s supper” (1 Cor. 11:20). It seems to me that the constellation, called by mathematicians Akefal (headless), listed earlier than the planets, with its head pressed to the chest symbolically represents people who are voluptuous, voluptuous and devoted to drunkenness. And their soul does not sit in the head, but is located in the insatiable entrails, being a slave to shameful desires and insatiability. And just as Elpenor, falling in a drunken state, broke his cervical vertebrae (("Odyssey", XI, at the end)), so their mind, fogged by hops and gluttony, with even greater speed and force, falls from its heights into the liver and heart, that is, it turns to the pursuit of pleasures and to the passions with which Hephaestus was thrown from heaven to earth (("Iliad", I, 589)). “Suffering from insomnia and cholera and pain in the stomach happen to an insatiable person” (Sir. 31:23). For this reason, Noah’s drunkenness is recorded, so that we, having before us a clearly outlined picture of the fall, should be especially careful about getting drunk. That is why those (i.e. Shem and Japheth) who covered the shame of drunkenness are blessed by the Lord (Gen. 9:23–27). Combining everything in one word, therefore, Scripture says briefly: “A wise man touches wine lightly and calms down on his bed” (Sir.31:22). Chapter 3. About expensive household utensils The use of silver and gold cups with precious kamias inserted into them is useless and represents an optical illusion. Because if you pour warm liquid into them, the vessels become hot and it is dangerous to handle them; If you pour cold liquid into them, the properties of the metal are transferred to it, the liquid deteriorates and the precious drink becomes harmful. Perish, therefore, all of you, the Phericlean glasses, and the Antigonian glasses, and the cantharius, and you, the Lavronii, and you, the petals, and all the others who have a thousand other forms, and you, the refrigerated vessels, and you, the pouring ladles for wine. Gold and silver, whether it be private or public property, are not at all enviable property if they are superfluous; their acquisition is associated with a depletion of funds, saving them requires care, they are not necessary in everyday use. And the vain penchant for polished glass vessels, which become even more fragile from skillful processing, the artistry of which only inspires fear when drinking from them, we must limit in our well-ordered life. Silver chairs, bowls, vinegar bowls, plates and saucers, in general, gold and silver tableware, as well as vessels whose purpose I am ashamed to name (vomiters). “Made from easily splintered cedar wood and some fragrant wood” and made of ebony, as well as tables with three legs for trinkets made of ivory, armchairs with silver legs with ivory work inlaid in them, caskets with a lid overlaid with gold and tortoiseshell work, purple blankets and other precious colors - all these excellent things, testifying only to arrogant luxury and constituting an object of voluptuous and dull envy, should be banished by us from use; they are not worth the hassle of having them, because “the time is already short,” as the apostle says (1 Cor. 7:29). Let us also take care not to dress ridiculously, since at festive processions you can often see people, to satisfy their external decency, smoothed, oiled, perfumed and amazingly dressed up, but internally poor. Therefore, the apostle, developing his previously cited thought more broadly, adds: “They who have wives must be as if they had not; and those who buy, as if they did not acquire” (2 Cor. 7:29, 30). If this is already said about marriage, at the establishment of which God said: “Multiply” (Gen. 1:28), then is it not with greater force that the authority of this Lord’s saying condemns the stiffness of the inner feeling to observe more subtle moral decency? Therefore the Lord says: “Sell what you have and give it to the poor; and come and follow Me” (Matthew 19:21; Mark 10:21; Luke 18:22). Follow the Lord, freed from vanity and fleeting splendor. Your true, your glorious, inalienable property is faith in God, confession of the “Man of Sorrows” (Is. 53:3), charitable love for mankind – this is “your most honorable property” ((“Lycophron Cassandrae”, v. 364)). I praise Plato when he openly proposes a draft law that would prohibit artistic works made of gold and silver and generally artistically crafted household utensils, and also would not allow one to burden oneself with things that are useless, essentially unnecessary and not of modest size; according to his project, it should be arranged in such a way that the same object can be used for many needs, and the variety of them should be avoided ("De legibus", lib. V)). Therefore, jealous against pride and inflated pomp. The Holy Scripture says especially beautifully in one place: “Where are the princes of the nations and those who owned the beasts of the earth, who amused themselves with the birds of the air, and who collected silver and gold, in which people hope and whose acquisitions have no end? Where are those who were engaged in silver products, and whose products are countless? They disappeared and went down to hell” (Bar. 3:16–19). This is how arrogant pride is punished. If we use a hoe and a plow for field work, and if no one makes a silver shovel or a golden sickle, on the contrary, if we use ordinary and inexpensive material for field work; What prevents us from adhering to the same prudence in relation to household belongings? In things in which moderation is necessary, there should be no luxury. I ask you, tell me: will a table knife not cut anything if its handle is not lined with silver needles and set in ivory? Meanwhile, he goes to prepare things to cut Indian iron, as if it was about challenging the enemy. How? If the washbasin is made of clay, will it then not accept dirt from the hands and the foot basin from the feet? Will the table not be able to hold a penny loaf on itself if its legs are not lined with ivory? The light will not spread light around itself, perhaps, if it is the work of a potter, and not a goldsmith? I know very well that even a very modest bed does not cause more bad sleep than an ivory bed. And further: it is only out of ungodly luxury, this mother of all evil, that a coarse shaggy bedspread is neglected because of its cheapness, although it can serve quite conveniently as a bed, so that there is no need for either purple or Phoenician bedspreads. What kind of daydreaming is this, what an imaginary sense of beauty! Watch! The Lord ate from an ordinary dish and ordered his disciples to lie down on the ground on the grass; He washed their feet with a linen towel (John 13:4). God and Lord of the universe. He humbly descended from heaven without a silver laver; He asked a Samaritan woman, who was drawing from a well with an earthenware vessel, to drink; and He did not quench thirst with royal gold, but taught to do it in easy ways. He set the criterion as need, and not indifference to good and to the best. He ate and drank at feasts without first digging up metals from the ground, and He did not use vessels that smelled like gold and silver, that is, verdigris, because this is what these proud materials are often called for. In general, food, clothing, household utensils - in short, everything in the house must be consistent with the law of Christian life, relevant to the person, age, vocation and time. It suits the servants of the one God if both their property and all their household utensils bear the stamp of an exclusively moral life and if each individual person in everything generally reveals an order of life breathing unity, corresponding and consistent with a faith that does not discriminate against anyone, this uniform moral law. What is not difficult to acquire is used with a light heart, it is easy to take care of, it is easy to part with; This kind of useful is the best; cheap is therefore better than expensive. In general, poorly managed wealth is a whole fortified mountain of sin and atrocity. Many who set their sights on him could not enter the Kingdom of Heaven (Matthew 19:23–24); Painfully passionate about the very things of this world for their sake, they drowned in their vicious desires. Those striving for salvation must immediately become accustomed to the idea that all property exists only for the sake of its use and that only what is acquired in small quantities serves to satisfy needs. Madmen are those who, in their gluttony, delight in treasures. “He who earns wages,” it is said, “earns for a wallet with holes in it” (Hag. 1:6). Such a one is like one who gathers seed in a barn, locks some there, allows it to spoil, and gives it to no one (Prov. 11:24). But it is worthy of complete disgrace and open ridicule if men order to bring themselves silver chamber pots and glass shuttles, which they have, as it were, some kind of advising friend next to them; and it’s funny if rich women acquire these ridiculous bidets made of gold, as if they couldn’t even do this task (wash themselves) without feeding their vanity. Oh, if only these people considered gold as dung throughout the rest of their lives! But now “greed for money” turns out to be like an “Acropolis (fortified mountain) of sin”; the apostle calls it “the root of all evil; which, having given themselves over, some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many sorrows” (1 Tim. 6:10). The best wealth is to have no desires; and this should be true pride, so as not to boast about wealth: but to neglect it, It is shameful to be proud of household utensils; You should not bother about acquiring things that anyone, anyone, can buy on the market. Wisdom cannot be bought with earthly coin; not in the market, but in heaven it is sold cheaply; and you can buy it only with true coin, the immortal Logoi, royal with this Gold. Chapter 4. About the behavior that should be observed at feasts All unbridledness, and especially sleepless nights with noisy drinking bouts, should be eliminated from the feast of a wise man. I also consider unbridledness to include listening to the flute playing leading to complete intoxication, which is the bridge railing of sensual love and subsequent reluctance to do anything serious. Let sensual love and drunkenness and all vile and reckless passions take place somewhere, far from us, and not in our circle. And the presence in the squares when passersby and local choirs sing free and obscene songs is tantamount to the same participation in unbridled revelry and revelry. Such nightly meetings lead to revelry, lead to erotic pleasures, and encourage shamelessness. Whoever often devotes himself to listening to the playing of flutes, stringed instruments, who takes part in round dances, dances, Egyptian beating in ladili and other indecent and frivolous pastimes, soon reaches great indecency and licentiousness, moves on to the noise of cymbals and timbrels, and begins to go wild on the instruments of a dreamy cult. Quite easily, as far as I understand, such a feast turns into a drunken performance. “Let us cast aside the works of darkness,” demands the apostle, “and let us put on the weapons of light; Let us behave decently as during the day, not indulging in feasting and drunkenness, nor in sensuality and debauchery, nor in quarrels and envy” (Rom. 13:12–13). Let us therefore provide pipes to shepherds, flutes to superstitious people hastening to worship idols; we desire the complete banishment of these instruments from our sober public feasts; they are more suitable for cattle than for people; let stupid people use them. I have heard that hunters bewitch deer by playing their pipes and lure them into a snare; the donkeys, when they are allowed to join the mares, are also played along with a kind of marriage song (romance) on the flute; musicians even composed a special play based on its motives. In general, one must protect one’s hearing and sight from being contaminated by all ignoble things; we must be far from the shameful tendency to drink, which is really the fruit of stupidity and leads to stupidity; it should be completely excluded by the mores of our society; We must especially beware of pleasures combined with tickling that softens the voluptuousness of the eye and ear. But it is precisely the chromatic sounds and plaintive motifs of the Carian muse that are as fatal to morals as various poisonous drinks: this kind of music, with its unbridledness and ugliness, only inflates the tendency to disorderly feasts. The Divine Spirit, no doubt having in mind precisely to distinguish this kind of disorderly meetings from the celebrations of liturgical services, sings: “Praise him with the sound of a trumpet:” with the sound of a trumpet: He, after all, will also raise the dead. “Praise Him” and “psalter” the psalter (harp) of the Lord is the language of man. “Praise Him with the zither:” by the zither we must mean the lips excited, as it were, by a kind of plectrum by the Holy Spirit. “Praise Him with the tympanum and the faces:” by the tympanum He means the church, which, with the sounds of the skin stretched over the drum, imagines the Resurrection of the dead. “Praise Him on the strings and the organ:” He calls our body an organ, and the strings are the bodily nerves that mediate its harmonic mood; When touched by the Holy Spirit, our body produces the sounds of a human voice. “Praise Him with loud cymbals:” the cymbal is the tongue in the mouth, striking the mouth. Therefore, this Holy Spirit calls to humanity: “Let everything that breathes praise the Lord” (Ps. 130:3-6); He oversees everything that breathes and is created by him. Man is truly an instrument of peace. All other instruments, if anyone takes a closer look at them, are instruments of war; they ignite desires, they unbridle passions, sensual lust, they lead the heart into wild excitement, irritating it and filling it with anger. They are actually used in war. The Etruscans use trumpets in war. The Arcadians - with a pipe, the Sicilians with a special instrument pectis (a type of harp, close to the μαγαδς and psalter), the Cretans - with a lyre, the Lacedaemonians - with a flute, the Thracians - with a horn, the Egyptians with a tympanum, the Arabs - with a cymbal. We use as an instrument for the glorification of God the only peaceful word (Logos), and not the psalter, which was used by the Jews in the Old Testament, and not the trumpet, and not the tympanum, and not the flute, which are usually used by military people, but to which despisers of the fear of God also resort during their festive choral dances, through the melodies played on these instruments, awakening dormant sensuality. The law invites us to display two kinds of goodwill at feasts. Because if “you love the Lord your God” (Matthew 22:37, 39), and then “your neighbor,” then first of all you will be imbued with a good disposition towards God, giving Him thanks and expressing it through psalmody, and then towards your neighbor you will behave decently, meekly and kindly. “Let the Word (Logos) of Christ dwell in you richly” (Col. 3:16), says the apostle. This benevolence of the apostle is realized and finds application in our society at different times, in different places and on different faces. But it must also find application to our fraternization over the cup, for the apostle further adds: “with all wisdom; teach and admonish one another in psalms, hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord” (Col. 3:16). And again: “Whatever you do in word and deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him” (Col. 3:17). This should be our behavior at feasts. It must radiate the grace it has received and be imbued with sacred joy. But if at the same time someone, imitating the righteous king of the Jews who always remained grateful to God, wanted to sing with the accompaniment of a lyre or harp, then there would be nothing criminal in that. “Rejoice, ye righteous, in the Lord: it is fitting to praise the righteous” (says the prophet). “Praise the Lord on the harp, sing to Him on the ten-stringed psalter. Sing to Him a new song” (Ps. 32:1–2). But by the ten-stringed psalter he does not mean the Logos, or Jesus? It is, after all, symbolically denoted by a decimal number. But how is it proper to glorify the Creator of the universe before eating; Likewise, it is fitting for us to fraternize over the cup while singing psalms, for then we partake with pleasure of what He has created, and a psalm is precisely a harmonious and reasonable doxology. The Apostle calls the psalm “spiritual song” (Eph. 5:19; Col. 3:16). And at the end of the day, before going to bed, it is proper to thank God, since we enjoyed (during the day) His grace and love for mankind; This means that we should go to bed with God. “Glorify Him with His praise, with the songs of your lips and the harp,” it says, “in His commandments is all His good pleasure, and no one can diminish their salvation” (Sir. 39:20, 24). And the ancient Greeks, fraternizing over cups overflowing with wine during such feasts, sang a song of praise (in honor of Apollo) called “skolion”, which had some similarities with the Jewish psalms. The guests sang it all together, sometimes one or the other guest sang separately in the interval between surrounding the circular bowl. Those who knew how to sing to the accompaniment of the lyre. Songs with erotic content should be alien to us. Our songs should be hymns addressed to God “let them praise His name”, it says: “with faces; let them sing to Him with tympanum and harp” (Ps. 149:3). Who should the praise choir consist of? The Holy Spirit himself explains this: “Praise be to Him in the assembly of the saints; let them rejoice in their King” (Ps. 149:1, 2); and He also adds: “For the Lord delights in His people” (Ps. 149:4). We must choose melodies imbued with dispassion and chastity; melodies that soften and relax the soul cannot harmonize with our courageous and generous way of thinking and disposition. Art, expressed in the flow of voices across different tribes, is a lying art; it influences the development of a tendency to live an inactive and disorderly life. With strict and serious melodies, shamelessness and wild drunkenness, on the contrary, are prevented in the very bud. Therefore, we will provide the soothing sounds of chromatic music to people who organize dirty revelries, and to hetaeras who have the duty to decorate themselves with all colored people. All those who harbored a tendency to reproduce funny things, or, better said, mockingly copy funny states, should be expelled from our republic. Since all words consist of the expression of a way of thinking and character, it is impossible that there should not be something funny in the character of someone who likes to go into funny speeches. The word: “A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit” (Matthew 7:18) is also applicable to the present circumstance, because the word is, after all, the fruit of moral dispositions. So, if jokers are expelled from our republic, then all the less right do we ourselves have to excite laughter with our buffoonery; It’s strange to allow ourselves to reproduce things that we are not allowed to even listen to. But it would be even more strange to try to make oneself funny, that is, with a light heart to make oneself the subject of mockery and ridicule. If we cannot decide to pretend to be those laughers who appear in public processions, then is it possible to expect that we openly and publicly decide to show our inner person in the form of a funny person, with a funny face made? No, we cannot voluntarily turn ourselves into clowns. Because how can one be or seem funny without mocking speech and reason, these most precious blessings of man? It would be a pitiful undertaking to imitate jesters, who are not worth listening to, because they talk about an unworthy matter in such terms that they weaken their disgust for it. You can make witticisms, but decently and sweetly, without making buffoonery out of wit. But even in laughter, which is aroused by wit, one should observe moderation within certain limits of allowing oneself, one can detect the observance of subtle decency, but the same laughter, if it goes beyond boundaries, can also testify to the unbridledness of our character. To put it briefly: What is provided to a person by nature itself should not be forbidden to him, but even in this, which is inherent to us by nature, it is necessary to observe the right measure, timing and expediency. It is impossible, on the basis that it is natural for a person to laugh, to make everything a subject of laughter. And a horse, which naturally neighs, does not neigh at everything. As creatures gifted with reason, we must maintain in ourselves the proper harmony, the severity of our seriousness and unusual concentration, relaxing gracefully (aesthetically), but not allowing ourselves to become unaesthetic. The harmonious gaiety that spreads all over our face, the beautiful bright smoothness of its features, representing a kind of weakening and softening of tones when playing a musical instrument, is called a smile; such a smile can appear on a face and is tricky. An unaesthetic reduction of facial features is called, when it comes to a woman, giggling - but this is the laughter of obscene women, too - and when it comes to men, then - laughter; and it represents disorderly, defiant laughter. “A fool,” says the Holy Scripture, “raises his voice in laughter, but a prudent man” (πανουργος) “barely smiles quietly” (Sir. 21:23). Here it calls a wise man (φρονιμος), who behaves differently from how a fool behaves (μωρος), capable of all good things (πανουγος). But on the other hand, the appearance is nothing elegant and gloomy; Seriousness should just not be put off. Most of all, I like the one who, smiling with a stately face, continues to inspire respect with his noble expressiveness; this is more beautiful than simply smiling, completely forgetting about the need to observe representativeness; the laughter of the former is more difficult to ridicule. But even in a simple smile one should show good manners; and if we had to listen to vile things, it would be more natural to blush than to laugh; in the latter case we may seem to sympathize with these kinds of things and take pleasure in them. If they talk about sad things in our presence, then it is more decent to have a downcast gaze than a joyful one; the first would serve as proof of our humane way of thinking, and the latter would testify to our hardness of heart. You shouldn't laugh all the time either; this would go beyond the right measure. Likewise, one should not laugh in the presence of elders and other honorable persons; We need to wait to see if they themselves will make some subtle and witty remark to amuse us. Moreover, you should not laugh in front of everyone you meet, wherever you come across him, at everything and at everything. Public opinion may be especially unfavorable for boys and women if they like to laugh; those passing by, amazed at such laughter from afar, step aside, although seriousness can reflect the infection of impudent audacity with a simple glance. And especially wine, I will use a well-known word, makes all madmen smile sweetly and dance with pleasure ((Odyssey, XIV, 465)), and the character, already sluggish, it relaxes even more. – You should also think about how the freedom of speech that comes from laughter leads to simple indecency to the point of obscene language. He released a word that would have been better left unsaid ((Odyssey, IV, 466)), says the poet. The character of people, still good on the outside but already corrupted on the inside, under the influence of wine is revealed in all its nakedness; with the unbridled freedom of speech during a drinking session, the clothes of hypocrisy are put aside, the mind goes to sleep, being in its own residence, in the head, the soul is constrained by the drunkenness of the soul and is hampered in its functions; Unusual passions awaken in an exhausted state of mind and assert their power over him. Chapter 6. About indecency in speeches We must not only refrain from indecent speech ourselves, but by the sternness of our gaze, turning away our heads, the so-called wrinkling of the nose, and often with harsh words, put a muzzle on the lips of those who indulge in such speech. For “what comes from the mouth,” it is said, “comes from the heart” (Matthew 15:18), reveals in him a man of the crowd or vulgar, a pagan, ill-mannered, shameless, and not at all noble, perfectly decent and wise. To listening to indecent things and looking at them - since both are of equal significance - the Divine Teacher for his children, who are concerned about not offending their ears with something, so to speak, as a fence for the ears, contrasted wise speeches, so that the infection of unchaste conversations would not touch them and would not strike their souls. And He turns their eyes to the contemplation of (the truth of) the beautiful; It is better, He says, to stumble with your feet than with your tongue. Dismissing these obscene speeches, the apostle says: “Let no corrupt word come out of your mouth, but only what is good” (Eph. 4:29). And again: But “fornication and all uncleanness and covetousness must not even be named among you, as is fitting for saints” (Eph. 5:3). If he who calls his brother “insane” is “subject to fiery hell” (Matthew 0:22), then what can we say about him who talks idle talk? Don’t we have the sayings of Holy Scripture on this score? “For every idle word that people speak, they will give an answer on the day of judgment” (Matthew 12:36). And again: “By your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned” (Matthew 12:37). What kind of hedges are now saving the ear and what educational means are they for slippery eyes? This is communication with the righteous. Here our ears can be closed and protected from those who attempt to deviate us from the truth. Bad communities corrupt good morals (1 Cor. 15:33), says one poetic saying, and in the highest sense the apostle: “Turn away evil, cleave to good” (Rom. 12:9). He who interacts with the saints is sanctified. In the same way, one should avoid listening to shameful talk, stories and shows. And we must protect ourselves even more completely from indecent actions, whether this be in leaving some parts of the body uncovered and exposing them, or when looking at such hidden parts. The noble son did not bear indecently the nakedness of the righteous man (Gen. 9:23); morality covered what was revealed by intoxication (a clear example for everyone of how you can fall without your consciousness). We must guard ourselves no less jealously from the adhesion of unseemly speech to us from the outside; the hearing of believers in Christ must be protected from this too. It seems to me that it was in this sense that the Teacher forbade us to listen to anything obscene, protecting us from greater licentiousness. It’s always an excellent thing to tear out the very roots of sin, for example, fornication through the prohibition of desire itself. It is therefore surprising, elders, how the Teacher fights against our vices and how He cares about eliminating them. The commandment: “Thou shalt not commit adultery” (Ex. 20:14, 17) He warns and strengthens through this: “Thou shalt not covet” (Matthew 4:28), for adultery is the fruit of desire, this unprofitable root. In accordance with this, the Teacher prohibits licentiousness in maintaining our mutual communication and through simple conversation; With this prohibition He creates, as it were, a clearing between communication with the good and communication with unbridledness. To be illegible in words means to harbor a tendency to violate decency in deeds; to observe wise restraint in expressions means strengthening oneself against desires. Below we show in more detail that neither in the words with which moral shame is evoked in us for certain organs, nor in these parts of the body themselves, nor in the sexual combination of a marriage couple, which is all denoted through expressions that are not used in the least and are not vulgarized, there is nothing that would mean indecent in the proper sense. The knee, calves (calf muscle) and similar members do not represent anything indecent either by their names or by their activity; The sexual parts of a person are an object of shame, not disgrace. Only illegal implementation is obscene, worthy of shame and disgrace, and therefore worthy of punishment; because only sin and its deeds are truly obscene. Accordingly, by indecent speech in the proper sense one can understand speaking only about sinful things, for example, about fornication, pederasty, etc. However, idle chatter must also be avoided. “When you talk too much,” it is said, “sin cannot be avoided” (Prov. 10:19). The unbridled language itself attracts punishment because “someone remains silent and turns out to be wise; and some are hated because of much talkativeness” (Sir. 20:5). Yes, an idle talker can even be hated by himself: “He who talks a lot becomes disgusted” (Sir. 20:8). Chapter 7. About decent behavior during feasts and in society We must be distant, very distant, even in order to mock someone. Mockery is the beginning of unbridled behavior: from it, like boils, quarrels, fights and enmity arise. We have already called unbridledness a companion to drunkenness. A person is judged not only by his deeds, but also by his speech (Matthew 12:37). “At a feast,” says Scripture, “for wine,” do not reproach your neighbor and do not speak insulting words to him” (Sir. 31:36–37). Because if we should most of all have fellowship with the saints, then we mock the saints, and this is a sin. “From the mouth of a fool,” says Scripture, “a disorderly tongue sticks out like a stake” (Prov. 14:3). The tongue is called a stake here as a tool that helps to detect disorder; with the help of a tongue, like a stake, leaning on it, the disorderliness of an unbridled person steps over the gap separating you from him and then pours out on you. Therefore, I highly honor the apostle, who advises not to let words “joking and generally obscene” come out of your mouth (Eph. 5:4). If feast gatherings are held in the spirit of Christian love and if the purpose of our fraternization over the cup is to testify to friendship; If eating and drinking should be accompanied by love, then why shouldn’t we practice prudence in dealing with each other, and then talk to each other lovingly? If we come together to increase our mutual goodwill, then why, by allowing ridicule, should we separate ourselves from each other and inflate hatred towards each other? It is wiser to remain silent than to contradict and reproach someone for sin, bringing him to the consciousness of “sin” by sin. Truly “blessed is the man who did not sin with his lips and was not wounded by the sorrow of sin” (Sir. 14:1): either he repents of the sins of his word, or he immediately explains that he did not mean to offend anyone with his word. In particular, young men and maidens should not appear at such (dubious) feasts, so as not to be involved in any indecency here. Because listening to unusual things, contemplating obscene sights disturbs the feeling, and, moreover, at an age when faith still wavers, and the frivolity of age contributes to an easy deviation towards the satisfaction of desires. Sometimes young people become the cause of fall for others, flaunting salvation for themselves, the inspiring and in need of protection, the color of their youthful beauty. Therefore, the Book of Wisdom very aptly teaches: “Do not sit with a married woman and do not stay with her at a feast drinking wine” (Sir. 9:10), that is, do not stay too long with her at feasts, do not eat food with her. Therefore, the wise one adds: “And lest your soul incline towards her, lest I creep towards destruction” (Sir. 9:11). This is a dangerous thing - free access to wine: the flower of innocence may be blown away here. The Wise One speaks about a married woman, because with the marriage bond there is a great danger of breaking it. If some extreme necessity requires the wives to participate in the feast, then they should appear at them well wrapped in their clothes, and inside - in modesty. For girls to appear at men's feasts, especially when they drink, is extremely reprehensible. Having entered the feast hall, the men must recline in their places, motionless, leaning on their elbows, with their eyes fixed on the pillow, while maintaining silence and only listening to what is happening with their ears. If the treat is to be offered to guests in a sitting position, then they should not move their legs, place them one on top of the other, or rest their chin on their hand. It is no good to be a burden to yourself; It’s obscene even for a young man; in addition, constant change of position reveals the unreasonableness of a person. Modesty and decency in eating and drinking manifest themselves by the fact that the abstinent husband takes both food and drink for the less refined, takes it slowly, showing neither haste nor greed, and this both at the beginning and during the intermediate pauses of dinner; he ends earlier and does not reveal any strange inclinations towards anything in his manners. “Eat,” says the wise one, “like a man, what is offered to you, and without being satiated. Stop eating first out of politeness. And if you sit in the midst of many, do not stretch out your hand before them.” (Sir. 31:18–20). Therefore, you should not stand out from other guests with your greed, giving free rein to it. You should not leave your hands stretched out to the dish for too long: you can reveal your intemperance through this slowdown. During lunch breaks, you should not greedily swallow what is offered, looking like some kind of animal. You should not eat too much meat: man is not a carnivore, but a bread-eating creature by nature. To rise from the table before many others and politely leave the feast, this reveals good manners in a person. “Get up on time,” they say, and don’t “be the last; hurry home." (Sir. 32:13). The twelve apostles, having gathered the entire community of disciples, said: “It is not good for us, leaving the word of God, to worry about the tables” (Acts 6:2). But, avoiding this, they were even more careful about polyeating. The same apostles wrote to the brothers in Antioch, Syria and Cilicia: “It pleases the Holy Spirit and us not to place any more burden on you, except this necessary: ​​you will abstain from things sacrificed to idols and blood, and things strangled, and fornication. If you observe these things, you will do well” (Acts 13:23, 28, 29). But drunkenness should be avoided no less than hemlock; both are deadly poisons. Likewise, one must refrain from bursts of laughter, as well as from untimely tears. It often happens that drunk people laugh loudly at first, and then, under the influence of wine, fall to tears. Reason prohibits both: unbridled feeling and feeble feeling. As for those elders who treat young people as their sons, sometimes, occasionally, they can joke with them slightly, jokingly addressing them with something that encourages their decency. So, for example, they can politely and affectionately address something like this to a shy and quiet young man: “You, my child, have become terribly noisy just now.” With such a playful address to him, the young man’s modesty only increases. With this kind of soft, playful speech, through the censure of bad qualities in a young man that do not exist in him, his good qualities are only pleasantly exalted. This kind of jokes represent that pedagogical forethought, which, through the censure of the non-existent (bad), addressed to the person (good), only strengthens. In the same sense, and with the same good Purpose, about a person who is always sober, who does not take anything into his mouth except water, one can say that he is too fond of wine and gets very drunk. If they find themselves in the same company with us by profession, the Zuboskals, then we should not pay attention to their speech, refraining from useless words no less than from cups overflowing with wine. Such mockery is slippery and dangerous fun. “The lips of the foolish are near destruction” (Proverbs 10:14). “Do not listen to vain words and do not associate with a wicked person, lest you become a witness of untruth” (Prov. 24:28; Exod. 23:1), whether it consists of slander or defamation of a neighbor’s honor, or insidious and base deceit. But even modest people, for whom it is especially fitting to carry on a conversation, it seems to me, should restrain their voice within certain limits. “Silence is a virtue for women and a safe and honorable quality for young men,” but sound speech is characteristic of a wise age. “Lead the conversation, eldest, for it is fitting for you, with thorough knowledge. Speak, young man,” which means the wise one allows you to do so, “if you need, barely two words when you are asked. Speak the main thing, a lot in a few words” (Sir. 32:4, 5.9-11). But both interlocutors must restrain their voice within certain limits. Raising your voice when speaking is a kind of madness. But to speak very quietly, so that the person sitting next to you does not hear, is reckless; he cannot be understood. One serves as an expression of ignoble feelings, the other – conceited. We should not allow ourselves, in the heat of argument, to reach the point of quarrelsomeness for the sake of the vain desire to win. Our goal is not to create noise and confusion, but to establish peace of mind. This is what the apostle wants to achieve with his word: “Peace be with you” (3 John 1:13). Before you have heard something, do not answer. Speak clearly. Speaking in a languid and weak voice represents a certain type of effeminacy; the husband is wise and observes the right measure in his voice; When speaking, he does not allow himself to be loud, prolix, hasty, or polyphonic; you should speak briefly, a little, not chatter, not maintain a conversation hastily and as if leaning over your interlocutor; in the voice itself there should be observed, so to speak, a certain consistency with the law. Insolent talkers and loudmouths have their share of stopping their mouths. And the clever Odysseus gave Thersites kicks and blows, because He alone croaked immeasurably among the silent ones, For he hovered in his heart many impudent, disorderly speeches, Indecent things, allowing yourself crazy _("Iliad", II, 212 ff.) “The end of a man at the words of a fool is always terrible” (Sir. 9:23). With chatterboxes, like old shoes, the rest is usually already stuffed, rubbed in and worn out; only the tongue, dangling like a worn-out sole, remains, still wasting harm and evil. Therefore, the book of Wisdom, which is so important for practical life, reminds of this: “Before a meeting of elders, do not talk too much” (Sir. 7:14). And in order to root out the passion for talkativeness from us, she begins with God and commands us to observe moderation in our speeches with the following words: “Do not repeat the same words in your prayer” (Sir. 7:10). Whistling, caressing with your tongue, smacking your lips, snapping your fingers - all the signals given to the servants by these actions - means clearly revealing a lack of intelligence in oneself; Therefore, they are unworthy of people who look at things more subtly. When drinking at feasts, one should not constantly spit, and cough with annoyance, and quack, and blow one’s nose. One should be especially careful that all these manifestations of insufficient self-control arouse disgust and disgust in one’s interlocutors. The banquet room is not a stall, which also serves as a place for oxen and donkeys to defecate, but where there is a manger for them. Many people spit and blow their nose while eating. If someone wants to accidentally sneeze or suddenly burst out, then they should do it as quietly as possible, without disturbing the neighbors; the opposite would be a sign of bad manners. The belching should be carefully held back by breathing, squeezing the lips decently, and not stretching them and not opening the mouth as in tragic brands. And when sneezing, noise should be avoided by slightly squeezing the nostrils; This is the most decent way to contain and regulate the dangerous outflow of air; mucus (snot) should be hidden if sneezing leads to its eruption. But it serves as an expression of disrespect and outrage if someone else amplifies these sounds rather than suppresses them. Those who pick their teeth and loosen their gums until they bleed, torture themselves and become disgusting to their neighbors. To tickle the ears and irritate the nostrils (by sniffing tobacco?), this means to have a tendency to swinish sensations associated with intemperance brought to the point of unbridledness. You should avoid all things that hurt the eye, as well as naming them dirty. Our gaze should be serious, our neck turns sedate, every movement calm, our hand gestures confident when speaking. In general, sedateness, calmness, meekness and peace should be the characteristic features of a Christian. Chapter 8. On the use of perfumes, lipsticks and wreaths The use of wreaths and perfumes should not be necessary for us; from the path of the right it can deviate towards the path of lust and frivolity, especially in the vicinity of the night. I know that a certain woman, coming to the sacred supper with an alabaster vessel of fragrant oil, poured it on the Savior’s feet, bringing joy to Him (Matthew 26:7; Mark 14:3; Luke 7:37). I also know that the ancient kings of the Jews put a diadem of gold and precious stones on their heads; but that wife did not yet have a part in the Logos, for she was a sinner. With what, in her opinion, she had the most beautiful and precious thing - fragrant myrrh - she honored the Lord. Therefore, for her, who shed tears of repentance before the Lord, it was natural to wipe away the excess of the world with the beauty of her body, with her hair; therefore her many sins were forgiven (Luke 7:47). This story could be a symbol of both the teachings of the Lord and His suffering. The feet drenched in fragrant myrrh covertly signify the Divine teaching, which has filled the entire earth with increasing power with its glory, even to its borders. Because even “their words reach the ends of the world” (Ps. 18:5). And if I can take responsibility for the boldness of this interpretation, then the feet of the Savior anointed with fragrant myrrh are the apostles, who, according to prophecy, were also capable of producing a fragrance, for (subsequently) they were anointed with the Holy Spirit. Flowing around the universe and proclaiming the Gospel, the apostles, allegorically speaking, were in a sense the feet of the Lord. About them, through the Psalmist, the Holy Spirit foretold: “Let us worship in the place where His feet stood,” that is, where His feet were, understand the apostles. In their preaching the Lord reached the ends of the earth. By tears must be understood repentance and conversion (of the pagans). Loose hair signifies renunciation of the vain passion for external adornment of oneself and with the preaching came into the world an unusually enduring enduring persecution in the name of the Lord through invincible patience, after removing and extinguishing with a new faith this ancient passion for vain glory. This story also foreshadowed the suffering of the Lord. Oil must be understood in a mysterious sense; it is the Lord himself, through whom we are shown Divine mercy; the ointment, which is also oil, but in an artificial and counterfeit form, is Judas the traitor; The feet of the Lord were anointed with this world, because He finished with the conversion in this world and bodies that are already dead are exposed to the anointing of the world. These tears are us, repentant sinners, believers in Him, whose sins He forgives. Loose hair signifies the mourning, abandoned Jerusalem, about which the prophets shed so many tears (cf. Lamentations 1:2). The Lord Himself tells us that Judas is a lying man. “He who dipped his hand into the dish with Me,” He says, “he will betray me” (Matthew 26:23; cf. Mark 14:20). Here you see a deceitful table companion; and this same Judas betrayed the Teacher with a kiss. This hypocrite, with his treacherous kiss, was a double of another, more ancient flatterer, a representative of that people about whom it is said: “This people honors Me with their tongue, but their heart is far from Me” (Is. 29:13). It is incredible, therefore, that the oil alludes to Judas, who, as a disciple, was allowed to benefit from the mercy of the Lord, but was at the same time counterfeit because he was a traitor. This, therefore, is what was predicted by the anointing of the Lord’s feet; It meant to them the betrayal of the Lord by Judas going to his death. And the Savior himself, through the washing of his feet, mysteriously invited his disciples to glorious activity, symbolically through this sending them to their apostolic labors, by which during their travels they became benefactors of the peoples; calling students to this activity. The Lord previously cleansed the nations and washed them with His saving grace. Their myrrh was fragrant, and the work of their fragrance (the whole universe through their aromatic preaching about Christ), which penetrated everywhere, is glorified everywhere. For the sufferings of the Lord poured out fragrance on us, but burdened the Jews with sin and guilt. The Apostle teaches this very clearly in the words: “Thanks be to God, who always allows us to triumph in Christ and spreads the fragrance of the knowledge of Himself to us in every place. For we are the aroma of Christ to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing: to some a savor of death unto death, but to others a savor of life unto life (2 Cor. 2:14-16). The kings of the Jews, whose crown was made of gold and was decorated with various inlays made of precious stones, they, being anointed (χριστοι), without knowing it, symbolically represented the Eternal Kingdom of Christ with their head decoration. Because every precious stone, whether it be pearl or emerald, symbolically hints at the Logos itself. Gold especially signifies the same unchangeable immortal Logos, for gold is not susceptible to rust. That is why the wise men and women presented gold to Him as a symbol of His eternal kingdom. So, this wreath on Christ is golden, that is, incorruptible; and it was given to Christ as Lord; on Him its shine is unchanging, while (on us) the flower crowns fade. I know very well the saying of Aristippus of Kireva, who led a luxurious and dissolute life. He owns this kind of sophism: “If a horse is sprinkled with perfume, none of its equine properties will be weakened; in the same way, a pomaded dog will not lose any of its canine virtues: in the same way, he continues, a person.” But the horse and the dog have no idea about perfumes, and the more intelligent a person is, the more worthy of blame he is for this use of perfumes, which is common only among women. There are countless varieties of these perfumes. There are Brenfian spirits, there are Megallian spirits, there are royal spirits, Plangonian spirits, there is an Egyptian psagda, Simonides does not hesitate to talk about them in iambics: I sprinkled myself with oils and perfumes, and Bakhar. And if a seller comes, then they take from him the incense obtained from the lilies, and perfume, oil and lipstick from the cypra flower; In their glory they have spikenard and rose myrrh, and others, used by women either in liquid form, sometimes in dry form, sometimes in the form of drops for spraying, sometimes in the form of powder for fumigation. Something new is being invented (in this area) every day to satisfy this insatiable passion to surround oneself with an endless variety of fragrances. As a result of feeding this passion for beauty in this sphere of smells, a passion in its development, however, not at all beautiful, people who serve it amaze the sense of smell of others with the fragrance spread from themselves. Women fumigate and spray their clothes, beds, and strangle them in their rooms; Among this aromatic atmosphere, even the chamber pots are almost necessarily saturated with the same incense. Therefore, it seems to me, those who do well are those who, in anger at the masculinity of feelings that destroy such luxury and this passion for perfume, expel the preparers of these incense and their traders, as well as the dyers of wool, from a well-ordered society. It is not in the order of things that in a city where people live with purity of thought and behavior, there should also be corruption of morals, revealed in the tint of clothes and the use of lipsticks and perfumes. Our men should smell not of lipsticks or perfumes, but of virtue. A woman should smell like Christ, this truly royal world, and not give off the scent of lipsticks and perfumes; She must constantly be anointed with the aromatic world of modesty, finding her joy in the sacred world, in the Holy Spirit. The Lord gives this fragrant ointment to people who fulfill His commandments, composing it from heavenly aromas. The Lord himself is anointed with this oil, as David proclaims about Him: “Therefore, God, Your God, has anointed You with the oil of joy more than Your fellows; All Your garments are like myrrh and scarlet and cassia” (Ps. 44:8–9). However, we do not feed like kites and dung beetles - the latter, they say, if you anoint them, for example, with rose oil, they will die - they have an aversion to fragrant oils. Some of these incense, which do not fog the head of men, can be used by women; only excessively spraying oneself with perfume is a custom that is more reminiscent of the embalming of the buried dead than of the wedding life. For bees and insects, oil is generally an unpleasant material; Some of its types serve people well; There are also types of fragrant oils, anointing with which makes people pugnacious; The use of such oils leads to serious fist fights with former friends. But perhaps you don’t believe that fragrant oil, with its softening effect, can make a man’s character effeminate? Without a doubt. Just as in pleasures received through the sense of taste, we advised caution, in the same way we prohibit pleasures mediated by the senses of sight and smell, so that through them, unnoticed by ourselves, as if through some unlocked door, we do not open the sensuality of access to the soul, which we must avoid. (If now someone would like to contrast this with the fact that the great high priest, the Lord, offered God a fragrant sacrifice of incense (Ex. 30:7), then we answer him that by it we do not mean an actual sacrifice and sacred incense, but it must be understood in such a way that the Lord lays on the altar the gift of love (his body), a sacrifice of spiritual fragrance.) Therefore, simple oil is sufficient: to anoint the surface of the skin so that impart flexibility to the muscles in order to drown out some unscented fumes from the body, in case anyone would like to use oil to achieve such goals; more abundant use of incense is a passion for frivolity that excites sensual desires. A person incapable of self-control is attracted by everything: food, bed, conversation, what is presented by sight and hearing, and what ascends on the jaw, but also what is smelled by the nostrils. Just as bulls are attracted by rings and ropes, so the intemperate is attracted by perfumes, lipsticks and wreaths that spread the scent around them. But since we do not give any place in our lives to voluptuousness, which is not connected with any vital need that must be truly satisfied, we will part with perfumes and in this area we will stick to only what is necessary. Because among the aromas there are some that do not cloud the head, do not awaken sensual desires, which do not evoke unchaste connections,” and by their distribution do not give us any reason to suspect the existence of licentious morals here. Such aromas, when consumed in moderation, promote health, restore nutrition to the diseased brain, and strengthen the stomach. Therefore, it would be unfounded to advise that anyone who would like to strengthen their nerves through this should completely abstain from using incense; You should not completely renounce their use, but you should use fragrant oils only as medicines and means that help refresh weakened strength, for example, against catarrh, against fainting, against malaise. Accordingly, the comedian says in one place: “He smears his hands with essences; true health would consist in streams of healing incense flowing from the brain.” And rubbing the feet with fats of warming and refreshing oils due to the benefits that arise from this may be permissible, because in people who are full of themselves, the juices are thereby diverted from the head and removed to the less noble parts of the body. Pleasure alone, not accompanied by such benefit, gives reason to suspect the existence of licentiousness of character and is a means to arouse sensual desires. There is a great difference between drowning in incense or simply rubbing and smearing yourself with it; the first represents a kind of effeminacy, while simply anointing oneself with some fragrant oil is sometimes useful. The philosopher Aristippus, who had the need to rub himself with fragrant ointments and ointments, therefore says: “Let those despicable people (kinedi) perish with a cruel death, who disgraced such a beneficial use of fragrant oils and ointments.” Therefore, Scripture says: “Honor the physician according to the need for him; for the Lord created it, and healing is from the Most High” (Sir. 37:1). Then it continues: “He who prepares the medicine makes a mixture out of it” (Sir. 38:8), precisely because fragrant oils are given to be used for good, and not to incite lust. Therefore, it is not for this purpose that one should resort to incense, but to derive benefit from them, for the production of oils (herbs, fruits, etc.) is allowed by God to soften people’s labors. Foolish wives, tinting their gray hair and applying pomade to their heads, turn gray even more quickly from the use of these perfumes, which have something drying in them. Therefore, those who smear themselves with them become thinner. It is this property of perfumery that entails graying. Whether it is caused solely by dryness or lack of heat (external and air), it makes no difference; The fact is that dryness absorbs the moisture necessary for the hair (but does not produce new moisture) and the result is graying. Is it possible after this that those who are afraid of graying will love lipsticks that actually contribute to graying? Just as dogs, who track everything with their sense of smell, are guided by their sense of smell to tracks and game, so sensible and temperate people guess about the licentiousness of some people by the extraordinary smell emitted by the lipsticks and perfumes they use. A custom of the same kind, that is, characterized by unbridledness, is the decoration of oneself during noisy drinking bouts and with wreaths of flowers. As a custom leading to bad consequences, it must be abandoned by us. “Do not place a wreath on my head. It's spring time outside. It’s wonderful to walk through meadows sprinkled with dew, dotted with thousands of delicate, varied, newly blooming flowers,” inhaling into yourself, like bees, their unspoiled (by foreign impurities), without the participation of human art, the fragrance emitted by their very being. But it’s funny to walk around the house in a funny wreath, “woven from real meadow flowers.” This does not suit a sensible person who observes modesty and decency in his behavior. Is it really in the order of things when having fun to cover one’s flowing hair with roses, violets and lilies and thousands of other flowers and fresh herbs, depriving the meadow of decoration that grew all this? In addition, a wreath placed on the hair, with its coolness and humidity, cools the head to its detriment. Therefore, doctors, as soon as they notice that the brain has become too cold (caused by a runny nose), advise smearing the chest and bridge of the nose with fragrant oil, so that these warming fragrances, gradually penetrating into the brain, can produce saving warmth in it. It’s strange and not safe to cool your head with wreaths after that. Moreover, those who crown themselves with the flowers and beauty of their kingdom have no opportunity to enjoy. Having put the wreath above the eyes, they do not see its lovely appearance. But they do not enjoy the pleasant smell of flowers either, placing them above the organ of this sense. The aroma, by its very nature, rushes upward and dissipates overhead; As a result, the sense of smell is deprived of pleasure, the nose does not smell the flowers and their fragrance disappears. Just as bodily beauty delights us only when we just look at it, so does a flower. Enchanted by the contemplation of beauty, we must glorify the Creator; further enjoyment of this beauty - through approaching it, touching and using it - is already harmful and, quickly passing by, avenges itself with repentance. The short-term nature of pleasure in both the beauty of a flower and human beauty through contact is immediately revealed. Both fade when touched - both the flower and the beauty: one - due to the cooling it produces, the other - due to the excitement and ignition resulting from it. Briefly: the enjoyment of these things, going beyond the limits of contemplation, is already disorder, and not just pleasure. We should enjoy as it was customary to enjoy in paradise: not allowing desires and passions into the soul. It is necessary that when enjoying pleasures we remain (to the point) obedient to Scripture. The wreath for the wife should be the husband, and the wreath for the husband should be marriage; the flowers of marriage are the children of both; these from the meadows of flesh are reaped by the Divine Farmer. “The crown of old men is the sons of their sons, and the glory of children is their parents,” says Scripture (Prov. 17:6). For us, the crown is the Father of the universe, and the crown of the whole church is Christ. But both roots and herbs, and flowers have their own special properties, some useful, some harmful. For example, ivy cools, nut develops a smell that has a stupefying effect on the head, as the very origin of this word shows; narcissus is also a flower with a heavy, dulling odor; His very name speaks about this again; it “paralyzes” the nerves. The smell of roses and violets, if used moderately to refresh oneself, calms and soothes headaches. However, this is necessary for us, because we do not drink until we are drunk and generally do not allow ourselves to drink a lot of wine. Crocus and cyprus flowers induce a calm and healing sleep that extends to the oblivion of all sorrows. Many flowers impart warmth to the naturally cold brain with their scent, dissolving the head juices. The rose is so called because it releases the entire flow of its aroma, which is why it fades faster. Among the ancient Hellenes we do not find the use of wreaths; neither Penelope's suitors (("Odyssey", XX, XXII)), nor the Phaeacians, who led a pampered life, wore them. During competitions, at first the athletes were given gifts; then clapping became fashionable; in the third era - throwing leaves; and only in the fourth era, when Hellas became more voluptuous after the Persian Wars, did the wreath come into use. Pets of Logos are therefore not allowed to use wreaths. They are of the opinion that the mind, the seat of which is in the brain, should not be fettered with some kind of wreaths; and the yoke because the wreath serves as a symbol of a noisy drinking party, and besides, it is dedicated to idols. So the narcissus is called by Sophocles “the ancient crown of the great gods”; he means by us the gods of the underground. Sappho places a wreath of roses on the muses; “You don’t wear a wreath of Pierian roses.” Lily, they say, was the favorite flower of Hera, myrtle - Artemis. But if flowers, even they in particular, were created for people, and then foolish people, instead of using them gratefully within the limits of their true purpose, began to abuse them for the ungodly retribution of honors to demons through them, then “the obligation falls on your conscience” to “refrain” from using them (1 Cor. 10:28). – Further, the wreath is a symbol of inviolable peace; That’s why they honor the dead by laying wreaths; the same meaning has the laying of wreaths on idols, through which the crowners actually testify that the idols belong to the kingdom of the dead. The servants of Bacchus celebrate their orgies in no other way than in wreaths; having placed them on themselves, they become inflamed to the extreme. Therefore, we should not at all maintain communication with demons through the use of wreaths (1 Cor. 10:20), nor should we crown the living image of God, as if it were a dead idol. For those who live well, a beautiful wreath of amaranths (unfading flowers) is ready. But this flower does not grow on the ground; he is a plant exclusively of heaven. - In addition, it would be unfair on our part to crown ourselves with flowers when we know that a crown of thorns was placed on the Lord (Matthew 27:29; John 19:2): this would be a kind of mockery of the highly sacred sufferings of the Lord. The Lord's crown of thorns prophetically pointed to us, who were once barren, but now through the Church, of which He is the head, are curled around Him. But the same crown of thorns of the Lord is an image of faith; it denotes the life that is organically characteristic of us, just as organic life is characteristic of the substance of a tree; and that this life is represented by a tree wreath, this signifies the joy of this life; the dangers that threaten her are foreshadowed by thorns: after all, it is not without blood that one can begin to approach the Logos. As soon as the flowers are woven into a wreath, they fade: in the same way, the weave of stupidity is immediately dissolved and its color dries up, for the glory of those who do not believe in the Lord dries up. By laying a wreath on Jesus raised on the cross, the crucifiers testified to their own stupidity. Hard-hearted, they had no presentiment that this was a significant prophecy, which they nevertheless called a disgrace to the Lord. “This people did not know the Lord” (Isa. 1:3), a people who are in error; he is not circumcised in his mind; its darkness is not illuminated; he does not know God; he denied the Lord; he denied the calling of True Israel; he persecuted God; he calculated to bring the Logos to shame and, like a king, crowned Him whom he crucified as a criminal; Therefore, in Him, in Whom they did not believe when He lived in human form, they will recognize the humane and righteous God; It was about Him whom they forbade to confess that He was God, it was about Him, when He was raised from the earth, through an evergreen thorn branch curled around His forehead as a diadem of righteousness, that they testified that His name was exalted above all (Phil. 2:9). This diadem of thorns is the enemy of those who built an ambush, and restrains their attacks, and for those who belong to the church, it serves as a friendly defense and surrounds them with a kind of fence. For those who believe in the Transfigured One, His crown of thorns is a crown of flowers; He wounds and warns those who do not believe in Him. He is a symbol of the saving work of the Lord, because on his head, on this most important part of the body. The Lord accepted all our sins, the excruciating pain they inflict on us with their needles. For after freeing us through His suffering from temptations and sins and all these thorns and, after defeating the devil, shouting in triumph, He had the right to cry: “Death, where is your sting”? (1 Cor. 15:53) We gather grapes from thorns and figs from thistles; and they, to whom He “stretched out His hands” (Rom. 10:21), an unbelieving people and not bearing fruit, pricked themselves with these thorns until they bled. I could tell you another mysterious interpretation (of this crown of thorns). When the omnipotent Lord of the universe undertook the publication of the law through the Logos and wanted to demonstrate his power before Moses, a Divine vision appeared to him in the form of light in a burning thorn bush; The thorn bush is a thorny plant; but even when the legislation came to an end and Christ departed from the earth, in a mysterious way He was again crowned with thorns. Returning from here to where he came from, He finished his work with the original form of his ancient condescension. The first time the Logos wanted to appear in a thorn bush; but He also wanted to be taken from the earth in the same crown of thorns, thereby showing that all this is the work of one and the same Divine omnipotence, that He is the one Son of the one Father, the beginning and the end of world time. But here I have deviated from morality into dogmatics; I return again to our subject. So, we have shown that as a kind of medicine, as a means of promoting health, and sometimes for pleasure, but moderate pleasure, the joyful enjoyment of flowers, whether in the form of useful ointments and oils or in the form of incense, cannot be prohibited. But if some ask: “What is the use of flowers if you don’t make any use out of them (wreaths),” then let them know that oils are prepared from them and, moreover, very useful ones, for example, lily oil from two genera of lilies: it warms, promotes cleansing, knits, moisturizes, anoints, is very volatile, stimulates bile, softens; narcissus oil has similar beneficial properties; world oil calms and concentrates gases in the body; rose oil cools; briefly: in this area too, everything has been created for our benefit. “Hear Me, ye godly children,” it says, “and grow like a rose growing in a field by a stream; give off a fragrance like Lebanon; bless the Lord in all your affairs” (Sir. 39:16–17, 19). And we could talk about this subject for a long time, how flowers and incense as an item of need do not constitute excessive luxury. But so be it, let us be allowed something in this area; Still, the simple enjoyment of the floral scent is enough for us; In any case, we must abandon the use of wreaths. The Heavenly Father cares for people in a variety of ways and only to man, the only one of His creations, He says: “all this serves for the benefit of the pious: water, fire, iron, salt, wheat flour,” “honey,” “milk, grape juice, oil and clothing” (Sir. 39:32–33). Moving on then to talk about how we should follow the Commandments, which recommend observing wise moderation in everything, and applying sleep to sleep, we must note the following regarding this. After dinner, we should thank God for the pleasures given to us during the day and for the entire conduct of the day; then even in a dream we should not part with the Logos (mind). Luxurious bed linen, gold woven bedspreads for pillows, blankets embroidered with gold and other types of variegated embroidery with wool trimmed on one side, purple robes and expensive (made from small fur-bearing animals) sleeping capes, purple covers and curtains of the poet, (soft) woolen (curly on top) epanches, beds softer and more pleasant than the dream itself, we must leave all this behind. Not to mention the fact that such luxury brings on those devoted to it the censure of shameful effeminacy; sleeping on woolly down jackets is harmful. The body in these soft beds seems to sink into an abyss and seems to be buried. It is absolutely impossible to turn from one side to the other and turn around if these soft down jackets, like some kind of walls, rise on both sides of the body. The intense warmth of these down jackets does not allow food to be digested; under its influence, this, so to speak, burns out, and this has a harmful effect on the body’s nutrition. Sleeping on flat beds, which for a sleeping person is, so to speak, a natural field for exercising one’s strength (sleep gymnasium), promotes digestion. For those who have the opportunity to lie freely on such beds - even during sleep, a natural place for the development of the body - thereby facilitate their digestion, are healthier, stronger, retain greater flexibility and dexterity of their members and, therefore, are better prepared for the labors of the next day. Further, sleeping beds with silver legs serve only as proof of Great arrogance; It is also indecent for saints to sleep on beds lined with ivory obtained from a corpse. This kind of art is something vain and is applied senselessly to sleeping beds, because it has nothing to do with sleep. Therefore, one should not have any special love for such things, nor should one fussily strive to possess them; those who have them are, of course, not prohibited from using them, but enthusiasm for them must undoubtedly be curbed; happiness does not lie in such things. But it is equally cynical boasting and sleep on animal skins right on the ground, as Diomedes did. Under which was the skin of a field ox, stretched out. This should be done only when circumstances and extreme necessity force it. Odysseus placed a stone under his wedding bed, which was crooked on one side: people were so active and household utensils were originally so simple; and this is not only among private and ordinary people, but also among high-ranking people, for example, among the leaders and kings of Greek antiquity. But why should we turn to it for examples? Patriarch Jacob slept on bare ground and had a stone under his head instead of a pillow; and this did not prevent him in precisely this situation. to be granted supernatural vision. And therefore, for us, who arrange our lives in accordance with the teachings of the Logos (reason), the sleeping bed should be modest and simple, but decent; it must be consistent with the simplicity of our morals; on it, our body should be protected from heat during the summer, and from the cold in winter. Our beds should not have any decorations, and their legs should be simple and smooth; skillful carvings and turnings on them often serve as paths and shelters for nasty insects; These crawl in the recesses of the decorations without falling out, and the human hand cannot suddenly find their hiding places and destroy them there. A soft bed especially does not agree with the noble masculinity of a person. Sleep should not have a relaxing effect on the body, but serve only as a rest for vital forces; Therefore, one should give oneself to it not out of addiction to carefree laziness, but to calm down from work - in order to prepare oneself with sleep for new movement and work. Therefore, one should sleep so that it is easy to wake up. “Let your loins be girded,” it says, “and let your lamps burn; and you be like people who wait for their master to return from marriage, so that when he comes and knocks, you will immediately open the door to him. Blessed are those servants whom the master, when he comes, finds watching” (Luke 12:35–37). A sleeping person is incapable of anything; he is silent as death. Therefore, we must often get out of bed at night and glorify God. Blessed are those who watch in the name of God: they are like those of the angels whom we call Watchers. A sleeping person, therefore, brings no benefit to anyone and has no more value than a lifeless person. But a Christian, who carries the light within himself, stays awake even in the darkness of the night, when everyone is sleeping; “and the darkness did not overcome him” (John 1:5), and hence the dream precisely because the darkness does not extend its power to him; enlightened by God, he is awake; He alone lives true life. For “in Him was life” (John 1:4). “Blessed are those,” says the wise one, “who keep my ways” (Proverbs 8:32). “Blessed is the man who listens to me, watching daily at my gates and standing guard at my doors” (Prov. 8:34). “Let us not sleep like others, but let us stay awake,” says Scripture, “and be sober. For those who sleep sleep at night, and those who get drunk get drunk at night” (i.e. in the darkness of ignorance). “Let us, being sons of the day, be sober” (1 Thess. 5:6–8). So “we are not the sons of the night nor of darkness” (1 Thess. 5:5). He who cares about true life and sober thoughts stays awake as long as possible and indulges in sleep only to the extent necessary for bodily health; but such sleep requires little time if you properly accustom yourself to it. Habit makes wakefulness easier, and it develops from constant devotion to work. You should not burden yourself with food to the point of satiety; we should not burden ourselves with food when going to sleep, so that food does not hinder us, like a weight hung on a swimmer and hindering his swimming through the waves; but you should go to bed with a light stomach, so as to harm yourself as little as possible; sobriety lifts us from sleep, as if from some deep abyss, brings us to the surface of wakefulness, raising us at the hour appointed for awakening. Sleep, depriving us of the opportunity to use our senses and plunging us into the depths of self-forgetfulness, is the brother of death; lowering our eyelids over our eyes, he does not allow light to penetrate them; but, being sons of the true light, we should not voluntarily push it away from ourselves, thereby depriving ourselves of the pleasure of being illuminated by its rays; we must internally address the topic, opening the eyes of our damaged spiritual person to its influence, contemplating the very sun of truth and truth, perceiving in ourselves the lightness of its rays, with a clear consciousness removing from that truth the veil of dreamy, sleepy images. The heaviness that follows revelry, yawning, belching if someone has drunk wine, heavy breathing if someone has burdened themselves with food, snoring into the bed, the grumbling of an overfilled belly - all this clouds the bright spiritual eye and fills the imagination with a thousand empty phantoms tormenting it. The reason for this is that one is overly burdened with food, which causes the mind to become insensitive and unconscious. Long-term sleep does not benefit the body or the soul; and in general we disagree with behavior imbued with a holy way of thinking and disposition, although it does not contradict the nature of the body. Righteous Lot - I turn to the interpretation of the matter of dispensation - would not have been brought to illegal embraces if he had not been drunk with his daughters and if, overpowered by wine, he had not fallen into a long and deep sleep. If we put aside the causes of extreme sleep, then we will sleep less; for the household of the Logos, constantly awake, it is indecent to sleep the whole night, one must get up at night, especially if the days become shorter: one - to study; the other - to engage in crafts; wives to sit down to sewing; We all must, so to speak, fight sleep; through habit, we can gradually reach the point where even more than half of our life is added by taking away time from sleep, which can be spent in the waking state. The dream is, after all, like a tax farmer; he divides our life into two halves, giving one to us and keeping the other for himself. Therefore, we should be far from allowing ourselves to sleep during the day, if we already spend most of the night in a waking state. Dozing, nodding, stretching, and yawning are states of mental relaxation. Sleep does not constitute any necessary need for the soul; it is perpetum mobile; only the body needs it, which, indulging in peace, falls into inactivity; During this time, the soul, ceasing to act on the body, withdraws into itself. This is where prophetic dreams arise, if they are discussed correctly - wonderful combinations of thoughts, because in sleep sobriety is characteristic of the soul; During this time she is not enslaved by bodily desires and consults with herself better. A break in activity for the soul is equal to death, cessation of existence. Through contemplation of God and constant communication with Him, and the body is maintained in a wakeful state, the human soul approaches the exalted state of the angels and is rewarded with eternal bliss for its diligent wakefulness. Chapter 10. About the pious birth of children in a Christian marriage and against luxury in clothing This reasoning about observing decency in married life is naturally assigned only to persons in a marital union. The immediate goal of the spouses is to have children, but the highest goal is to have good children (good fortune). And for the farmer, concern for food serves as an incentive to sow seeds; The purpose of agriculture is to remove fruits. But the farmer who sows the animate field stands much higher. One cultivates the field, meaning to obtain transitory food, the other, meaning the wholeness of the universe. One plants for himself, the other plants and sows out of obedience to God, who said: “Multiply.” Moreover, it must be borne in mind that man, by contributing to the origin of man, becomes the image of God. Not every soil is receptive to receiving seeds; or if each, at least not for the seeds of the same farmer. One should not sow on rocky soil, much less abuse the seed, this conductor and the beginning of generation in which its laws lie dormant. To direct these natural laws, contrary to reason, onto unnatural paths is generally extremely wicked. Listen to how Moses, this universal sage, once symbolically condemned intercourse that was not performed for the purpose of conception. He says: “Don’t eat the hare and the hyena.” He does not want a person to be imbued with their properties, nor to be wallowed in their lust, because these animals, striving for loving intercourse, are obsessed with mad lust. A female hare, they say, receives as many cavities for excrement as she lives for years. Likewise, by prohibiting us from eating the meat of this animal, Moses protects us from pederasty. And they say about the hyena that it annually changes its sex from male to female. By prohibiting the consumption of its meat, Moses makes it clear that he who abstains from its meat will not deviate into debauchery. That the wisest Moses, by setting out the prohibition, made it our undoubted duty not to resemble these animals, I agree with this. I do not share the opinion that all this was said symbolically by Moses on the stated grounds. The forces of nature can never be harmed to the point of perverting them. What has been done to her cannot be undone by passion. Passion is not nature. Passion can pervert the character of the rules of nature, but it cannot remake them in a different way; it can destroy the form of things, but not their essence. Although it is said that many birds change their feathers and voice according to the seasons; - this is how the blackbird’s feathers turn from black to yellow, and his singing changes from euphonious to crackling; the feathers and voice of the nightingale are subject to similar changes; - but it is not at all visible that these birds change their very nature, so that these changes lead to the transformation of males into females. With the approach of spring, their feathers are also reborn, taking on the appearance of new clothes and blooming with renewed colors. Soon after this, these feathers, of course, begin to molt: just like flowers wither under the harsh effects of winter. And the voice of these birds, under the influence of cold, weakens and goes out in the same way. From the cold, the outer coverings of their body shrink, and, shrinking, they narrow along with them the arteries of their throat, which from now on can only produce a sound that is already hoarse and constricted. With the return of the good season, their voice softens. Under the influence of the softness of the air, the arteries expand and again allow air to pass freely, previously closed by air. The singing of birds from weak and slow therefore becomes loud and harmonious and is heard far in all directions; This is the hymn of nature, renewed annually with spring. Therefore, one should not believe that the hyena changes its nature. One and the same animal cannot have the shameful parts of both sexes at once, as some people think, talking about some kind of monstrous hermaphrodites and introducing another new one, effeminate, between the male and female sexes. Such people are very mistaken if they do not observe with what care loving nature protects the integrity of creatures of which it is the common mother and the first culprit of their race. The only point is that this animal, that is, the hyena, is extremely lustful. Under the tail, near the exit for excrement, she has a kind of leather bag, very reminiscent of the private parts of the female. This growth does not have any opening that would go into any part of the body, either into the uterus or, for example, into the rectum. This growth is inside only an emptiness that takes upon itself, but in vain, the empty voluptuousness of these animals, when the natural ways for conceiving a fetus do not have a disposition for intercourse. This growth is common to both male and female hyenas, and it is this that makes them extremely voluptuous. Therefore, the male alternately takes and substitutes, which is why the female hyena is generally very rare in nature; That’s why they are animals and don’t conceive often; in them saturation, not caring about the goals of nature, manifests itself quite clearly. With regard to this abuse, it seems to me that Plato in the Phaedrus, condemning pederasty, calls this love animal, because these capricious sensualists, chomping at the bit, give themselves over to voluptuousness in the manner of these animals and try to inseminate their own sons. These wicked people, as the apostle says, “God gave them over to shameful passions: their women replaced natural use with unnatural; Likewise, men, abandoning the natural use of the female sex, were inflamed with lust for one another, men committing shame on men and receiving in themselves the due retribution for their error” (Rom. 1:26-27). Even the most lustful of animals is not allowed by nature to ejaculate semen into the excrement outlet. Urine is secreted into the bladder, wet food into the stomach, tears into the eyes, blood into the veins, wax into the ears, mucus into the nostrils, and the anus serves as a common passage for excrement. Only in relation to the hyena did nature allow some variety, for unnecessary and fruitless intercourse, conceiving this excessive growth of meat and forcing the itchy private parts to serve for some time with its cavity; but this emptiness deceives hyenas, because it is not at all intended for generation. From here it becomes clear and should be recognized by everyone that nature itself has opposed the intercourse of man with man. It is not permissible for a person to have intercourse performed without the purpose of conception, neither in an unnatural position, nor with subjects of connection that are not united by those who connect. Already by the very structure of the male body, nature indicated that it was designed not to receive seed, but to throw it out. Once the prophet Jeremiah, or, better to say, through his mouth the Holy Spirit, said: “My house has become a cave of a hyena” (Jer. 7:11; Jer. 12:8). Appealing to food consisting of dead bodies, the wise prophet with this allegory condemns the service of idols. For truly the house of the living God must be free from idols. Moses also forbade the consumption of hare meat. He constantly copulates and jumps up, and his female sits down, for he is one of those animals that jumps back to back. She conceives within one month and bears the fetus to the end; becomes pregnant and gives birth. After she gives birth, she is immediately impregnated by any hare, because one marriage is never enough for her, and she conceives again, although she is still nursing. In the uterus, the hare has two sinuses, because the sinus alone is not enough for her to receive the male’s seed. Every emptiness throws up fillings. Hence it happens that when in one part the fetus is already developing, the other part of her uterus languishes with desire and burns with lust; hence the new fertilization. Through this allegory, Moses prohibits us from giving in to excessive desires, being too eager for intercourse, indulging in passion with pregnant wives, alternating pleasures with pleasures, making love with boys and cheating on spouses, and generally listening to the voice of lust. Therefore, openly, without symbolic cover, he gives the following commandments: “Thou shalt not commit adultery” (Ex. 20:14), “thou shalt not lie with a man as with a woman” (Lev. 18:22). All our forces must be directed to fulfilling these commandments of the Logos; These commandments should in no way be transgressed or weakened. The name of evil desire is disorder; and Plato calls a hot horse fierce (see in Phaedrus). He read what was written by the prophet: “These are fattened horses: each of them neighs at the other’s wife” (Jer. 5:8). The angels who came to Sodom can tell us about the punishment for sensuality. They burned the inhabitants of this city, who tried to corrupt them, along with the city, clearly foretelling with this sign that the result of unbridled desires is fire. About the punishing judgments of God that befell the ancient Jews, as I already noted earlier, “for this purpose it is written that we might be admonished by them” (1 Cor. 10:11) and not fall into similar vices, so that we would not fall into the same misfortunes. We should look at every boy as our son, and every strange woman as our daughter. To restrain desires in general, and to dominate over the desires of the womb and hypogastric man, this is the noblest power. If reason (Logos) prescribes to the wise not even to move his finger aimlessly, as the Stoics say, then how much more should the friend of truth dominate in that part of the body in which intercourse takes place? That is why it is called shame, because this part of the body should be treated with the greatest timid bashfulness. Nature, both in relation to food and in relation to legal marriage, allows one to use only what is natural, expedient and decent. It allows for a passionate desire to produce children. But any excess and immoderation goes against the laws of nature; Those who allow them to engage in unnatural connections harm themselves. First of all, hence the law that we should never enter into love affairs with young men as if they were women. Therefore, the philosophizing disciple of Moses, Plato, says: “You should not sow on rocks and stones, where the seed can never take root.” And the Logos, through the mouth of Moses, commands clearly: “And do not lie with a man as with a woman; it is an abomination” (Lev. 18:22). “You must keep yourself away from every wife except your own,” advised the brilliant Plato, extracting his laws from the Divine Scriptures and here reading: “And do not lie with your neighbor’s wife, so as to shed semen and defile yourself with her” (Lev. 18:20). “What is born of concubines is criminal and barren.” “Do not sow where you do not want your seed to sprout”; “and do not touch any woman at all, except your own wife” (Lev. 18:20); with her only you have the right to indulge in the pleasures of the flesh to conceive legitimate offspring; only this is permitted by the Logos. For someone who, by what he does himself, contributes to the creative activity of the Logos, the seed will not be rejected and will not bring any harm; it should not be sown on the horns of an ox. Therefore, this same Moses forbids meeting with wives when they have their monthly purifications. For it is not proper to defile the seed from which life will develop, and soon after that a person will arise, with what is removed from the body for the sake of its purification, with the unclean outflow of the flesh and with those secretions that come out of the body during cleansing and, as it were, rinsing it. And the seed, if it does not come into contact with the depressions inside the uterus, immediately deteriorates and is deprived of its generative power. Therefore, none of the ancient Jews is spoken of by Moses as having relations with his pregnant wife. For already being empty, this pleasure, if someone uses it in marriage, becomes wicked, inconsistent with the idea of ​​marriage and contrary to reason. On the contrary, Moses encourages husbands to abstain from pregnant women until they are free from the fetus. And authentic. The uterus, located under the bladder slightly above the intestine, which is called the rectum, usually extends its neck with its shoulders towards the bladder. But as soon as the opening of the cervix is ​​filled, the uterus closes and clears up only during childbirth; only when this lock is removed, then the uterus accepts the seed. For the benefit of the listeners, here we are not at all ashamed to name the organs in which the conception of the fetus occurs, for God himself was not ashamed of their creation. So, the womb, in the thirst for the birth of children, having taken upon itself the seed, from now on does not desire shameful and reprehensible intercourse, with its closure indicating in it already unbridledness and debauchery, after saturation, due to the closure of its neck, refraining from voluptuousness. Her aspirations, which were previously aimed at loving embraces, now turn inward, occupied only with the formation of the fetus, and will assist the Creator. Therefore, nature, already already occupied with this, should not be disturbed by excesses coming out of its boundaries. Because as soon as voluptuousness is not restrained, disorder of many names and many forms develops, called debauchery. This word denotes a shameful, publicly and clearly declared desire for intercourse; and if it intensifies, it brings with it a whole swarm of diseases: a love of delicious foods, a tendency to drink, love of women, carousing, a passion for all kinds of pleasures; and all of them are commanded by desire. Countless related passions develop from here, and dissipation forms the crown over them. But Scripture says: “Judgments are ready for those who blaspheme, including beatings.” - yes, “the body of fools” (Proverbs 19:29). The stubbornness of the intemperate and their prim insistence (on their dissipation) are here called “the body of fools.” “Turn away,” therefore, “God, from Your servants vain expectations; take away obscene wishes from me; Let the desires of the womb and voluptuousness not master me” (Sir. 23:4–5). The manifold harmful ways of acting of this kind of wicked people must be unknown to us. Not only to Crates Pere, but also to our “city, let no foolish pranksters, nor shameful debauchery amusing itself with the tail of courtesans,” nor any corruption already saturated with corruption, nor any other lustful animal of this kind, come to our city. The great thing before us in the form of this life is a field for honest activity. Either get married, or completely abstain from relationships of this kind. I presented a special study on this subject in my essay “On Temperance.” But if someone gets married, then the question remains to what extent: is it permissible to treat intercourse as food, which is, in fact, constantly needed. In that essay of mine it is shown that from this kind of pleasure the nerves in our body weaken and, like threads, are torn, feelings are covered in darkness and strength is depleted. This is revealed in irrational animals, but also in athletes; It is the abstinent ones who prevail over others in competitions. But the same organisms, being allowed to have intercourse and almost forcibly attracted to it, are completely and quickly deprived of all their strength. The sophist from Abdera (Democritus) calls intercourse “minor epilepsy” and considers it incurable. How can a weakening of the nerves not occur if apospermatism is accompanied by such important results? Man from man is born and destroyed. Such is the greatness of the condemnation: through the evacuation of intercourse, a whole person is ejected. “Behold,” they say, “bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh” (Gen. 2:23).” So, a person is as deprived of vitality from ejaculation as he appears to be with his bodily organism, for at the beginning of life lies precisely that which is connected with the end; This is why the eruption of matter destroys the health and undermines and reduces the body’s strength. Therefore, the one who acted well was the one who asked him how he now feels about love affairs and answered: “Be silent, good man. I am very glad that I escaped from this wild and cruel tyrant.” And yet marriage is approved and allowed, for God wants the human race to multiply (Gen. 2:23). But He does not say “Be lustful” and does not want you, as if born for intercourse, to be given over to voluptuousness. The teacher wants to penetrate us with modesty when he cries out in Ezekiel: “Cut the edge of your flesh” (Ezek. 44:7; Ezek. 44:9). In order to sow, a certain time is suitable even for animals devoid of reason. To copulate, if not for the sake of having children, is to offend nature; This teacher herself indicated what age this was typical for and removed the youths and elders from it; the former - for their inability to do this, the latter - through the extinction of their desires. But she does not want people to always indulge in physical intimacy in marriage, because it is associated with the desire to give birth to sons and does not represent the indiscriminate ejection of seed, which is completely unnatural and counterintuitive. The whole life of those flows in accordance with nature, who at the very beginning of their desires restrains and, if the human race is born according to Divine determination, then let us not indulge in dishonest and harmful arts, like those women who, in order to hide the traces of adultery, drink potions that cause miscarriage and immediately lead to the death of the fetus. Together with the fetus, they lose everything that was human in them. However, for those for whom marriage is permitted by circumstances, it is also necessary to consult with the Teacher, so that during broad daylight they do not celebrate dissolute orgies, so that, for example, coming home from church or in the morning from the market, they do not pounce on their wives like roosters at a time when they should be praying or reading, or dealing with the duties of their calling. In the evening, after dinner and after giving thanks to God for the blessings experienced, you should go to bed. But we should remember the instructions of nature itself that the time is not always convenient for meeting each other on the bed, moreover, the more desirable the intercourse will be, the more long-awaited it is. But even at night one should not be shameless on the grounds that it is dark. We should keep modesty in our hearts at night, so that it illuminates our thoughts even at this time. Otherwise, we will not be at all different from Penelope if during the day we weave teachings about abstinence, and at night, when we go to bed, if we dissolve. If modesty is a constant duty, then even more so one should demonstrate it next to one’s wife, without reaching the point of forgetting decency in the embrace of love. And the more impeccable morality you observe in your relationships with your family, the truer the evidence of your faith will come from your very home. A wife cannot believe in the purity of your morality if you do not prove it in a fit of desire. Love that is greedy for pleasure fades quickly and fades along with the body; and sometimes it passes even earlier with the withering of desire, when marital continence is cruelly undermined by premarital debauchery. The hearts of those who love are winged; the heat of love is often extinguished by repentance; with the onset of satiety, love turns into hatred. Therefore, nothing between us should be reminiscent of shameless words, shameful images that have a relationship with the affairs of hetaeras, their kisses and similar types of lust. We must be obedient to the apostle, who clearly says: “But sexual immorality and all uncleanness and covetousness must not even be mentioned publicly, as is fitting for saints” (Eph. 5:3). That is why it seems that someone said: “Coitus has never brought any benefit to anyone; happy is the one who was not harmed by it.” Because even in a legal marriage, it entails dangers if it does not have a single goal - the birth of children. And regarding intercourse outside of legal marriage, the Scripture says: “A corrupt wife is akin to a goat, but a married woman is a deadly tower for those who deal with whom.” The lust of a hetaera is compared here to a goat or a pig, constant intercourse with a lewd wife is compared to spontaneous death, because she watches for you in an act of lewdness. Whole houses and cities perish if intemperance reigns in them. But your poetic Sibyl, in some way condemning precisely this, writes: Oh, wicked and corrupt city; Fornication and unholy intercourse between men reign in you, The city is vile and voluptuous, a city that has defiled itself, is completely shameful. Not dishonestly encroaching on someone else's bed, Who did not commit vile and disgusting deeds against men, Some consider their sins to be pleasures in accordance with nature; others, who are somewhat more decent than these, although they recognize sins in such inclinations, are overcome by their desires and the night becomes a cover for their vices. But he who abuses his marriage in an indecent manner defiles it through this, as if by adultery. Does he not hear the Teacher say: “The man who sins against his Doge says in his soul: `Who sees me?’ There is darkness around me, and the walls close me in, and no one sees me: `What should I be afraid of? Will the Almighty not remember my sins?'” (Sir. 23:24–23) Such a person is pitiful, because he only fears human eyes, but thinks to hide from God. “For he does not know,” says Scripture, “that the eyes of the Lord “of the Most High are a thousand times brighter than the sun, that they watch all the ways of men and penetrate into hidden things” (Is. 29:15). In the same way, the Teacher threatens them, speaking through Isaiah: “Woe to those who think to hide in the depths to hide their plans from the Lord, who do their deeds in darkness; I say: “Who will see us?” And who will recognize us?'" It may still be possible to hide from the sensual light, but it is impossible to hide from the spiritual. “How can anyone,” says Heraclitus, “hide from the Light that never sets”? Therefore, we will never hide behind darkness, for the light lives within us “and the darkness has not eaten it up” (John 1:5). With an honest and modest way of thinking we illuminate the darkness and the night itself. Scripture calls the thoughts of good people “never-ending lights” (Wis. 7:10). Whoever tries to hide his deeds from himself, through this very thing reveals his sinfulness. But anyone who sins, at the same time, immediately commits injustice, and in the case of infidelity to his wife, not so much against his neighbor as against himself, because it was precisely because he violated marital fidelity and because of this he turned out to be a dirty and despicable person. The sinner becomes more corrupt as he sins and brings dishonor upon himself. But in the sinner, who is constantly overcome by sensual desire, the very vice of intemperance constantly lives, therefore, in general, every intemperate person is dead before God; abandoned by the Logos and the Holy Spirit, he is a corpse. And naturally. The Holy does not want to be profaned; “It is only for the pure to constantly come into contact with the pure.” When we take off our clothes, let us not therefore abandon modesty, since a righteous person in general should never part with wise self-restraint. For “this corruptible must put on incorruptibility” (1 Cor. 15:53), if the insatiability of desires, which has grown to the point of voluptuousness, is tamed by that abstinence that is no longer occupied by mortals (but strives for heavenly things), and thus prepares a person for a temperate life on the other side of the tomb. “The children of this age marry and are given in marriage” (Luke 20:34; Matt. 22:30), and when the works of the flesh are abolished, then, although clothed with this flesh, but in its purity, like the angels, we will achieve immortality. Therefore, Plato, who sang in foreign (Mosaic) philosophy, in the Philebus mysteriously calls him an atheist who defiles and defiles the God living in him, the Logos, as far as He is in him, allowing carnal lusts to live in him. Those who are sanctified by God should not live by death; “Do you not know,” as Paul says, “that your bodies are members of Christ? So, shall I take away the members of Christ to make them the members of a harlot? It won't happen! Don’t you know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who lives in you, whom you know from God, and you are not your own”? ( 1 Cor. 6:15 ; 1 Cor. 6:19 ) Remember the 24,000 who were cast out for debauchery. But misfortune, as I have already noted, is an “image” of the extent to which we should restrain our carnal inclinations (1 Cor. 10:6). The teacher clearly and in words reminds us: “Do not follow your lusts and refrain from your desires” (Sir. 18:30). “Wine and women will corrupt the wise, and he who associates with harlots will become even more impudent. Rot and worms will inherit it, and the insolent soul will be destroyed” (Sir. 19:2-3). The teacher does not cease to help us, saying also: “He who is devoted to pleasure in his heart will be condemned” (Sir. 19:5). So, we should not be overcome by love pleasures, languish with desires, get excited, or defile ourselves with unreasonable sensual attractions and their satisfaction. Only a married man is allowed to sow, and only as a farmer, when the time comes for sowing. Against lust, reason is the best medicine. Insufficiently nutritious meals also help; This is satiety, arousing desires, leading to carnal pleasures. So, one should not allow oneself any luxury in clothing, nor in furnishing the table with various dishes. The Lord divides his commandments into three classes: 1) on the commandments in relation to the soul 3) on the commandments in relation to external things, allowing us to take care of acquiring them because of the body. But since the body is controlled by the soul, He gives it the following pedagogical instruction: “Do not worry about your soul” (life) “what you will eat, or about your body, what you will wear.” The soul (life) is greater than food, and the body than clothing (Luke 12:24). And He explains this with an obvious example: “Look at the ravens: they neither sow nor reap; They have neither storehouses nor granaries, and God feeds them; How much better are you than the birds?” This is about food. But He also gives similar instructions regarding clothing, the care of which belongs to the third class, or commandments regarding external things. “Look at the lilies,” He says, “how they grow: they neither toil nor spin; but I tell you that even Solomon in all his glory was not dressed like any of them” (Luke 12:27; Matt. 6:28–29). And King Solomon was very famous for his wealth. What is more beautiful than brilliant flowers? What is more beautiful than lilies and roses? “If there is grass on the hearth, which is there today, and tomorrow it will be thrown into the oven. God dresses this way, how much more so than you, you of little faith! So do not look for what you can eat, but go for something to drink” (Luke 12:28–29). Here the word “what” expels the variety of food that is revealed from another place: “... what kind of food (food) should we eat and what kind of drinks should we drink.” But these kinds of things are only concerned with the pursuit of excess and lust. The simple word “is”, taken only by itself, means limitation by what is necessary, even abundance, as we said, comes from the limitation of needs. This little word “what,” therefore, must be understood about “superfluous,” but everything “superfluous is from the devil,” says Scripture (Matthew 5:37). That this is precisely the meaning of this word is revealed from the addition of another expression, because, having said: “Do not worry about what to eat or what to drink.” He added: “And don’t worry” (don’t strain yourself, don’t exaggerate your wishes by going too far into them). Pretentiousness and the pursuit of various kinds of pleasures are removed from simplicity and naturalness. But this life, which kills all its time in pursuit of excess, spent among pleasures and pleasures, is far from reasonable, natural and sacred. That is why it is said so beautifully: “the people of this world seek all these things” (Luke 12:30). They live in a disorderly, unreasonable, pagan way. What does the word “this” mean? It refers to various kinds of amenities, pleasures and amusements, an exquisite table, snacks, and drinking. That's what this "what" means. About simple food, both dry and liquid, it is said: “But your Father knows that you need this” (Luke 12:30). And if in general, by our very nature, it is common for us to strive forward, then these aspirations are not directed towards excesses and refined sensual pleasures, but we are inflamed with zeal for creating harmony in our lives between word and deed, for naturalness, for purity. “Seek first,” they say. “The kingdom of God, and all these things will be added to you” (Luke 12:31). If now the Lord wants to extricate from us the concern for clothing, the pleasant tastes and other pleasures, and in general the concern for everything superfluous as not essentially necessary, then what would He say about the passion for clothes, about dyeing wool in different colors and about colorful clothes, about the pursuit of precious stones, about jewelry made of gold, about artificially combing hair and curling it in curls? What would He say about lining the eyes, removing hair from the body, using various rubs, lead white and rouge, tinting the hair and using various other artificial means of seduction? Is it not possible to say with full probability the same thing about these tawdry embellishments that was said earlier about hay? The world is truly a meadow, and we are grass watered by Divine grace. Although we will be mown down, we will sprout again, which I will explain in more detail in the scripture “On the Resurrection.” And “hay” is an allegorical name for the masses of the people, so prone to transitory pleasures. People of vulgar dispositions flourish with this kind of fun, but only for a short time. They are enthusiastically engaged in dressing up, in the pursuit of honors, in everything but simplicity, expediency and naturalness; therefore, they are not suitable for anything more than being burned with fire. “There was,” says the Lord, “some very” rich man. “He dressed in purple, wore fine linen and lived every day to the fullest.” That was the “hay”. And “a certain beggar named Lazarus, covered with sores, lay in the colonnade in front of the house, abandoned by everyone; He willingly ate whatever came to him from the rich man’s table.” This is grass. But one was punished by being sent down to hell, the rich man's share was in fire; the other was reborn and blossomed with new life in the bosom of Abraham. I admire and wonder at the ancient republic of Lacedaemon. Here, only hetaeras were allowed to wear colorful dresses and gold jewelry, while impeccable and decent women were forbidden to dress up and preen themselves artificially; Only women of bad behavior were allowed to walk around dressed up and show off dust in the eyes of others with their decoration. Among the Athenians, on the contrary, noble men, caring about their refined appearance and forgetting about their human dignity, wore gold, tunics that hung down to their heels, and a special kind of superstructure made of hair (ksshvhlpt), pinning them on their heads with a gold pin with a head in the shape of a grasshopper. But with this stupid bad taste and insensitivity to truly subtle decency they only proved their truly earthly origin. The rest of the Ionians, whom Homer, as effeminate people, calls long-robed, became infected with this stupid competition. People who are busy dressing up, therefore, pursue only a dreamy image of beauty, and not beauty itself, and as new idolaters, only hiding behind a beautiful-sounding name, they should be expelled from our society, because in their deceitful dreaminess they dream unreasonably about the nature of beauty; their life is a deep sleep of ignorance. We, having awakened from this dream and trying to adorn ourselves with true beauty, must, in order to fall asleep in a peaceful sleep at the end of this life, to this world, which only delights in worldly embellishments, now say “forgive.” I affirm that we need clothing for no other purpose than to cover the body, to protect it from cold and heat, so that the annoying variability of the weather does not harm us. But if this is the purpose of clothing, then why use special materials for men’s clothing and special materials for women? Isn’t the same need to cover the body common to both, like the need for food and drink? But the same need determines the same way of satisfaction. Since both sexes have a common need to cover their bodies, the covering of both sexes should be the same, with the addition of extra clothing for women to cover their faces. But if the female sex, due to its weakness, desires much more, then the reason for this is the same bad upbringing, as a result of which men, growing up in the worst way of life, often become more feminine than their wives; This means that wives should not indulge in this matter. If their desires should be taken into account, then perhaps only in allowing them to wear clothes made of materials that are comparatively softer, but also on the condition that extremely delicate materials, extremely stupidly crafted with extreme cunning and hardworking, and curious patterns on the fabrics, and skillful folds from them should be eliminated as radically as possible; We must say “forgive” to gold embroidery, edges made from Indian animals and silk carefully produced by worms. (Silk at first is nothing more than a worm; then a thick caterpillar develops from the worm; the third metamorphosis is represented by a moth; some call it a pupa; it develops a long thread, just as a spider develops a web). The use of such an unusual and at the same time so transparent material reveals only a not very solid image of arrangement, which is reflected in the easy covering of parts of the body, the discovery of which one should be ashamed of. Such soft clothing does not represent any covering at all; She cannot hide the forms that a naked body has. Such clothing, fitting tightly to the body, bends around its shape, imprints on itself the appearance of the body, as if merging with it; She shows the forms of the female body so plastically that the lines of the body are visible, although it is not naked and although its nudity cannot be seen. We must stop wearing this kind of clothing, as well as dyed ones. They exceed the actual need and are not consistent with simplicity and naturalness; in addition, they give rise to various unfavorable rumors; and wearing them does not bring any benefit; they do not protect against the cold, and over other materials they have no other advantage except that they attract condemnation; and the captivating colors very much encourage people, greedy for spectacles, to stupid babble. For people who are innocent and right at heart, white and simple clothes are more decent. The prophet Daniel speaks clearly and therefore undisguisedly: “Thrones were set up, and the Ancient of Days sat down; His robe was white as snow” (Dan. 7:9). The Lord’s visionary also saw souls dressed in the same clothes: “I saw under the altar the souls of those killed for the word of God and for the testimony that they had. And white garments were given to each of them” (Rev. 6:9; Rev. 6:11). And if anyone wants to wear clothes of other colors, then wear them, at least without changing the natural color. Moreover, the use of colored clothes, embroidered with various trinkets of the Bacchic cult and the cult of the Mysteries, as well as purple and silver dishes, should be abandoned. The comedian says that These are good things for the stage, but not for life. Our life, rather, should be everything, but not a theatrical performance. Clothes made of materials dyed dark red and olive green and light green and pink and bright red and many other artificial colors are nothing more than varieties of the same voluptuousness, inventive for everything harmful. Such clothes serve as a means to amuse the eye, and not as a means to protect the body. Clothes embroidered with gold and purple, and clothes with different embroidered, woven and painted flowers on them, and clothes that smell of saffron (that is, yellow from being dyed with saffron), and expensive colorful robes made of light fabrics, with small animals woven in purple, must say the last “forgive”, and likewise to this weaving art. For “what reasonable and kind can one expect from wives who sit in flowers, dressed in saffron, whitewashed and rouged,” says the comic poet. That is why the Teacher clearly reminds: “Do not boast about the splendor of your clothes, and do not be proud on the day of glory” (Sir. 11:4). And in the Gospel, ridiculing those dressed in rich clothes, He says: “those who dress luxuriously and live luxuriously are in the palaces of kings” (Luke 7:23). He calls palaces the chambers of earthly kings, the seat of earthly people, the location where imaginary beauty, the pursuit of empty honors, flattery and lies reign. Those who belong to the heavenly court staff, to the retinue of the King of the Universe, observe the purity of the spiritual dress, that is, the purity of the body, but sanctifying their body, and thus putting on the clothing of immortality. Therefore, just as an unmarried woman serves only God and her thoughts are undivided, and a married, honest woman divides her life between God and her husband (1 Cor. 7:34), and a poorly brought up woman completely drowns in marriage, that is, in passions: similarly, I believe, an honest wife who wants to please her husband serves God sincerely; the vain wife falls away from God, and at the same time she turns out to be inconsistent with the idea of true marriage, because she exchanges her husband for clothes, like that Argive hetaera, I mean Erifyula, who She exchanged her precious husband for shiny gold. In this regard, I praise the Keos sophist, who depicts the images of Virtue and Vice, according to their opposites, as follows: One, Virtue, he represents standing (in front of Hercules) simply, in clean, poor clothes; her only adornment was modesty (this is what a believing wife should be, that is, while devoted to virtue, she is imbued with timid modesty); the other, on the contrary, Depravity, he depicts in a completely different way, dressed in different clothes, with a vainly induced whiteness and blush of her face, with movements and the whole manner of holding herself, carefully calculated to arouse desires in the viewer, as is usually the case with harlots. Whoever wants to be a disciple of the Logos must therefore not become acquainted with any shameful desire, and in the same way, in clothing, observe only compliance with needs. And if the Logos, through the mouth of David, sings about the Lord: “The daughters of kings are among those honored by You; the queen of the flock is at Your right hand in the gold of Ophir" (Ps. 44:10), then He does not mean luxurious clothing in a material sense, but the beauty of the pardoned that arose from faith, the beauty of the church, in which Jesus, who has nothing to do with “deceitful art” (1 Pet. 2:22), shines like gold; and the golden brushes are the chosen ones. And if, out of condescension towards women, it is possible to weave fabrics for their clothes that are pleasant to the eye and softer to the touch, they should not be painted, so that, when dressed in them, they do not look like paintings painted to amuse the eyes: such a painting will be erased after a short time. Similarly, washing wool in alkalis, preparing it to accept dye with various caustic agents, and dyeing it with various toxic liquids makes the fabric of clothing flabby. But this is no longer consistent with economics. They reveal a dull sense of beauty and insensitivity to more subtle decency, which comes to amazement at the sight of richly embroidered long and wide dresses with numerous folds made of extremely thin and light materials, at the sight of toe-length capes made of fabrics equally thin and delicate, and at the sight of swinging military cloaks, in general at the sight of “mantles and tunics” that Homer speaks of and which are intended to cover shame. I am truly ashamed when I think about how much money is spent to cover up shame. The first man in paradise, to cover his nakedness, cut himself only branches with leaves according to his needs; and now, when sheep grow clothes for us, we still should not be like them in stupidity, but as pets of the Logos, refusing precious clothes, we should say: “You are nothing more than sheep’s hair.” Let Miletus boast (of his fine wool); let Italy boast of it; let some, imbued with an insane love for sheep, protect their wool even with a leather cover: we should not worry about this. Blessed John did not want to know anything about sheep’s wool, which evokes luxury, but chose camel’s hair for himself and dressed in a hair shirt from it, being a representative of a simple lifestyle free from seductive panache. And he ate wild honey and locusts (Mark 1:6), preparing and opening for the Lord the paths of fasting and moderation. Could he dress in purple clothes, if he shied away from all urban vanity, retreated into the solitude of the desert, in its silence turning only to God, renouncing the pursuit of all sorts of insignificant things for serious concern for true things, for gaining true and deepest virtue instead of petty and empty things. Elijah wore a covering of sheep's skin, holding it near his loins with a hair girdle (2 Kings 1:8; 2 Kings 2:13). Another prophet, Isaiah, walked completely naked and without shoes; He often clothed himself in sackcloth, the robe of humility (Isa. 20:2). And if you want to hear about Jeremiah, he wore nothing but a linen apron (Jer. 13:1). But just as the flourishing state of a well-nourished body, its strength and strength are best revealed in its naked state, so the height of the soul and greatness are revealed most clearly if the body is not covered with various outfits and decorations. And wearing clothes that drag along the ground, even down to your heels, represents the height of arrogance and pride; and besides, this makes it difficult to maintain the firmness and control of one’s gait; With such clothes, as if with a broom, dust is swept from the surface of the soil. Comedians who have sunk to the last degree of immorality, transplanting their vile outrage onto the stage, do not disdain such low-slung clothes. Their strange clothes, the stretched hemlines, the exquisite drapery of the folds are nothing more than a parody of this stupidity drowning in trifles. And if someone, in contradiction to this, pointed to the long (heel-length) robe of the Lord, then let him know that the multi-colored tunic of the Lord points to the flowers of wisdom, to the various unfading Divine Scriptures, that is, to the eloquence of the Lord, shining with the brilliance of truth. The Holy Spirit clothes the Lord with another similar garment in David when he sings: “You are clothed with glory and majesty. You are clothed with light as with a robe” (Ps. 103:1–2). Just as strange materials should not be chosen for clothing, so their measure should not be extraordinary. Of course, it would not be in the order of things if someone began to wear a dress that only reached to the knees, like the Spartan girls. A woman should not have any part of her body exposed. It would be especially appropriate to cite here a subtle conversation between one man and a woman: “Beautiful elbow”! “Yes, but it is not intended for the public eye.” - "Perfectly developed leg!" - “But my husband’s property.” - “Beautiful face!” - “But only for my husband.” But I do not approve when honest women give men a reason to lavish them with this kind of praise, with which men want, if not to dishonor them, then at least to bribe them with flattery. Not only should they not have the heel of their foot exposed, but they should also cover their head and shade their face. Their bodily beauty should not be a subject of hunting for men. But it is also indecent for women themselves, hiding behind a purple veil, to betray their desire to attract the attention of men to their faces. Oh, if only purple could be completely banished from use as a material for clothing, so that it would not attract attention! Some of the women, in general, sew a few clothes for themselves, but all of them are made of purple, inflaming their desires with them. Finding stupid pleasure in these notorious clothes and constantly rotating among this color, according to the poet, they live among purple, but die “purple death.” Because of this purple, Tire and Sidon, and the country on the Laconian Sea, attract especially many industrialists; dyers of this color and merchants of purple materials in glory; but snails, whose blood produces purple, are also valuable. Crafty wives and effeminate men wear clothes made of thin fabrics, dyed in a variety of artificial colors; carried away by an insane desire to distinguish themselves, they know no limits to their arrogance; Disdaining Egyptian linen, they look for other types of it and dress in Cilician linen and from the land of the Jews. I am silent about the matters of Amorgos and Bussin; the styles and colors of these smart clothes are bizarre to the extreme and their names are innumerable. And yet, I believe, the cover must prove that what is covered is more valuable than it. Just as the Divine is better than the church, the soul is better than the body, so the body should be more valuable to us than clothing. But for the nanny it’s the other way around; if any of these women wanted to sell their body, then nothing would be given for it, not even a thousand Attic drachmas, and they buy dresses for themselves such that one costs up to ten thousand Attic talents, which clearly proves that personally they are worthless and cheaper than the fabrics from which their clothes are made. Why this pursuit, therefore, of the rare and expensive and the preference for the common, less expensive and easier to obtain? Doesn’t this mean that you are unfamiliar with the truly beautiful and truly kind? You abandon the pursuit of reality to worry instead about appearances, like those madmen who consider white to be black. In the same way, vain women reveal their extreme stupidity when wearing shoes. It is truly shameful to decorate sandals with gold flowers. It is considered especially chic if different arabesques are depicted with nails driven into the soles. By order of some, erotic scenes are carved on the soles in order to imprint their dissolute thoughts on the ground with the traces they leave. Therefore, we will be indifferent to artistically crafted sandals, which are decorated with gold and pearls, to Attic and Sicyon shoes, to Persian and Etruscan boots. Whoever pays attention to the nature of things and their true purpose, here too chooses what is most natural. But the purpose of shoes is to cover your feet; its other purpose is to weaken impacts and protect soles on hard mountain paths. Women may be allowed white shoes if they are going somewhere nearby; otherwise, one should be put on that is lubricated and its soles should be nailed. But in general, in most cases, their feet should be covered with shoes; because it is indecent for a woman to bare her legs; In addition, women are more sensitive to injury to their legs. A man can walk with bare legs, except when he has to act as a soldier in the field. “Wearing shoes” (upodedesfai) is related to “wearing fetters” (dedesfai). Walking barefoot is an excellent form of physical exercise, good for health, for imparting lightness to oneself, when shoes are not prescribed by necessity itself. However, if we are not on the road or if we are unable to bear walking barefoot, we can wear shoes or light soles. Among the Attics they are called anthers, probably because they do not protect the feet from dust. That one can be content with light footwear, John (the Baptist) witnesses this, saying that “he is not worthy to untie the thong of the sandals of the Lord” (Mark 1:7; Luke 3:16). The Lord did not wear anything unnecessary on his feet. He, who represented for the Jews the prototype of true virtue and moderation. However, that there may be another meaning here, I will explain this in another place. Chapter 12 To be surprised by dark-colored and pale green stones or bubbles of ocean foam (pearls, pearls) or other earthly gems is something childish. Having a penchant for transparent stones, strangely colored clothes and multi-colored glass is typical of stupid people who dress in things that hurt their eyes. For this reason, children, seeing a fire, go to it; its shine lures them, and in their inexperience they do not pay attention to the danger of touching it. A similar thing for foolish women is represented by precious stones, strung on laces or in chains: amethyst, opal, jasper and topaz, then Milesian emerald, the most precious of all goods. But the precious pearl was especially lucky; he found especially easy access to the women's restrooms. It is formed in an oyster shell, which is similar to the pinna; it will be the size of a large fish eye; and wives bewitched by such a pitiful shell are not ashamed to seek it so passionately, while they could adorn themselves with a precious sacred stone. The Divine Logos, which in some places of Scripture (Matthew 13:46) is called pearl. This is Jesus, shining with such a clear light, this incarnate eye that watches; These are the rays of the Logos emitting from itself, making our flesh precious through its rebirth with water. And this shell, born in water, is a covering of flesh, and from this the pearl develops. And we know that the heavenly Jerusalem is surrounded by a wall of precious stones (Rev. 21ff); and the twelve gates of this heavenly city, made of precious stones, mean, I think, the voice of the apostles heard everywhere. Precious stones have different colors, this is what is precious about them; the rest of the earthly matter has no value; and rightly so, the city of saints - this spiritual building, is symbolically represented as surrounded by a wall of such stones; in the splendor of the colors of the stones, in their inimitability, one must see the glory of the Holy Spirit, the impenetrability and holiness of His being. Foolish wives, not understanding the symbolism of Holy Scripture, formally hunger and thirst for precious stones and in defense of themselves express such strange propositions: “What is created by God, why shouldn’t we use it”? Or: “I have them: why shouldn’t I give myself pleasure with them?” Or: “For whom do they exist if not for you?” These are voices that are completely oblivious to the will of God. In the first place, God left open the things necessary for everyone, such as water and air. And what is not necessary, He hid in water and in earth; for some reason ants must dig for gold and vultures must guard it, and the sea hides pearls. You are trying to achieve something that is not at all necessary. Look, the whole sky is open, and you are not looking for God; The gold hidden in the earth and precious stones are dug in your mountain mines by criminals condemned to death. You act contrary to Scripture; it clearly cries out: “Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you” (Matthew 6:33). And although everything has been given to us and everything is permitted, although “everything” is “permissible” for us, says the apostle, until “not everything is profitable” (1 Cor. 10:23). God created humanity for fraternal communion, he himself first of all sacrificed his Son and the Logos, delivering everything to everyone, giving it as a common property for everyone. Everything, therefore, should be common, and the rich should not desire to have more than others. The word: “I have jewelry, why shouldn’t I please myself with it,” therefore, is not human, it is not a brotherly word. Another word is more consistent with Christian love: “I have this: why shouldn’t I share it with those in need”? Such a person is perfect and fulfills the commandment: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself” (Matthew 19:19). This is true pleasure, this is precious treasure. What is spent to satisfy vain inclinations is the loss, not the expense, that matters. I know that God has given us to enjoy, but only within the limits of what is necessary, and according to His will, pleasure should be common. It is not in the order of things for one to live in abundance while many suffer want. It is much more glorious to be the benefactor of many than to live in a magnificent house! It is much smarter to spend your property on people than on gold and precious stones! It is much more useful to decorate yourself with friends than with soulless, albeit valuable (gold and silver), things! To whom will an increased estate bring as much benefit as the squandering of good deeds? In conclusion, we must also reject this objection: “Who will enjoy wealth if everyone chooses poverty?” People, I answer, who use wealth dispassionately and without distinction. And if this cannot be achieved so that everyone reveres wise moderation, then we should at least strive to ensure that this happens in accordance with need and that excess is abandoned. In general, such trifles as women’s clothing should be treated with disdain, just as we disdain the whole world in general. A wife should be adorned on the inside, and feminine beauty should be revealed on the inside (Rom. 7:22; Eph. 3:16); beauty and hatred are found only in the soul, after all. Therefore, only a virtuous “man” is truly “beautiful and kind” and only the good should be recognized as the only beautiful thing; only virtue, with its beauty, sheds light on the body; she decorates him like a flower; it reveals the charm of moderation, because good morals, like a ray of light, illuminate the form. The beauty of every plant and every animal lies in its inherent advantages; The human advantage lies in justice, moderation, sublimity of feelings, and fear of God. Beautiful, therefore, is a righteous, moderate, generally kind person, and not a rich one. Even soldiers now want to wear gold jewelry; unknown to them are the words of the poet: He even went into battle decorated with gold like a stupid girl. But the passion for clothing, which does not care about virtue and is only concerned with the body and directs the sense of beauty to insignificant things, must be completely expelled from our society. By making claims to adorn the body with something that does not belong to its substance, it gives rise to deceit and develops deception of character; It is not something honest, simple, truly childish, no; and arrogance, sensuality, pouting. Wives darken true beauty when they put the shadow of gold ornaments on it. They do not know what they are doing to themselves, chaining themselves with a thousand golden chains, for they say that even among the barbarians, criminals are chained with golden chains. Rich women, shackling themselves with gold, seem to me to be their friends. Or don’t these necklaces (Isa. 3:19; Ezek. 16:11) represent collars, and don’t the chains falling on the chest replace shackles? Among the Attics they are directly called fetters. Philemon calls jewelry placed on the prefoot joint in “Sunephebe” a contradiction to the beauty of the female leg: Transparent clothing and gold leg shackles. What, therefore, is this passion of yours for clothes, O women, if not the desire to be shackled? The material of these shackles can soften shame, but so can the condition. And, having voluntarily shackled yourself, you still put on airs with your shiny rubbish! Something similar is told in a certain mythical poem about the dissolute Aphrodite, that she was caught in such a golden net. The poet sees gold jewelry here as symbols of dissipation; and Homer called that net “golden fetters” ((Odyssey, IX)). And these symbols of evil are not afraid to wear on themselves! And just as the serpent deceived Eve, so gold jewelry deceives one and the other of the women; and here the image of the serpent plays the role of bait; admiringly conferring on outfits, they buy jewelry with figures of moray eels and snakes (Song. 1:9–10). The comedian Nicostratus lists many of them: “chains, necklaces, rings, bracelets, serpentine brooches, foot chains, earrings.” Aristophanes often blames women for all these decorations, listing them in his comedy “The Thesmophorian Women.” I will quote the very words of this comedian, with which he openly condemns the indecent pomp of your arrogance. Here are your outfits and accessories: Hats, ties, soda soap, knives and sheaths, Pumice stone, dewlap, back toilet accessories, Back capes, whitewash, rouge and other paints, necklaces, Expensive tools for tinting eyes soft fabrics, dresses, wickerwork on the head, Belt, thin outerwear, with purple padded outerwear (pretexta), Transparent clothes, chiton, skirt, blouse. Yes, I didn’t say the most important thing. What else is this? Double gold earrings, pearls, ear pendants, pink dress, Pearl headdress containing pearls plays the role of grape berries, hairpins, ribbons, Neck beads, ankle bells, rattles and chains, signet rings with images of various figures, permanent chains, Rings, powders, bottles, Head withered, olisbs, carnelians, fans, It is tiresome and disgusting for me to list so many decorative things. It’s amazing to me that our wives do not faint under such a weight. Oh, why this empty pursuit! O vain boasting! Following the pattern of lewd women, our women shower themselves with jewels for their own shame; lacking a sense of decency, they pursue counterfeit coins instead of the gifts of God and imitate the art of the evil spirit in decorating themselves. But the rich man, who was collecting in barns, said to himself: “You have a lot of goods for many years: rest, eat, pour, be merry.” The Lord clearly called the fool: “This night your soul will be taken from you; who will get what you have prepared? (Luke 12:19–20) The painter Apelles, once seeing that one of his students was drawing the so-called “golden Helen,” said: “And, my dear, not being able to draw the beautiful Helen, are you drawing the rich one”? Our present-day women are such Elenas; they do not represent true beauty and are only richly dressed dolls. The Holy “Spirit” predicts to them through Zephaniah: “neither their silver nor their gold” can “save them in the day of the wrath of the Lord” (Zeph. 1:18). The disciples of Christ should adorn themselves not with gold, but with the Logos; He alone constitutes (true) gold. For the ancient Jews, it would have been better to throw away the jewelry collected from their wives or just melt it down, but they melted the golden calf out of them and through this fell into idolatry; they did not benefit either from their jewelry art or from their entire endeavor. Yet through this the teaching is figuratively taught to us that our wives should abstain from gold ornaments; the dissolute pursuit of gold becomes an idol subject to fire; after all, luxury items made from it are only suitable there, because they are idol images, and not the truth. That is why the Logos reproaches the Jews through the mouth of the prophet: “silver and gold, from which they made the image of Baal” (Hos. 2:8), and specifically haberdashery items. And He very clearly threatens and says: “And I will take revenge on her for the days of her service to the gods of Baalam” (i.e., false gods), “when she made sacrifices to them and when she put earrings in her ears and adorned herself with chains.” And she exposes incentives for ostentation, saying: “She went after her lovers, but forgot Me” (Hos. 2:13). Therefore, wives should refuse these trifles and leave them to this evil sophist (devil); they should not take part in this adulterous ostentation; under a beautiful cover they should not serve idols. That’s why St. says it’s great. Peter: “The women adorned themselves, not with braided hair, nor with gold, nor with pearls, nor with costly clothing, but with good works, as became women dedicated to godliness” (1 Tim. 2:9-10). And with the right the apostle wants to refrain them from passion for clothes, because if they are beautiful, then nature is enough for them, but art should not compete with nature, that is, truth and lies should not argue with one another; if they are naturally ugly, then through such decorative things the lack of beauty becomes more obvious; It is therefore more natural for the servants of Christ to love simplicity. Simplicity is indeed the harbinger of holiness; it smoothes out the inequality of property, it helps from its surpluses to need. Simple, as the name itself suggests, does not stand out, does not go into pompousness and does not imagine itself: it is completely even, calm, similar to itself, artless and therefore decent. But decent is a state of expediency without excess and without deficiency; the mother of the decent is justice, his nurse is contentment. But this is a state when one is content with what is necessary, which constitutes the condition for a happy life. On the bones of your hands, therefore, should be placed the sacred adornment of joyful generosity and diligent housekeeping. Because “he who does good to the poor lends to the Lord” (Prov. 19:17) and: “the hand of the diligent makes rich” (Prov. 10:4). By strong we should mean those who despise money and willingly give. Your feet should shine with tireless zeal for charity and walking in the paths of justice. Your necklaces and chains should be modesty and moderation. This kind of gold jewelry comes from the divine workshop. “Blessed is the man who has gained wisdom, and the man who has gained understanding!” speaks the Holy Spirit through the mouth of Solomon. “For the acquisition of it is better than the acquisition of silver, and the profit from it is greater than from gold” (Prov. 3:13–15). This is your true decoration. Wives’ ears should not be unnaturally pierced in order to wear rings and earrings on them: it is unfair to cause violence to nature contrary to the will of God. There is no better decoration for the ears than the catechism of truth, penetrating the soul through the natural way of hearing. Eyes anointed with the Logos and ears pierced (open) for listening, they make it possible to listen to the Divine, to see sacred things, since the Logos shows true beauty, which previously “no eye has seen, no ear has heard” (1 Cor. 2:9). Chapter 1. About true beauty The most beautiful and most important of all sciences is undoubtedly self-knowledge. Because. He who knows himself will come to know God; and whoever knows God (1 John 3:2), will try to become like Him; but this Likeness to God does not consist in putting on gold jewelry or wearing flowing clothes, but in virtue and in reducing one’s needs to a minimum. Only God alone has no needs, and this gives Him joy if He sees our soul with the shining beauty of knowledge, and our body clothed in the sacred robe of moderation. The soul is characterized by three powers: a cognitive ability, called reason: this is our inner man, ruling over the world of phenomena, commanding the outer man and constituting the subject of God’s special providence. The second part of the soul is that to which anger is attributed; This is animal power, the neighbor of wild desires. Third; strength is a desirable ability; she is more diverse than Proteus - this sea spirit that accepts different views of itself, ready for all sorts of things: coquetry, passion and seduction. First of all he turns into a lion with a representative beard So, at the beginning he still retains this noble decoration of the man’s face, And then he turns into a dragon into a panther, into a huge boar. Caring about the toilet easily leads to laxity of character. Soon this person loses all the properties of a powerful animal. It becomes running water and a leafy tree Passions overflow, desires flare up, beauty fades; faster than a leaf falls to the ground, it is lost if storms of wild sensual desires blow on it; and even before the onset of autumn, a person weakens and dies. Desire happens to everyone, it takes all forms and falls into deceit in order to hide from people (i.e., to hide one’s true goals from them); the person in whom the Logos lives does not resort to cunning embellishments, does not take on various kinds of appearances: he bears the image of the Logos; he becomes like God; he is beautiful, although he does not show off; it represents true beauty; he is God, such a person becomes God because God wants it. Therefore, Heraclitus expresses himself correctly: “People are gods. Gods are people." Especially the Logos is evident of this sacrament; He is God made man and man deified; as a mediator He carries out the will of the Father (John 4:34); because, belonging to two kingdoms. He is a mediator between them; He is the Son of God and the Savior of people; He is God's servant, and for us He is a Teacher. And since corporeality is something slavish, as St. Paul, is it proper to take care of the decoration of a slave like some slave seller? What exactly the flesh is meant by the apostle by the image of a slave is clear from what he says about the Lord: “he made himself of no reputation, taking the form of a servant” (Phil. 2:7). The Apostle calls the outer man a slave, referring to the time before the Lord took on the form of a slave and the flesh (when we were slaves). But the Lord, in His mercy towards us, made our flesh free. Freeing the flesh from corruption and from the bitter slavery into which it fell. He clothed her with the clothing of incorruptibility, placed on her a sacred and heavenly adornment, this is immortality. There is another side to human beauty, this is Christian love. “Love,” according to the apostle, “is long-suffering, kind, love does not envy, love does not boast, it is not proud” (1 Cor. 13:4). The art of beautification is vain boasting; it is something forced and useless; That’s why the apostle adds: "Love does not behave indecently." And everything that disagrees with the true state of affairs is indecent; indecent behavior that smacks of unnaturalness. Decoration is something extraneous, not relevant to the matter; The apostle clearly expresses this with the words: “Love does not seek what does not belong to it” (1 Cor. 13:5). Its true property, he thinks, is the truth; in dressing up, passion strives for certain things that are alien to the truth - that which is outside of God, outside of the Logos and Christian love. And that the Lord himself did not look beautiful at all, the Holy Spirit speaks about this through the mouth of the prophet Isaiah: “we saw Him, and there was no appearance in Him that would attract us to Him. He was despised and humbled before men” (Isa. 53:2–3). Who wants to become higher than the Lord? He shone not with the external beauty of the flesh, but with the true beauty of the soul and body: the beauty of the soul in good works, the beauty of the body in the immortality of the flesh. Chapter 2. Against the art of beauty Consequently, it is not the external image of a person, but his soul that should be decorated with the decoration of conscientiousness. It can be said about the flesh that it must be adorned with the decency of abstinence. Our wives do not notice that, while busy decorating their appearance, they leave their soul empty and desolate. This type of decoration was common among the Egyptians. These church porticos and pre-church spaces, as well as sacred groves and meadows, are very carefully maintained; the courtyards are furnished with rows of columns; the walls shine with rare stones and artistic paintings, and there are no flaws on them; the churches sparkle with gold, silver and electrum and sparkle with variously shimmering stones from India and Ethiopia; the interior is hung with gold-woven curtains. But if you penetrate into the depths of the built space, if you strive for an even more sublime spectacle and begin to look for images of God in the church, and if then a priest or some other priest belonging to the department of the church, seriously looking and singing a hymn in Egyptian, lifts the curtain a little to show God, then we should laugh loudly at the sight of the idol. You will not find the god you were looking for there, but a cat or a crocodile, or a native snake, or some other similar animal, unworthy of a church, and whose proper location should be a hole in the ground, a puddle, or street mud. The god of the Egyptians is an animal lying on a purple mat. In a similar way we meet wives, adorned with gold, working beyond their strength to curl their locks, anoint their cheeks, paint their eyes, tint their hair and do other nonsense; like true Egyptian women they decorate the porch of the flesh in order to find pathetic, stupid admirers. But if anyone looks behind the veil of this church of theirs, I mean, behind the veil of white and rouge, clothing, gold, various tinctures and ointments, therefore, at all this intricacy woven from such things, if anyone wanted to look for the inner and true beauty behind this, he will feel disgust, I know this. Because he will not find the image of God inside in the form in which it should be, but instead he will find himself located in the sanctuary of the soul as a disorderly prostitute and a dandy who fawns on you, a true animal, a painted image; and in the earthen hole of this soul lives an old insidious serpent, who has drained man of his mind, seducing him with vanity; and, filling everything with poison, desecrating everything with the poisonous excrement of his sin, this crafty serpent turns wives into obscene women. Not the wife's accessories, but the hetaera's accessories include shameless worries about various embellishments. Taking care of the household together with their husbands takes little time for such women; they empty their husband’s money purse and spend all their material resources on their whims, just to appear beautiful and have as many admirers of their beauty as possible; they sit for whole days at their dressing table and give work around them to slaves bought for expensive money. During the day they hide in the restrooms, here cunningly painting, polishing and dressing up their flesh, but in the evening this false beauty, as if from some dark holes, crawls out into the light of the lamps, seeking your favor. The drunken state of the men and the dimness of the light contribute to the charm of their induced beauty. The comic poet Menander imagines his wife, who has dyed her hair blond, as being kicked out of the house, saying: Now get out of the house because /that/ wife A reasonable person will not dye herself blonde. She does not whiten her cheeks, does not blush, and does not line her eyes. These unfortunate women, they don’t even notice that by imposing false beauty on themselves with foreign materials, they are thereby ruining their natural beauty. From early morning they tug at their members and stretch them, blinding themselves with various dough-like mixtures, they “thaw” the time, although they refresh the skin, but the toxicity of the tinctures they use makes their body wrinkled; with eternal washings, they strip off the natural color of the skin. The white and rouge applied to the face gives them a pale appearance; They become susceptible to diseases, because the flesh becomes sluggish from constant painting with a brush. And after death they will give an account to the Creator for violating their reverence for Him, as if He had not given them the beauty that they deserved. Naturally, they become careless in their households, and from being in charge, they become like statues painted for exhibition. Therefore, the intelligent woman says to the comedian: “What more intelligent and outstanding thing could we do now, women, who are sitting dressed up, shaming the character of a free woman? We destroy homes, we make marriages miserable, our children complain about us.” In a similar way, another comic poet, Antifan, in “Malfak”, referring to the passion of women for imposing false beauty on themselves with various fakes and rubbings, ridicules this heteromania of theirs in expressions that also apply to women of the present time. He says: “She comes as if approaching, but passes by; no, he comes up again and doesn’t come back, he stops; here she is; she blows her nose, sits down at the table, combs her hair, takes off her beads, cleans herself, washes, looks in the mirror, wrinkles her face, rubs herself with various odorous essences, gets dressed, sprays herself; if she has something, she pins it on herself.” Women who eat crocodile droppings and rub themselves with rotten snake saliva, smear soot on their eyelids and smear white lead on their cheeks face not just one death, but three times. And if they were an object of disgust for pagan poets, then shouldn’t they be considered outcasts in the age of truth? Another comic writer, Alexis, also rebels against them. I will also quote his words, exposing the stubborn shamelessness of women. However, the image of the poet seems to be already exaggerated; the matter, however, did not come to that. I am almost embarrassed to quote him and would willingly like to come to the aid of the ladies so sarcastically ridiculed. “And she fails her husband; She advises him to care first of all about profits and robbery of neighbors, everything else is a secondary matter for her. Having settled in this way at the expense of her husband, she begins to practice such things. If she is too short, she sews a cork into her shoes; if she is too tall, she wears shoes with thin soles and hides her head between her shoulders - this reduces her height. If her hips are narrow, then he puts pads on them so that those who meet her will marvel out loud at her beautiful butt. If her belly is saggy, she straightens it out by applying different pads, as some comedians make her do. nurses on stage. If the stomach is sunken, then she uses rods to force it to move outward. If she has blond eye eyebrows, she smears them with soot; if black, then whitens them; if they become too white, you can add paint. If she has a particularly beautiful spot on her body, she exposes it. If she has excellent teeth, she forces herself to laugh; everyone should see the beauty of her mouth. If she doesn’t want to laugh, then she spends the whole day gnawing on pieces of myrtle wood, so that she doesn’t want to, but her teeth are still visible.” I have cited this passage from worldly wisdom to deviate you from the vulgarity of this cosmetic art; Logos wants to save us in every possible way. I will soon confirm this with passages from the Holy Scriptures. To turn us away from our sins, it has the custom of even openly expressing shameful reproaches to us. Like a plaster applied to the hand, or an eye smeared with essence, immediately gives reason to suspect illness: in the same way, smeared cheeks reveal a sick soul in the depths. The Divine Teacher forbids you to approach “foreign rivers.” By someone else's river He means the flirtatious wife of another, who pours out pleasantries in front of everyone and lavishes her flirtatious promiscuity in front of everyone to the point of cloying. “Stay away from strange water,” it says, “and do not drink from strange springs” (Prov. 9:18). It warns us by this against the flow of voluptuousness, wishing us longevity, may many years of life be added to us. This passage can be understood as a warning against the unclean waters of voluptuousness or unclean heretical teachings. Pleasures of taste and drinking are very vulgar passions, but the passion for clothes is more vulgar. Tables furnished with food, circular bowls are still able to satisfy the lusts of the throat; but the inclination for finery, purple, and precious stones cannot be satisfied by all the gold that is above the earth and under the earth; neither the Tire sea is enough for her, nor the goods of India and Ethiopia and Pactolus with its golden waves; and even if someone were Midas, he would still not receive enough, but would begin to feel poor, since he desires greater wealth; such people would die if the gold disappeared. And if wealth is blind, then shouldn’t his girlfriends and admirers be blind too? They know no limits to their greed and fall into shamelessness. They need to be everywhere: in the theater, in processions, and at festivities; they take walks to churches and stop in squares so that everyone can see them here. Then they dress up so that others want to please them, shining, however, only with their faces, and not with their hearts. Just as runaway slaves are branded, so colorful clothes are a dandy. “But although you dress in purple, although you adorn yourself with golden clothes, although you paint your eyes with colors, you adorn yourself in vain,” says the Logos in Jeremiah (Jer. 4:30). Further, horses, birds and other animals are allowed to jump out or fly out from the green meadows in their natural decoration, with a mane, with a natural skin color, and colorful feathers. A woman, on the contrary, does not become lower than an animal when she considers herself so little beautiful that she needs fake, purchased and painted beauty? Hair nets, namely, of various varieties, intricate braiding of hair and so on, and a thousand ways of curling curls and an expensive apparatus of mirrors, in front of which they create beauty in order to catch reckless, childish admirers of their appearance: all these are the accessories of wives who have lost all shame, who can be called hetaeras, because they make masks out of their faces. The Logos commands us to “strive not for what is visible, but for what is invisible, because what is visible is temporary, but what is invisible is eternal” (2 Cor. 4:18). But, what exceeds all nonsense: in order to contemplate their bedraggled figure, as if the product of some great deed, they invented a mirror so that they could cover up the deceitfulness of their embellishments more subtly. But the beautiful Narcissus did not have the happiness of being a spectator of his own image, as one of the Greek myths reports. If God, through Moses, commands people not to make any artificial images of Him, then are women really doing the right thing when, reflecting their own image in the mirror, they put a mask on their face in front of it? But also to the prophet Samuel, who was sent to anoint one of the sons of Jesse as king and, at the sight of the most beautiful and representative of them, came into admiration and was already preparing to pour out the oil. The Lord said: “Do not look at his appearance or at the height of his stature; I rejected him"; I do not see as “a man sees; for man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart” (1 Samuel 16:7). And Samuel anointed the beautiful man, not in body, but in soul. If now the Lord values ​​the natural beauty of the body less than the beauty of the soul, then what will He think of false beauty, Oh, who is the enemy of all lies? “For we walk by faith and not by sight” (2 Cor. 3:7). In Abraham, the Lord shows very clearly that whoever listens to God must despise the fatherland, relatives, property and wealth. God made Abraham a foreigner (Gen. 12:1; etc.); for this He calls him a friend (James 2:23), since for God he left his home abundance (Abraham was of famous family and very rich). And with 318 people of his house, he defeated the four kings who had taken Lot captive (Gen. 14:14ff). Only Esther was decorated according to decency; For the sake of the king, her attire had a mysterious meaning; Her beauty was the ransom price for her condemned people to death. And that the passion for clothes makes wives hetaeras, and husbands hermaphrodites and criminal ingratiators of female inclination, this is evidenced by the tragedian in reasoning of this kind: From Phrygia came a man who was above the goddesses The court acted as people's rumors say. He came to Lacedaemon in magnificent colored clothes, Shining gold, with barbaric luxury And he lived here, being in love with Elena and Seducing her to escape to Ida's bull stalls, In the absence of Menelaus from home. Such is beauty; she is the mother of infidelity. The barbaric attire and luxurious clothing of the effeminate husband were the cause of the revolution in Hellas. Even Laconian moderation was bribed by clothing, splendor and brilliant beauty. The barbaric pomp of Zeus's daughter was carried away into a criminal affair. They did not have a Teacher who would eradicate desires in them; there was no one who would say: “Do not commit adultery” and “Do not covet” (Ex. 20:14, 17); Do not go so far as to do this with your sensual desires, but do not inflame your desires with the luxury of clothes. And what was the consequence of this? And what misfortune befell them after they did not want to curb their pride? Entire two parts of the world were shocked by these dissolute desires, and all this confusion was caused by a barbaric youth. All of Hellas boards the ships, the sea becomes crowded because land moves through it. A long war begins, strong battles break out. The plain is filled with corpses, the barbarian mocks the Hellenic camp ((Iliad, XIII)), injustice triumphs, and the eye of the poetic Zeus turns favorably towards the Thracians; the barbarian fields will be filled with noble blood, and the rivers will be dammed with corpses; they piteously beat themselves on the chest, and sadness reigns on the earth; the base and peaks of Ida, rich in springs, are shaken, and with them the cities of the Trojans and the ships of the Achaeans. Ah, Homer! Where should we run, where should we stop? Show us a land that does not waver. Do not touch with a bridle, because/ you do not know the way; Don’t even mount the saddle, because you don’t know how to ride. There are two charioteers in heaven; Fire listens only to them alone. Prudence is diverted from its path by lust; and sound thinking, not curbed by the Logos, easily falls into arrogance, and the consequence of this deviation is overthrow. Proof of this are the angels who left the beauty of God for the sake of transient beauty and fell from heaven to earth. But the Shechemites are also punished for desecrating the pious virgin; her tomb is a witness to her good manners, and the monument of punishment serves us as a saving warning (Gen. 34:25; ff). Chapter 3. Against fashionable men And such is the depravity of morals that it is not only women who are crushed by this vain concern for appearances, but also among men this disease rages, yes, a disease; because whoever is not free from this tendency to embellish himself ostentatiously and counting on seducing others, is sick. By diligently caring for their body and achieving its sleekness, such men become effeminate, force themselves to cut their hair in the manner in which slaves and dandies wear it, drape themselves in transparent clothes, chew mastic, smear themselves with fragrant lipsticks, rub themselves with fragrant oils, and scent themselves with perfumes. What can you say when you see such men? A physiognomist will already determine by their appearance what kind of people they are. These are criminal ingratiators of other people's wives of criminal inclination, unmasculine people, serving Aphrodite on both sides, hair-haters, beardless, harboring fear of this color of masculinity, even combing the hair on their heads just like women. “Dedicated to criminal and reckless plans all their lives, these wicked people commit outrageous and vile deeds,” says the Sibyl. In our cities, many people are busy oiling these men's double-breasted clothes, shaving them and plucking their hair. Many establishments of this kind have been set up and open everywhere, and the masters of this unusually exploratory art collect a lot of money from men who allow themselves to be tarred and hairy parts of their bodies pulled out. This kind of people are not ashamed of either the perpetrators of this tarring of theirs, or the random visitors to the establishment during this time, or themselves, although they are still men. These people are slaves to the most disgusting passions, allowing themselves to be forcibly, namely by means of a resin plaster, freed of hair from their entire body and made it polished. I would be reluctant to go into the details of this shamelessness of theirs; but if they find it possible to do everything on themselves, then I don’t have to stop before publishing it. Diogenes put one of these people who had lost all shame, brought to the market for sale, to a great extent by ashaming him, turning to him quite legally with the following proposal: “Come here, dear, buy yourself a husband.” With such an ambiguous address he punished the art of that man, designed to seduce others. Isn’t it really cool to be a man and force him to remove the hair from his body, and instead put a gloss on it? Tinting gray hair, putting pomade on it, making it light brown is the only thing that double-bred men can be interested in; and their women's hairstyle testifies to the same thing. These freaks, dyeing their hair and making themselves look younger, live with the dream that for them, like snakes, it is possible to throw off the old skin from their heads. They really do cleverly tint their hair, but they still can’t remove the wrinkles from their faces; and they also do not avoid death, covering old age with art. Meanwhile, there is nothing terrible in the image of an old man, absolutely nothing, and efforts to cover up one’s deep age are completely in vain. The closer one comes to the boundaries of his life, the more truly he becomes only more honorable, because at a deep age a person has only God alone older than himself; God is, after all, an eternal old man, older than all created things; the prophet calls Him “The Ancient of Days; and the hair of His head is like frequent wool” (Dan. 7:9). “You cannot make a single hair,” says the Lord, “white or black” (Matthew 5:36). Is it not audacity, therefore, to compete with the Creator, or, better said. Counteract him by dyeing your gray hair? “How fitting it is for elders to be able to give advice,” says Scripture (Sir. 23:6), and a gray head is the color of life experience; those who tint it therefore stain not only the honor of their great age, but also sin against the One who whitens their hair, distinguishing their elders with this sign of respect. It is impossible, absolutely “impossible” for an honest soul to put up with tinting the hair on his head. “You have not come to know Christ in this way,” says the apostle, “because you have heard about Him and in Him you have learned—for the truth is in Jesus—to put off your former way of life, the old man,” (not the one that has turned grey, but) “which is being corrupted by the deceitful lusts, to be renewed” (not with colors and self-preening for show, but) “to put on the new man, created according to God, in righteousness and true holiness." (Eph. 4:20–24). If a man turns out to be very busy with his hair, constantly combing it, cutting it in front of the mirror, straightening it, shaving and plucking it, polishing his face, then isn’t he becoming a woman? And truly, you need to strip such a person naked so as not to be considered a woman. And the desires of such people are half feminine. Since custom does not allow them to wear gold jewelry, they border their clothes with gold woven braids, hang gold balls on their heels, and lower the same spherical things from their necks. These little things are the invention of these people who have gone crazy, these regulars of harems, these double-breasted creatures, devoted only to their sensual lusts. This passion to show off oneself and to seduce oneself is unclean; it is, in fact, the seat of indecency. God wanted the woman to have smooth skin and only her head to be adorned with this native and luxurious hair outfit; it gives her appearance a dignified appearance, just as a horse has an ornament in its mane that gives it a proud appearance. The Creator, like the lions, adorned the man with a beard and gave him a courageous appearance in a hairy chest, serving as a sign of strength and dominance. In the same way, roosters fight among themselves over chickens. The Creator decorated it with a comb-like growth. And the Creator places this hair, given to a man, so highly that, along with reason, he points out in it the advantage of a husband; and being himself admirable in his greatness, He adorned the representative appearance of a man at his highest age with venerable gray hair. Reason and good dispositions, becoming as if gray from the depths, mature only with time and gradually; and appearing visibly in the form of gray hair, they show, in the counsels of old age, weighty experience, representing the most amiable color of the venerable understanding bestowed by faith. The characteristic feature of a man, the beard, which reveals him to be a husband, is older than Eve, and is a symbol of a comparatively stronger nature. That is why the Creator found it appropriate to decorate a husband with hair and why he strewed his entire body with it; He removed the smooth and soft parts from the sides of the man’s body and created from them a wife, Eve, distinguished by a more delicate organization and delicacy of form, as a companion in the marriage state and the head of the household, intended, in fact, for generating the embryonic grain and procreation. The man, since the smoothness was removed from his body, remained a husband and already appears in his outward appearance as a husband; he is innately active, just as a wife is innately passive; because it is overgrown with thick hair and by its very nature is drier and hotter than smooth. Therefore, a man himself, who is more densely covered with hair, is hotter compared to his wife, just as he is not castrated compared to a eunuch and is fully grown compared to an undeveloped one. Raising your hand to your hair, this symbol of masculine nature, means it’s criminal. This artificial smoothing of the skin - the Logos itself inflames me against this - if it is carried out on anyone in fulfillment of his plans for men, it betrays the durandas in the ironed; if this means women, then the person being polished means that he is a criminal ingratiator of women and, on their part, a criminal inclination; but both categories of men from our society should be expelled as far as possible. “The hairs of your head are all numbered,” says the Lord (Matt. 10:30); This means both the hair of the chin and the hair of the whole body. So, the hairs numbered by God should not be cut off, contrary to His will. “Or do you not know yourselves that Jesus Christ is in you?” says the apostle (2 Cor. 13:3); If you knew that He lives in us, then I don’t understand how you could decide to insult Him. I don’t want to allow myself to be covered with resin, I don’t even want to talk about this vile operation, while at the same time turning my back to someone else, bending over, standing and, fully revealing the secrets of nature, then bending forward, then back, allowing this unnatural operation to be carried out on myself even in the middle of a gymnasium where people gather, but only declaring my efficiency, without blushing at the same time either to myself or to the meeting of young men, doesn’t it represent Is this an extreme form of shamelessness? Whoever behaves this way in society is unlikely to be ashamed of anyone in his own home. Shameless behavior in society testifies to the complete unbridledness of that person in a secret place, because whoever renounces his masculine nature in daylight, there can be no doubt that at night he is playing the role of a wife. “There shall be no harlot among the daughters of Israel, and no fornicator among the sons of Israel,” says the Logos through the mouth of Moses (Deut. 23:17). “But resin is useful, they say. She takes away the good reputation, I say. No one of sound mind would want to be and seem to be a kined, to be subjected to the diseases of this, voluntarily allowing himself to do acts that dishonor the beauty of the image of God in man. “For whom He foreknew, I predestined to be conformed to the image of My Son,” for whose sake, in fact, according to the apostle. He pointed out to the Son “to be the firstborn among many brothers” (Rom. 8:28, 29), then aren’t those who corrupt the bodily image of God wicked? If a man wants to be beautiful, then he must develop the most beautiful thing in a person - the mind: every day it should be decorated more and more worthy and obvious. And it’s not your hair that you should rip out, but your desires. I feel sorry for the poor boys. sold in the slave market for mockery, decorated; but they do not dishonor themselves; for the purposes of shameful trade they preen themselves according to orders. If someone voluntarily allows acts to be committed on himself, for the commission of which in manhood another would be subject to the death penalty, then is he not the most despicable scoundrel? And at present, human life is characterized by extreme unbridled morals, sin has grown enormously; All kinds of immorality spread throughout the cities and became commonplace. Women stand at brothels and sell their flesh to the lustful. Boys, taught to renounce their own nature, take on the role of wives. By the debauchery of morals, everything has been moved out of place, humanity has been dishonored, dissolute desires that exceed all measure are chasing after everything, achieving everything, forcing themselves to do everything, perverting nature; men unnaturally take on the role of women, women - men; there are women getting married, but also getting married; all paths to lust are open. Aphrodite wanders the streets and has become a family guest. A pitiful sight! Oh, the image of life is outrageous! Such wonderful fruits are produced by the social life of our big cities: abomination, obscenity, street women. Oh, lawless life! They, unfortunate ones, do not know how many sad scenes such intercourse with unknown persons can contain. Without even suspecting it, the father often copulates with his corrupted son, with his fornicating daughter, does not remember about the children living outside the house, and the hour of lust thereby proves to what extent their fathers are husbands. The wisdom of the laws turns a blind eye to this kind of unnaturalness; the law allows sin and vile lust is called an indifferent act; They think that they avoid responsibility for adultery if it becomes their nature. But punishing justice is at their heels for this wickedness; they bring upon themselves an inexorable fate and, for a small coin that rewards dissolute women, buy their own death. Wicked merchants bring whole ships of these outcast creatures and, as if it were bread or wine, they trade with fornicators; others, even more pitiful people, buy lust in the market, like bread and provisions, and do not think at all about the saying of Moses: “Do not defile your daughter by allowing her to commit fornication, lest the land commit fornication and the land be filled with depravity” (Lev. 19:29). This was predicted long ago, and its fulfillment has followed in our days: the whole earth is full of fornication and intemperance. I marvel at the ancient legislators of the Romans. They prohibited this practice of duplicity under pain of punishment, and for unnatural voluptuousness, according to the just law, they were subject to burial alive. Therefore, it is not permissible to pluck a beard; this is a decoration given by nature itself, a true adornment. A beard just coming out is a most pleasant sight ((Odyssey, X, 279)); forward in his life, the one who acts anoints her, so that the most praised Aaron, for example, had prophetic oil flowing from her (Ps. 132:2). The true pet of the Teacher, on whom the world rests, must live in peace with his hair. After this, why should wives, prone to criminally seeking the affections of men, resort to a mirror, if in men who reach such impudence, they have a mirror? Not men, no, but helipads (patikas, kineds) and effeminate people should be called; their voice is broken, their costume is female in both material and color. Such people can be recognized by their appearance, by their clothes, by their shoes, by their demeanor, by their gait, by their hairstyle, by their gaze. “A man is known by his appearance,” says Scripture, “and by the expression of his face when he meets, he is known to be wise. A person’s clothing and teeth and gait show his character” (Sir. 19:26–27). This kind of people pluck hair on their chin, on other parts of the body, everywhere, only on their heads they tend to grow it, and like wives they throw almost a net over their locks. Lions are happy with their thick mane, and in the fight it serves as protection for them. And the boars have fun with their bristles and with their raised hair they terrify the hunters. And the woolly sheep radiates health in the form of disheveled hair. The humane Heavenly Father gifted her with luxurious curly hair for your own benefit, man, having taught you how to cut your hair. Of the pagan peoples, the Celts and Scythians wear their hair long, but do not preen themselves. Nevertheless, the luxurious hair of the barbarian is something terrible, and its light red color is reminiscent of war; this light brown hair color is related to the color of blood. But both of these barbarian peoples are enemies of a licentious life; clear evidence of this is the Rhine among the Germans and the cart among the Scythians. The Scythian sometimes even leaves the cart; its size is considered by the barbarian a sign of wealth and, leaving a more or less comfortable life on it, he furnishes his household even more simply. He takes a skiff horse that is more agile than a cart, jumps on it and gallops wherever he wants; tired and hungry, he demands food from the horse; and she opens her veins to him and calms him with the only thing she has - her blood; For nomads, a horse is housing and food. Among the Arabs, another nomadic people, the youth capable of carrying weapons consists of camel riders; they also mount pregnant camels; These graze and run around in their company, take them back onto their backs and carry the entire household with them. And if these people feel a lack of drink, then they milk these animals; and if there is not enough food, then they do not spare their blood, just as rabid wolves do. But these animals, more meek than the barbarians, do not remember the injustice done to them, bravely pass through the deserts, carrying their masters and feeding them. May they perish, these brutal camel drivers, for whom the blood of these animals serves as food! A person has no right to touch blood, since his own body is nothing more than flesh formed from blood. Human blood also has a part in the Logos and, through the mediation of the Holy Spirit, participates in grace (of God). And if anyone insults Them, he will not hide (from vengeance), because the blood of the body can itself cry out to the Lord (Gen. 4:10). – Otherwise, I approve of the life of barbarians, which does not have complex needs; they love easy-to-raise farming and do not know luxury. In this sense, the Lord calls to us: “You must be pure from insensibility to moral decency, pure from vain love of glory, free from sins, only bearing the tree of life, only holding firmly to the path of salvation.” Chapter 4. About good and bad community However, without noticing it myself, I evaded the subject. I want to return to him and say a few negative words against the maintenance of numerous office personnel. They don’t want to be active themselves, to serve themselves, and resort to servants, hiring a whole crowd of cooks, footmen and skilled waiters. Their functions are varied. One class of them is concerned with the pleasures of taste: these are the food makers, cooks, pastry makers, confectioners, makers of fine creams and inventors. Their second class is preoccupied with the rich wardrobe of their owners. Still others keep gold jewelry, as if they were vultures guarding gold. Still others store silver utensils, wash drinking glasses, goblets, glasses and keep tableware in order. A fifth of them are just busy cleaning their pets. A whole crowd of cup drinkers is busy with wines; whole crowds of beautiful boys, as if they were some kind of herd, then only fatten up so that later they can milk the beauty out of them. The wives are surrounded by barbers and maids; one supplies a mirror, another a hair net, the third a comb. And the eunuchs are here, busy pimping. Being themselves incapable of love pleasures, they, free from suspicion, at least provide services to others in matters of dubious morality. The true eunuch is not the one who cannot, but who does not want to give free rein to his desires (Matthew 19:12). Therefore, the Logos, angry at the sinful Jews, when they wanted to have a king, through the prophet Samuel promises to give them a ruler who is not humane, but threatens them with a despotic and voluptuous tyrant, “who,” He says, “will take your daughters to make ointments, cook food and bake bread” (1 Sam. 8:13), who will exercise his power over you. He will assert himself in a military manner, and not as a peaceful prince to rule over you. Then the houses of our rich are swarmed with a whole mass of Celts, whose duty is to lift the stretcher with their wives and carry them on their shoulders. There are no day laborers, wool spinners or weavers in such houses. Housewives of this kind do not even have a work room, and in general they are not occupied with household chores. For whole days, on the contrary, they are surrounded by people who pass on various gossip to them, tell them scandalous stories and destroy both their body and soul with their vulgar clowning and chatter. “Do not follow the majority to evil,” it is said, “and do not resolve disputes by departing from the truth for the majority” (Ex. 23:2), because wisdom is the property of only a select few, while stupidity is the lot of the masses. And the wives buy such porters for themselves not out of any reluctance to be visible in the city - this would be quite amiable, that is, if for these purposes they hid in their sedan chairs - on the contrary: to be carried by servants in palanquins, it gives them pleasure and they want to show off with it. And since at the same time they throw back the curtain and exchange sharp glances with men, they give through that idea about their character. Often they completely lean out of their sedan chairs and, through such frivolous agility, most shamefully violate the most ordinary morality. “Do not look around in the streets of the city,” it says, “and do not wander through its empty places” (Sir. 9:7). And truly a deserted place is where an unbridled crowd stands and there is not a single reasonable person. And in these very places our rich women order to be carried around in sedan chairs. Sometimes they are carried around churches, here they make sacrifices and listen to prophecies. And these pilgrimages of theirs last for whole days, during which they spend time among buffoons, religious swindlers, pathetic dish-lickers at the altars, these ruiners of entire families. While drinking from sacrificial cups, they listen to the whisperings of old witches; from wizards they learn to make love potions and magic words to ruin a marriage. They have husbands, and their husbands have them as wives, and soothsayers promise them new ones. How can they not notice that they are being deceived, that for these dirty people they meet on pilgrimages, they only serve as suppliers of means for a vulgar and sensual life! For this kind of people have exchanged their modesty for the greatest shame and are making a profitable occupation out of their vile depravity. There are many merchants of adulterous debauchery; now from here, now from here they sneak here. These dissolute people have, after all, a passion, an attraction to lustful pleasure, like pigs to puddles. From there, Scripture reminds convincingly: “Do not bring every person into your house, for the wily man has many wiles” (Sir. 1:29). And elsewhere; “Let righteous men sup with you, and let your glory be in the fear of the Lord” (Sir. 9:21). To hell with debauchery! “For know this, that no one who is sexually immoral, or unclean, or covetous, who is an idolater, has inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God” (Eph. 3:5). And yet this kind of wives find their joy in communicating with men who unnaturally dishonor themselves. Whole crowds of these shameless people (kineds) rush into their homes, pleasing them with their unbridled tongue, disgusting in appearance, with dirty speeches on their lips, being shameless accomplices in dubious matters, instruments in the criminal acquisition of someone else's inclination. They enter the house laughing and whispering; sniffling and hoarseness of voice reveal their unnatural devotion to matters of lust; With unbridled speeches and antics they try to excite their wives and make them laugh, this harbinger of a dissolute act. Often these libertines or these hunters of prodigal deeds, if they are driven into strong anger by something or if they are pursuing another crowd of kineds to their death, croak just like frogs, because their nose is not in order, as if their bile is located not in the liver, but in the nostrils. Women are still, however, more sophisticated than men. They keep Indian parrots and Median peacocks with them. They amuse themselves with their ugly jesters, lying with them on the sofas, bursting with laughter, dancing wantonly, like a goat, with these tricky dwarfs and caricatures of humanity, amusing themselves to death with the obscene and flat jokes of their Fersit. Some women, for a lot of money, buy themselves a whole crowd of such Fersitic fools and boast not about their husbands, but about these freaks who are a burden on earth (("Iliad", XVIII, 104)); (("Odyssey", XII, 379)). It does not happen that they shelter some honest widow, who, however, would deserve greater sympathy than some dwarf dog from Malta; They turn away from the old man, who stands with complete respect, although they are, of course, more worthy than a human caricature paid for with big money; They do not allow orphaned boys near them - they feed parrots and plovers; They give up their own children, and take young birds into their house; For them, eccentricity is more important than reasonable action. But it would be better to give a living to an honest old man, who, I believe, is more beautiful than a monkey and will be able to say something better than a nightingale. This word will be brought into place here: “He who does good to the poor lends to the Lord” (Prov. 19:17) and another: “As you did to one of the least of these My brothers, you did it to Me” (Matthew 25:40). But in these wives the feeling for prudence is not at all developed and remains rude. They spend their wealth on stones, that is, on pearls and emeralds from India. They spend their money on whole piles of clothes that quickly lose their color and on the purchase of expensive slaves; like satiated hens they rummage through the droppings of life. `But “poverty,” they say, “degrades a man” (Prov. 10:4), meaning by poverty frugality. But it should be said: Poor are those rich people who save nothing for charity. Chapter 5. About behavior in baths What kind of baths do they have? This is a whole collection of halls, open on all sides, arranged with exquisite artistry, light, with muslin curtains on the windows, with furniture shining in gold and silver. Many servants bustle about in those spaces: some serve numerous and varied tableware for drinking and eating, others provide vases for ablutions, others maintain the heat by burning coals in the fireplaces. Our women go so far in their licentiousness that they even eat and drink in the baths. And if they appear in such a rich and luxurious setting, and in addition with their silver, then how can one not think that they are doing this with the aim of showing off themselves in an indecent and vulgar manner? But, boasting in immeasurable impudence with their wealth, and most of all with their rude ease, they thereby bring accusations against their weak, controlled husbands, and in some way against themselves, since without the complex apparatus of these vessels they cannot even sweat and wash themselves in the bathhouse. And poor women, who otherwise do not know luxury, follow the rich women to the same baths. So even when washing their dirt, rich people have a harmful and damning effect on simple morals; They use their wealth as a kind of bait to bait the poor, who, with their mouths open, marvel at the shine of gold. And in order to puzzle these simple people even more, they arrange it in such a way that they and their lovers should be surprised, because soon then these too come here to play with them naked. They reluctantly take off their clothes in front of their husbands, hypocritically making the excuse of modesty, and any man can see these wives, who behave so modestly at home, naked in the bathhouse. Here, without shame, they undress in front of the audience, just as they undress in front of traders of live goods. But Hesiod already rightly advised Wives should not anoint their skin in the bath. Our common baths for men and women lead only to debauchery, because the sight of a naked body generates desire. In the bathhouse, our women seem to wash away the feeling of modesty. Those of them who have not yet reached such a degree of shamelessness, although they do not allow strange men to approach them, they wash themselves with the help of their servants, strip naked in front of the slaves, force them to wash themselves, allowing at least the touch to their timid desire. The servant brought to the mistress’s bathhouse, in the impudence of his desires, hurries to undress, but despite all his rascality, he does it shyly. Ancient athletes were also ashamed to completely expose their male body; they entered into competitions girded with a thigh cover and thus testified to their decency. And today’s women, along with their clothes, are freed from the feeling of shame, they want to show off with their beautiful forms, but without even wanting it, they prove their moral depravity, because it is through the exposure of their bodies that they testify to the filling of their souls with passionate desires, just as the skin of those possessed by water disease is everywhere overflowing with moisture. In both cases, it is easy to recognize the disease at first glance. Husbands should therefore set a proper example for their wives, observing decorum before them; When undressing in their company, they should avoid lustful glances. Because “whoever looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery” (Matthew 5:28). At home, therefore, they must observe good behavior before their parents and servants, on the street - before those they meet, in the bathhouse - before women, alone - before themselves, and everywhere - before the Logos, who is present everywhere and without whom “nothing began to be” (John 1:3). He remains without sin who believes that wherever he is. God is present with him everywhere. Chapter 6. Christianity is true wealth In the use of wealth, therefore, prudence must be observed; out of love for humanity one should be generous, not be stingy, but one should not indulge in extravagance; Noble activity should not degenerate into selfishness and vanity. Let no one among us say anything like this: “This man’s horse is worth 15 talents, or his estate, his slave, or his gold utensils; and it itself is no more expensive than three kopecks.” Imagine wives without ornaments, masters without slaves, and you will find that the master is no different from the servant either in his gait, or in his gaze, or in his language: they are so similar to slaves; if they differ from servants in any way, it is perhaps in comparative physical weakness, being sickly as a result of their upbringing. This should always be considered the best and most glorious doctrine: “A good, wise and righteous man lays up for himself treasures in heaven. “He turns his earthly property into money and distributes it to the poor,” receiving for that “enduring” treasure where “there is neither moth nor thieves.” Such a one is truly blessed, even if he were insignificant, weak and inglorious; he becomes the owner of the greatest and true wealth. And whoever is unjust and as arrogant as the rich man who dresses in gold and purple and despises Lazarus, even if he were richer than both Kinyura and Midas, is unhappy, he leads a miserable existence and does not live a true life. Wealth, it seems to me, is like a snake: if someone from afar cannot correctly distinguish it, how it, hanging on the tip of its tail, swings in the air, without causing danger to anyone, then it wraps itself around his hand and kills him. In the same way, wealth has a remarkable property: when touched unskillfully and inexperienced, it twists like a snake, wraps itself around the owner and kills him. And if someone disposes of it generously and judiciously, he, striking this poisonous animal with the magic of the Logos, remains unharmed. Rich people do not pay enough attention to these truths; that is why they cannot boast of true wealth. What is precious is not precious stones, not silver utensils, not clothing, not physical beauty, but virtue. And it consists in using reason, in which the Teacher gave us the principle for action. This mind does not like luxury; he is a sincere servant of the Logos and praises moderation, the daughter of wisdom. “Accept my teaching,” He says, and not silver; “Knowledge is better than choice gold; for wisdom is better than pearls, and nothing desired can be compared with it” (Prov. 8:10–11). And again: “My fruits are better than gold and the purest gold, and my profit is greater than choice silver” (Prov. 8:19). It is necessary to distinguish between these two types of wealth and how they differ from one another. You can be the owner of great material wealth, and yet look like a dirty purse filled with gold. A righteous husband is a truly beautiful phenomenon, because beauty consists in good order, in the disposal and use of property, depending on need and circumstances. “Some people pour in generously and more is added to him” (Prov. 11:24); about this kind of people it is written: “He was lavish, he gave to the poor; his righteousness endures forever” (Ps. 112:9). It is not the one who owns property and takes care of it who is rich, but the one who shares it; Giving, not possessing, makes us happy. But generosity is the fruit of a spiritual disposition; true wealth lies, therefore, in the soul. Only good people can be considered truly rich; but only Christians can be good. The feeling of an unreasonable and unbridled person cannot be disposed towards good; Therefore, he cannot spread good around himself; Christians are capable of this; their righteousness is true wealth and the Logos is more precious than any other treasure. He is not the product of herds and fields, but a gift from God, an indestructible wealth, acquired at the cost of only spiritual devotion to Him; He is a treasure that truly makes us happy; He gives us true bliss. For if the Logos (reason) becomes someone’s property, then he does not strive for anything unattainable; on the contrary, he achieves the goal of his aspirations; for every just desire he receives satisfaction from God. And doesn’t he then become the owner of many things, even everything? Treasures of the imperishable, after all, he becomes the owner, namely. God. “Ask,” it says, “and it will be given to you; knock, and it will be opened to you” (Matthew 7:7). But if God does not deny anything to the one who fears Him, then the God-fearing person is, therefore, the owner of the entire universe. Chapter 7 In pleasures, drowning voluptuousness is the most unfortunate cliff for a person. An effeminate and empty life, to which so many are devoted, is contrary to the sense of true beauty and is inconsistent with the simple, modest joys of a truly educated person. Man is a being turned to grief by nature itself, placing himself above others and striving to possess the one and eternal beauty, the creation of which he is. Life devoted to the womb is not something sublime; on the contrary, it is shameful, disgusting, ridiculous; the pursuit of pleasure is something completely alien to the Divine nature; the pleasures of the womb resemble sparrows, the sexual pleasures resemble pigs and goats. It is extreme rudeness to consider such pleasures as some kind of good. As for the love of money, it leads people away from the right path in life, drowning out their sense of decency and aversion to shameful deeds. Of course! The rich man, like an animal, only wants to eat a lot, drink a lot, and not be deprived of sensual pleasures; he has the means to satisfy all kinds of desires. And that is why so few of them become heirs of the kingdom of God, which is open, however, to everyone (Mark 10:24). For them, happiness lies in eating a lot. For for what other purpose are so many dishes prepared, if not to fill the stomach of one person? Proof of the disgusting nature of this gastronomic passion are the latrines that receive the excrement of dinners. In fact, why keep so many crabfish to pour various wines, if a glass of water is enough to quench your thirst? Why so many chests to store luxurious clothes? What are these golden household utensils for? Why so many other elegant things? Is it not to satisfy the gaze of the insatiable, or to lure thieves and other criminals? It is better to let “mercy and truth not forsake you,” says Scripture (Prov. 3:3). In the prophet Elijah we have a wonderful example of moderation. When he was sitting under a bush in the desert and, dying of hunger, waiting for help only from God, an angel brought him “a baked cake and a jug of water” (1 Kings 19:6). This is the kind of breakfast the Lord sent the prophet. We, who walk the paths of truth, should be all the more free from every useless burden. “Take neither bag, scrip, nor sandals,” says the Lord (Luke 10:4), that is, do not acquire any wealth saved in purses. Do not fill your barns with bread, just as a sower fills his bosoms with grain, but divide it among those in need. Finally, do not buy yourself horses and slaves, whose purpose is to transport the luggage of the rich and impede their movement, which is why it is allegorically called shoes. Therefore, we should be far from burdening ourselves with useless utensils, gold and silver cups, and a bunch of useless servants. Our beautiful and right retinue should be the one to which our Teacher points us, teaching us to serve ourselves and be content with little. If we want to be accepted by the Logos, then we must go to Him along the path He laid out for us. And if someone has a wife and children, then they cannot hinder anyone on his holy path if he teaches them to go with the same constancy with which he himself follows his Guide. A wife who loves her husband should prepare to travel with him. Moderation, combined with moral stability that never betrays oneself - this is the sure money on the way to heaven. The measure for each possession must be the need, just as the measure for shoes is the foot. What goes beyond these limits - and this is the so-called elegance, whether it consists of utensils or clothes - all this during the journey will only hinder us, and will not serve us as support and will not be our decoration. Ascending to heaven with tension (Matthew 11:12; Luke 16:16), we can rely on the staff of charity; it, being turned by us towards those in need, can also be our rest on the way. “A man redeems his life with his wealth,” says Scripture (Prov. 13:8), that is, if someone is rich, then charity will save him. Just as a key source, and, having been drawn up, is filled to its previous measure, so generosity multiplies and replenishes itself. Philanthropy is precisely a never-ending source; No matter how much it gives water to the thirsty, milk from it, like to a sucked breast and milked udder, usually flows again. He is not poor who is protected by the ruler of the world, the Divine Logos; he never needs what is necessary. For to be under the protection of the Logos means, after all, not to have any unnecessary needs and at the same time to have near you a constant source for all kinds of contentment. And if someone would like to claim that he has seen how a righteous person often does not have a piece of bread, then, I object, that this happens rarely and only where there is no other righteous person (who would help the needy). And yet, even in this case, we read the word: “man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God” (Matthew 4:4), which is true bread, for it is food sent to us from heaven (John 6:23; etc.). As long as he clings to God, the righteous man, therefore, never lacks anything. Whatever he needs, he can ask for everything and receive everything from the Father of the universe (Matthew 7:7-8), but he can also feed on himself, having His Son within himself. So he does not feel lacking in anything. Logos, our Teacher, endows us with wealth and precisely wealth, which does not arouse envy in anyone, because we do not have unnecessary needs. Whoever is rich in this wealth becomes an heir to the Kingdom of God. Chapter 8. That the chief strength of true and sound doctrine is in patterns and examples. If one of you completely renounces luxury and leads a simple life, he will learn to endure involuntary difficulties more easily, because voluntary labor for him will become a constant school of exercises, preparing him to endure the blows of fate; and if someone found himself in need amid various horrors and sad circumstances, they would no longer be a surprise to him. That is why we are told that we should not consider this land our fatherland: we should neglect earthly goods. Simplicity of the way of life is the most reliable and most effective of all blessings; This is an inexhaustible cash fund, from which disbursements are made only to satisfy extreme needs and as needed. We discussed in detail in the conversation about marriage about the joint life of spouses, about the fact that they should use only their own services, about the household, about keeping servants, as well as about marriage hours and the decency that women should observe. We must say something more about the good educational method in the form of an additional sketch in the picture of Christian life that we have outlined. Most of what could be said on this subject has already been stated; pedagogy is sketched out; We will add the rest on this subject here. Examples are of no small importance in the economy of our salvation. Here is what the tragedy says: Telemachus did not kill Ulisse’s wife; and she did not leave one husband for another; The marriage bed of her home remained unsullied. If anyone wants to condemn the ardent ingratiation of criminal inclinations in other people's wives, he will have an example of abstinence from lust in the faithful love of this wife for her husband. The Lacedaemonians forced their slaves to get drunk and, pointing them out to children, used their drunken clanging as a kind of cure for this vice and encouragement to an abstinent life. When raising their children, the Lacedaemonians, therefore, drew their attention to the madness of their helots, and it became a warning for the children, stopping them from falling into such a shameful state; The disgusting behavior of drunken slaves was useful for the children of the Lacedaemonians because it protected them from this vice. Some people still achieve salvation with the help of people, while others strive for virtue and practice it self-taught. There is no one better who has achieved understanding by himself. This is Abraham, who sought God. But the one who listens to the wise word is also noble. These are disciples who obey the Logos. Because of this, one is called a “friend” (James 2:23), others “Apostles”, one seeks the same God with labor, the other preaches about Him: both of them belong to the people (of God); and the listeners of both (their following in their footsteps): one is made happy by seeking, the other finds his bliss in finding. But whoever himself does not understand anything and does not notice anything in others, in order to hide something in his heart, that person is good for nothing. This people is pagan, useless in the great family of humanity, a people who do not know the teachings of Christ and do not want to know. But our Teacher, Friend of people, comes to people’s aid in a variety of ways, praising them for one thing and blaming them for another. In other people's falls, He shows us, who are ready to fall, their shame; when we are ready to commit a crime, as a guide and leader of our soul, He points us to the next punishment, lovingly trying to create in us an aversion to sins by pointing to people who were previously punished for them. With such examples He turns some away from their evil dispositions, restrains others from similar undertakings, strengthens others in patience, and heals some with this similar theory and brings them to improvement. Because whoever, seeing another stumble and fall into a hole, will not watch so as not to be exposed to the same danger; who will not avoid following the paths of sin? Or will any athlete, following the paths of glory and seeing his predecessor receive the reward of victory, not strive for the crown and compete with his elder Companions? There are many similar examples presented by Divine wisdom before our eyes. I would like to mention one of these examples and briefly outline it. The misfortune of the Sodomites was the judgment of God, punishing sinners, and for the children of God it is an educational tool. The Sodomites, in their perversity, indulged in extreme passions, under the influence of their savagery, became shameless seekers of inclination from other people's wives, molesters of boys. The All-Seeing Logos, from whom no sinful deed remains hidden, saw this and, being the watchful Guardian of humanity, did not calmly react to their indecency. In order to keep us from imitating them, in order to educate us to the wisdom of our lives, in order to give some sinners a strong warning, so that, due to the impunity of dissipation, to prevent its growth from increasing to the point of shamelessness, He decided to destroy Sodom by fire (Gen. 19:1). He poured out only a little of that edifying flame on the crime of the Sodomites, so that its passion would remain unpunished and so that its gates would not open too wide for the slaves of voluptuousness. The just punishment of the Sodomites, therefore, serves as an example for people, attention to which leads to salvation. Because whoever does not indulge in similar sins for which they were punished will never suffer the punishment that befell these sinners; He who avoids sin also avoids misfortune. I want to remind you, who already know this, says Jude, “that the Lord, having delivered the people from the land of Egypt, then destroyed those who did not believe, and the angels who did not preserve their dignity, but left their dwelling, he will keep in everlasting bonds, under darkness, for the judgment of the great day” (Jude 1: 5-6). And soon after this, He very instructively presents examples of the condemned: “Woe to them, because they have followed the path of Cain, they have turned away from the false path of Balaam, and, having become infected with the spirit of Korah’s stubbornness, they are perishing” (Jude 1:11). Those whose children cannot preserve their freedom must be kept from crime by fear; from there are punishments and threats, so that out of fear of punishment we avoid sin. I could give you examples of punishments for passion for clothes and punishments for vanity, not only for intemperance, and then condemnation for wealth (Matthew 19:24; Luke 6:24), which the Logos uses as a means of averting from injustice. But, paying attention to the length of my abstracts, I want to again adhere to the sequence of the commandments of the Teacher and leave aside the talk of threats. Chapter 9. Incentives for Using Baths You can use the baths - for I deviated from this subject in my essay - for four reasons: for washing, for warming up, for the sake of health and, finally, for pleasure. For pleasure, going to the bathhouse is not in the order of things: shameless pleasures should be completely banished from our morals. Women can use baths in the interests of cleanliness and health, men - only in the interests of health. The motive of warming is unnecessary: ​​members who are numb from the cold can be helped in other ways. Frequent use of baths kills strength and weakens their natural elasticity. Baths often cause exhaustion and fainting. Because the body absorbs moisture in some way in the same way as wood: not only through the lips, but also in the bathhouse through the opening of the so-called pores. Proof of this is that many people stopped feeling thirsty upon entering the bathhouse. Therefore, if the bath does not serve any purpose, then why bother yourself because of it? The ancients called the baths “human rookeries.” Baths accelerate the flabbyness of the human body, through the evaporation of moisture they bring it to premature old age, because the body becomes soft from heat, just like iron; that is why we need, so to speak, to immerse it in cold water and harden it with cold. And you don’t need to go to the bathhouse at all times; One should abstain from the bath if one feels too emaciated or too satiated. No less attention should be paid to physical age and the time of year. Baths are not useful for everyone and not at all times, as is recognized by people familiar with the matter. For us, who in everything in life appeal to the right measure, observing it is especially necessary in this; We should not relax ourselves so much in the baths that when we leave them we need to lean on someone’s hand; We have no business doing anything other than washing ourselves physically and running to the baths during the day as often as to the market. Further, it is madness to call many ministers to pour water on oneself; in relation to neighbors it is offensive pomposity. The soul must be washed first of all with the cleansing waters of the Logos (mind), and the body only from time to time, because of the dirt that sticks to it, just as we use rest only from time to time. “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites,” says the Lord, “for you are like whitewashed tombs, which appear beautiful on the outside, but inside are full of dead bones and all uncleanness” (Matthew 23:27). And again He says to them: “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, because you purify the outside of the cup and the platter, while inside they are full of robbery and unrighteousness. Blind Pharisee! First cleanse the inside of the cup and the dish, so that the outside of them also may be clean” (Matt. 23:25–26). The best bath, therefore, is the one that cleanses the soul, and this is a spiritual bath. The prophet speaks clearly about her: “When the Lord washes away the filth of the daughters of Zion and cleanses the blood of Jerusalem from among her” (Is. 4:4), that is, the blood of lawlessness and the murder of the prophets. The Logos communicates both the type and the image of this purification, adding; “by the spirit of judgment and the spirit of fire,” but cleansing of the bodily flesh can occur through washing with plain water, as often happens in countries where there are no baths. Chapter 10. That attending gymnastics schools is part of a reasonable lifestyle Instead of baths, gymnastics schools are much more useful for young men; but it is not wrong for mature men to visit these other types of establishments more willingly than bathhouses; they strengthen the health of young people, awaken in them competition and ambition, aimed at developing not only physical, but also mental health. And if one devotes oneself to these pursuits without deviating from more important matters, then this is wonderful and not useless. And women should not shy away from bodily exercise; Let them not practice wrestling and running in starts, but rather spin and weave waves, and help the cook if necessary. In addition, the work of wives should be to bring out from the storerooms what we need. Not one of them should consider standing at a handmill a shame; For a housewife and active woman, there is nothing wrong with working in the kitchen to please her husband. Shaking out blankets, feeding a thirsty husband, packing his lunch are the most decent and healthiest bodily exercises for a wife. The teacher praises the wife, who “stretches out her hands to the spinning wheel, and takes her miles to the spindle. She opens her hand to the needy, and gives her hand to the needy” (Prov. 31:19–20). She especially should not be ashamed of her main service (hospitality), and imitate Sarah in this, whom Abraham said: “Knead quickly three sati of the best flour, and make unleavened bread” (Gen. 18:6). “Rachel came,” it is said, with “her father’s flock” (Gen. 29:9). But this was not enough for Scripture; depicting how far this young maiden was from any swagger and arrogance, it adds: “because she shepherded.” But Scripture gives many other examples of women’s simplicity, diligence and bodily work. Of the men, some can wrestle naked, others can play with a ball, especially in the open air in the so-called feninda game; let others be content with traveling around the country and walking around the city; and if someone takes a spade in his hands, then cultivating the land with its help will not represent anything ignoble. I almost forgot that Pittacus, king of Mytilene, also grinded at a mill, that is, he was engaged in hard physical work. It’s great if a man carries water for himself and chops the firewood he consumes. Jacob tended Laban's abandoned sheep, holding in his hands a royal symbol, a styrax staff (Gen. 30:37), which with its wood foreshadowed the transformation of nature into a better one. For many, reading aloud serves as bodily exercise. The struggle that we allow should not be done for the sake of some vain competition, but to cause perspiration on the body; and one should not approach it with boasting of one’s dexterity, but fight by grasping in a straight position of the body, which affects the development of the arms, back and torso from the sides. Such a decent exercise of strength, undertaken in the interests of much-needed and so beneficial health, is excellent and completely worthy of men; other types of gymnastic exercises are associated with poses and body positions that are completely unattractive. And yet in everything one must observe measure and purpose. For, just as it is in the order of things for work to precede food, so it is very bad, burdensome and unhealthy if someone strains beyond measure. Therefore, one should not remain completely inactive, but one should not be exclusively a worker. And what we noticed in relation to food, the same applies to everything and everywhere. There is no need to be a slave to desires and give in to an unbridled life, but there is no need to exceed the limit in the opposite things; right - in the middle; this is a moderate, wise way of life, free from both extremes: both luxury and miserliness. So, as we said above, serving oneself is a correct bodily exercise, for example, if someone takes off his own shoes, washes his feet and wipes his foot rubbed with oil; and washing each other's feet is a matter of mutual justice, just as spending the night near a sick friend, rendering services to the helpless and delivering necessities. And Abraham, it is said, “took butter and milk, and the calf that had been prepared, and set them before them; and he himself stood next to them under the tree. And they ate” (Gen. 18:8). And fishing is included here, as in Peter (John 21:3), if we are allowed to do so through leisure from necessary religious exercises. But the best fishing is that which the Lord taught the disciples, namely, to catch people as they catch fish in water (Matthew 4:18–19). Chapter 11. Brief outline of the best (ideal) way of life Therefore, we do not express an absolute prohibition on wearing gold jewelry and thin clothes; we insist only on the need to curb senseless passions for this kind of thing, so that, once the reins are completely loosened, they do not carry us away to an intemperate life; because sensual lust, if satisfied constantly and completely, is capable of crossing boundaries, resisting and throwing off the rider (of course, the Teacher). - Meanwhile, He, pulling the bridle tightly, encourages the horse (here a person) to go forward and directs it to salvation if, like it did in the wild, it gives in to recklessness, desires and is carried away by aspirations worthy of reproach, such as the pursuit of precious stones, gold, colorful clothes and other trifles. We must constantly keep this venerable word in mind: “And lead a virtuous life among the Gentiles, so that for the reasons why they revile you as evildoers, when they see your good works, they may glorify God” (1 Pet. 2:12). The teacher, as we said above, allows us to put on simple white clothes, wanting us to have in circulation not colorful works of art, but simple, natural ones. With the help of this, he commands us to renounce everything false and counterfeit and strive only for the simple and direct truth. Sophocles, condemning the young man devoted to luxurious luxury, says: He seems to be dressed in women's clothing. Like a soldier, a sailor, an official, and a sage, they all dress in clothes that are unique to them - not smart, but decent and clean. Likewise, the law regarding leprosy, issued by Moses (Lev. 13:1), does not approve of varied and colorful clothes, recognizing them as unclean. He likens clothes that shine in different colors to the scales of a snake; He declares only meat carcasses that do not have motley spots on them, but are completely white from head to toe, clean, so that, like them, we, with the variegated ebb and flow of the soul, would be careful and love the simple and clear color of truth. And the rival of Moses, the very famous Plato, allows the use only of those fabrics on which there are no artificial works, which efficient women usually embroider on them, and recognizes the most decent color as white. Elsewhere he says that colored fabrics should be used for no other purpose than military distinction. Especially for us, men of peace and light, the color white is appropriate. Just as signs, which have a close relationship with the realm of causes, indicate by their presence something, or, better said, prove an existing action, as, for example, smoke testifies to fire, a good complexion and pulse indicate health: similarly, the whiteness of clothes testifies to the state of morals between us. Purity and simplicity are the properties of wise moderation; purity, after all, is a state represented by a life that is pure and untainted by anything shameful, and simplicity is a state that renounces everything unnecessary. Clothes made from durable and especially non-felted materials retain heat in the body; this does not mean as if the clothes themselves had warmth in themselves, no; but it only retains the heat emanating from the body and does not allow it to evaporate; This means that if heat penetrates the body, then it is retained by such clothing, and when heated, the body warms up even more; That’s why you need to dress in such and such clothes, especially in winter. Such clothes are unpretentious. Unpretentiousness is a state by which everything superfluous is rejected and which, in order to prevent shortcomings, desires as much and only as much as is sufficient for a life pleasing to the Logos (reason), for health and for our happiness. – And therefore women should dress in simple, but decent clothes; Of course, they can be made of a softer material than men's, but still not the same as what women dress in, having lost all shame and blossomed in effeminacy. – Clothes should correspond to age, physiognomy, figure, height, calling in life. The Holy Apostle so beautifully advises us: “But put on our Lord Jesus Christ, and do not turn the cares of the flesh into lusts” (Rom. 13:14). – Logos (reason) also does not allow us to insult nature by piercing our earlobes, and also, for the same reason, our nose, so that the word of Scripture does not come true on us: “Like a gold ring in the nose of a pig, a beautiful and foolish woman is” (Proverbs 11:22). In general, if anyone thinks that gold adorns him, he himself is of less value than gold. But whoever assigns to himself less importance than gold is not a master over it. To declare oneself to be something less important and less valuable than the sand of the Lydian rivers is not the greatest thoughtlessness? Like a gold ring, if you put it in the nose of a pig, it will be stained with uncleanness, because it digs up dung with its snout: similarly, luxurious wives, having become insatiable in their voluptuousness, stain their true beauty with the dirt of external desires. Logos (reason) allows them to wear a gold ring on their finger, but not for decoration, but to put seals in the house on things that require protection. Of course, if all people were good pets (of the Logos), then there would be no need for any seals; Then everyone would be equally conscientious: both masters and servants; but since, as a result of ignorance and bad upbringing, people often develop inclinations towards evil, we use seals. However, this rigor should be somewhat limited. Wives living in a sufficient marital environment can sometimes be shown leniency and allowed to dress up in order to please their husbands. But the limit of their desires should remain precisely the desire to please only their husband. I don’t agree with my personal taste when women bother a lot about decorating their bodies; better let them charm their husbands with sincere love, this most effective and so natural magical remedy. However, since many husbands care little about their souls, the task of women, if they want to be honest wives, is to tame the unreasonable passions and desires of their husbands, gradually turn them to simplicity, accustom them to simple needs and moderation. The meaning of life lies not in the possession of gross material goods, but in cleansing oneself of the superfluous. Like trimming the feathers of the flight wings, therefore, the wives’ undertakings, which smack of luxury, should also be trimmed; they give them transitory pleasure and vain joy, and, meanwhile, being carried away and occupied by them, they often fly away from the cage of marriage. Therefore, although wives can dress up at the appropriate time, they must remain within boundaries, guided by a sense of decency, so as not to deviate from the truth through arrogance. But it is also necessary that husbands trust their wives and leave the entire household to them, since they were given to them precisely for the purpose of being helpers in this matter. And since we, husbands, have to seal something else for more faithful protection, either during the performance of our public duties, or during our activities in the fields, where we often retire without our wives, then the Logos (reason) allows us for this case to wear a signet ring, but only one. We must refuse to wear the remaining rings, because according to Scripture, “good manners for a wise man is a golden adornment” (Sir. 21:24). The wives, burdened with gold, seem to be afraid that they will be considered slaves if they take off the gold and are left without jewelry. But with a noble sense of truth, the test of which is excellent spiritual properties, the slave brand of a slave is seen not in the buying and selling of someone, but in spiritual dispositions. We should not only appear to be free, but actually be so; as children of God we are also adopted children of God. That is why, when standing, in movements, in gait, in a suit, in short, in our entire life, we should observe something that is only appropriate for a completely free person. – And men should not wear a ring on other fingers, but put it on the little finger, that is, on the outermost finger; because then the hand remains capable of performing the work inherent to it, and the ring itself, holding on to it more firmly, does not easily slide off it. – For the seal, we must use the image of a dove or a fish, or a ship with inflated sails, or a musical lyre, which was depicted on the ring of Polycrates, or a ship’s anchor, which Seleucus ordered to be carved on his ring. If someone is a fisherman, then the ring should remind him of the apostles or of the children taken from the waters of baptism. We should not engrave idol images on our rings; one should not treat such rings with any respect; and we should not wear rings with the image of a sword or bow: after all, we are friends of the world; We should not have images of various kinds of cups on our rings: we, after all, are abstinent people. Many wear rings with the naked image of their beloved, either male or female, as if to involuntarily remind themselves of their amorous pleasures, so as not to forget about them, but to constantly evoke them in their memories: this is unbridledness. Regarding hair, the following must be observed. Men should wear their hair cut short, unless it is curly; There should be a beard on the chin. When combed, the hair should not hang down too much from the head in the manner of women's curls; For men, a beard is enough. And if someone trims his beard, then at least he should not cut it completely smooth; This gives the man a disgusting look, and cutting the beard even down to the skin resembles plucking and ironing. The psalmist says: “Like precious oil on the head, running down on the beard, even Aaron’s beard” (Ps. 132:2). By repeating the word “beard,” he joyfully glorifies the face adorned with a beard, shining with the oil of the joy of the Lord. But since hair cutting is not undertaken for the sake of decoration, but is caused by circumstances, the hair on the head must be cut so that, having grown very long, it does not interfere with vision. And the hair on the upper lip needs to be trimmed so that it doesn’t get dirty when eating; but you shouldn’t cut them all off - that would be ugly - but only a little with scissors. The beard, which cannot be disturbed in any way, should be left almost intact; it conveys venerability and a kind of paternal authority to the person. Many are kept from sin by their appearance, because then they are easily recognized; for secret sinners, their appearance, which can be treacherous, and its character are not very desirable; They devote themselves to their work in the dark because they are afraid of what is characteristic; they are no different from the majority; this represents the benefit for them that they then receive the opportunity to sin fearlessly. Therefore, a shorn head is not only appropriate for a morally serious person, but it also prevents headaches, because the head then gets used to both cold and heat; and other types of harmful effects of humidity are eliminated from it, which are absorbed by long hair, as if like a sponge, and transmitted to the brain. For wives, it is enough to comb their hair slightly and hold the braid at the back of the head with some simple and cheap pin; and with a simple hairstyle, long hair for a reasonable wife serves as a true decoration. By curling your hair into buns in the manner of hetaeras, and by letting them fall over your shoulders in curls and braids, your face becomes ugly; to create these artificial braids, hair is cut and plucked; For fear of ruining their hair, such women do not dare to touch their heads; Out of concern that they might forget to lose their hair, they do not even dare to sleep peacefully. Putting other people's hair on the head should be completely abandoned; decorating your head with the hair of another, putting dead braids on it is truly wicked; because on whom will the elder then lay his hand; Who will he bless? Not a decorated wife, but someone else’s hair and because of it, another head. If “the head of the husband is Christ, the head of the wife is the husband” (1 Cor. 11:3), then is it not wicked in this case to fall into double sin? Such women deceive their husbands with their tower-like superstructure of hair; God, as far as it depends on them, is robbed of glory by the way hetaeras wear their hair, designed to deceive them; and because of this they only disfigure the true beauty of the head. There is no need to put pomade on your hair or tint your gray hair: after all, we are not allowed to wear clothes dyed in different colors. The same motive forbids us to hide the higher age with its honorability; This God-given adornment should be displayed, especially for the younger generation, as an object of reverence in all its splendor. Because sometimes the appearance of a gray head has the same effect on the unbridled as the appearance of a teacher, and youthful wishes are restrained by the shine of a gray head. And women should not stain their faces with deceptive means of seductive art, but should be adorned with the beauty of a wise wife. There is something very beautiful, which I have already often mentioned, first of all spiritual beauty, when the soul is adorned with the Holy Spirit, and the wife - if she shines with the light emanating from Him of righteousness, prudence, generosity, moderation, love of goodness and modesty; none of the material colors can match the beauty of these properties. And only then should one take care of one’s physical beauty, the proportionality of clothes and shoes to one’s limbs and parts of the body, and equally about the color of one’s hair. To adorn yourself with this beauty, healthy body care is especially necessary, which ensures that the image distorted by the seductiveness of this cosmetic art is restored to its true form, in accordance with the image given from God himself. Physical beauty is, to an extremely large extent, determined by correct adherence to moderation in food and drink. This contributes not only to the health of the body, but beauty then begins to shine through it, as if radiant. From fire-like elements of food, light and shine develop, from watery elements - flicker and softness, from dry elements - strength and density, from airy ones - ease of breathing and balance of juices. But these are the components that make up the harmonious and beautiful image of the Logos. Beauty is the noble color of health; health operates within the body and causes the skin to bloom with beautiful colors on the surface of the body. The best and most health-promoting lifestyle is the one that supports the functioning of the body; and it gives rise to true and lasting beauty, because through bodily warmth everything that is watery and all the coldness of the inhaled air is absorbed, and through bodily movement the warmth itself develops. But, absorbing moisture from parts of the body soaked in it and gradually warming up, the heat produces evaporation of excess nutritional juices, as a result of which the body feels the need to empty itself of the previous food. In a stationary organism, the food received is not assimilated at all, passing through it, like unbaked bread, either in the same form in which it was received, or leaving behind some sediments. It is natural now that with such an unsatisfactory excretory process, excess urine, feces and other juices are obtained; and with this insufficient assimilation of food by the body, sweat, instead of coming to the surface of the body, pours out into these same excess juices; From these, sensual desires then arise due to the influx of this excess juice to the genital parts. Therefore, this excess juice should be depleted and facilitate its infusion into the digestive organs: then the face will bloom with vibrant and healthy colors. But it is absurd for us, created “in the image of God” (Gen. 1:27), to not appreciate this prototype and add external decorations to it, complementing God’s artistic creation with decorative human art. The teacher commands that wives walk “in decent attire, with modesty and chastity, as befits women who have dedicated themselves to piety.” They would submit to their husbands, “so that those of them who do not obey the word would be won without a word by the lives of their wives.” Their adornment should not be “external braiding of hair, not gold jewelry or finery in clothing, but the hidden person of the heart in the incorruptible beauty of a meek and silent spirit, which is precious in the sight of God” (Cf. 1 Tim. 2:9, 10; 1 Pet. 3:1-4). The self-activity of wives imparts true beauty to them; they exercise their bodies with manual labor and prepare for themselves everything they need, dressing not in fabrics prepared by the labors of others, and not putting on decorations on themselves, not at all decorative, used only by slaves and hetaeras, but decorations characteristic of a decent woman, worked and woven by her own hands. Citizens of the Divine Kingdom should appear in society in materials purchased not on the market, but at home, crafted and decorated with the art of their own hands. Something extremely beautiful is represented by an active housewife; she dresses both herself and her husband in the clothes of her work. Everything around her breathes joy: the children rejoice, looking at their mother, the husband - at his wife, she herself, looking at them, all thinking about God together; in short: “She opens her lips in wisdom, and gentle instruction is on her tongue. She oversees the management of her house, and does not eat the bread of idleness. The children get up and please her, and the husband praises her: “There were many virtuous wives, but you surpassed them all.” Loveliness is deceptive and beauty is vanity,” as the Divine Logos says through the mouth of Solomon (Prov. 31:26–30). “A woman who fears the Lord is worthy of praise.” And again: “A virtuous wife is a crown for her husband” (Proverbs 12:4). Further, her entire appearance, her gaze, her gait and her voice are completely orderly - not like some women who have something theatrical in themselves, adopt the broken movements of dancers, and when speaking act like stage performers, imitating them in the voluptuousness of their movements, in the smoothness of their gait, in the pretentiousness of their voice, in the seduction of the oiliness of their eyes. “For the mouth of another man’s wife drips honey, and her speech is sweeter than oil; but the consequences from it are bitter, like wormwood, sharp, like a two-edged sword; her feet descend to death, her feet reach the underworld.” (Prov. 5:3–5) The noble Samson was defeated by a seductress (Judges 14:1, 2, etc.) and an indecent wife deprived him of his male strength and strength (Judges 16:17). Joseph, however, could not be deceived by another wife like this: the Egyptian criminal woman was defeated, and self-control, which imposes shackles on itself, turned out to be stronger than unbridled lust (Gen. 39:1). But it seems to me that this word is said wisely: “I don’t know how to whisper at all, Do not walk around in enticing poses With a neck bending in different directions, How I see other kineds walking around in this city, Those who allowed themselves to be insulted." Movements that are feminine, not imbued with unity, and voluptuous should be completely alien to us. A certain softness of gait, wagging the tail, as Anacreon calls such a gait, is generally characteristic only of hetaera. “It’s time, I believe, as they say in one comedy, to say a final farewell to playful clothes, morals and amusements.” The steps of the seducing wife are not based on the truth; she does not walk in the ways of life; her path is slippery and it is dangerous to get to know him. But we especially need to watch our eyes and our gaze, because it is better to stumble and fall off our feet than to allow our eyes to be the reason for our fall. The Lord prevents this kind of fall and heals from them with very short and strong words: “If your right eye causes you to sin, pluck it out” (Matthew 5:29), uprooting the very desire. Oily glances, winking, that is, giving signs through the blinking of eyelashes, is nothing more than the same ingratiation of criminal inclinations from other people's wives, but done only with the eyes; This is a shootout with desires. The eyes are the first member from which damage begins, spreading later throughout the body. “A bright glance makes the heart glad” (Proverbs 13:30), that is, if someone manages to carefully examine something for a morally good purpose, then this brings joy to the heart of the examiner. But if “he who blinks his eyes causes trouble” (Prov. 10:10). Thus, the last Assyrian king, the effeminate Sardanapalus, is depicted sitting on a stage with his legs stretched out, like a woman, pinching purple and raising the whites of his eyes. Women who do the same, woo themselves with their own eyes. “The lamp of the body is the eye,” says Scripture (Matthew 6:22); it illuminates with itself and illuminates the insides with its light. “The lust of a woman is visible by the lifting of her eyes” (Sir. 26:9). “Therefore put to death your members on the earth: fornication, uncleanness, passion, evil lust and covetousness, which is idolatry, for which the wrath of God is coming on the sons of disobedience,” cries the apostle (Col. 3:5–6). And we ourselves still arouse wishes in others and don’t even blush? Thus, some of the women constantly chew mastic, walk back and forth, smiling at those passing by; others make themselves interesting by fiddling around for a long time, as if they had no fingers, pinning their locks with a hair pin, beautifully made either from a tortoise, or from ivory, or some other cadaveric remains. Others, again, try to please the public in a different way, paint themselves with various colors and stain their faces, as if they had flowers growing on them. “Reckless, noisy” Logos calls Solomon “a stupid woman who knows nothing.” She “sits on a chair at the door of her house, on the high places of the city, to call those who pass by on the road, going straight on their paths” (it is through all her manner of deportment that she invites with her appearance and with all her behavior she says: “Whoever is foolish, turn here.” And to the weak-minded she said: ( Proverbs 9:4 ) “Stolen waters are sweet, and hidden bread is pleasant.”) (She understands secret pleasures With regard to this, the Boeotian poet Pindar speaks of the pleasures of secret service to the goddess of Cyprus.) But the unfortunate one does not know that “the dead are there, and that in the depths of the underworld they are called by her. But, jump away,” says the Teacher, “do not tarry in place, do not fix your gaze on her; thus you will pass through strange waters” (Prov. 9:14-18) and Acheron. you will step over. That is why the Lord says in Isaiah: “Because the daughters of Zion are haughty, and walk with their necks raised and their eyes deceiving, and they walk with a majestic step, and the chains on their feet rattle, the Lord will bare the crown of the daughters of Zion, and the Lord will expose their shame” (Is. 3:16–17): a disgusting sight. I am of the opinion that there is no need for maids who follow noble women to be reminded of their duty not to allow themselves any indecency in their speech or behavior, when they cannot learn manners from their mistresses. The comic poet Philemon expresses very strong indignation against this, saying: “Sometimes you have to watch how a beautiful maid follows behind a noble wife who is looking around, and after her someone comes from Platonikum and makes signs to her with his eyes.” The maid's dissipation falls on the mistress; allowing herself little, the maid runs the risk of not protecting herself from more; gentlemen who turn a blind eye to minor offenses make it clear to them that they do not blame them. But the omission of the censure against licentiousness is a clear proof of the same way of thinking in the gentlemen themselves; “Like the lady, the proverb says, so is the dog.” Further, we should be alien to any kind of indecency in gait. It should be distinguished by importance and slowness, but at the same time it should not be a waddle. You should not act like a peacock on the roads; You should not look at those you meet with the back of your head thrown back if any of them turned their attention to him; it’s fury to strut smugly through the streets as if on a stage, so that people point their fingers at him. Nor should one, if in a crowded situation someone is pushed off the sidewalk, again strive to take a place on it with the help of servants, as elegant and discriminating gentlemen do, wanting to appear energetic, but in reality turning out to be effeminate. A noble husband should not show signs of feminine effeminacy in any way, neither in his face nor in any other part of the body. Consequently, neither in his movements, nor in general in his entire manner of carrying himself, there should be anything that would be inconsistent with the dignity of a man. A sensible person should not treat his servants like cattle. Although Peter commands the servants to “submit to your masters with all fear, not only to the good and meek, but also to the harsh” (1 Pet. 2:18), but, on the other hand, evenness, patience and friendliness are also appropriate for masters. “Finally,” Peter continues, “be like-minded, compassionate, brotherly, merciful, friendly, humble in wisdom,” etc., “so that you may inherit the blessing” of something excellent and worthy (1 Pet. 3:8–9). Zeno of Kittia, it seems, wanted to paint the ideal of a maiden when he sketched the following image: “Her face should be clean, her eyebrows should not be lowered, but her eyes should not be and completely open, but not distracted; the back of the head should not be thrown back and should not appear as if frozen; the members of the body should not be sluggish, but straight and tense. Her ear should be receptive to what is said, and her memory should accurately convey all the good things from what she heard. The whole manner of carrying oneself and all movements should be such that the dissolute will no longer have any desire for vulgarity; modesty and sedateness should be imprinted on her. She should not deal with perfumers and barbers, as well as with jewelers, weavers and sellers of woolen fabrics and many other ruinous inventions, in whose shops women, like dressed up courtesans, spend whole days sitting here as if in some kind of prostibulum.” “But men shouldn’t hang around barbershops, taverns and taverns, chattering idle talk with insignificant individuals, inventing traps for women and, to excite laughter, telling thousands of obscene things about their neighbors. And playing with six-sided dice is prohibited for us, as well as with dice, to which games many so diligently indulge for the sake of self-interest. Such reckless pleasures are characteristic only of idle laziness; they are caused by doing nothing. These vain things, which lack simplicity and naturalness, are also invented by the impure love that those people support and nourish in themselves. But one should not delight the heart with pleasures that can cause harm. The external way of life of all people serves as an expression of their internal disposition. But, as is natural, communication only with good people can be accompanied by benefits for us; Those who treat people badly soon become bad themselves. The divine wisdom of the Teacher through Moses calls communication with evil people swine, which is why she forbade the ancient people from eating pork (Lev. 9:7; Deut. 14:8), showing by this that for those who recognize God it is impermissible to move among wicked people who, like pigs, indulge in carnal desires, accept unclean, passion-fueled foods and, arousing sensual itching, with evil joy devote themselves to the service of Aphrodite. But the Educator also prohibits the consumption of hawks and fast-winged birds of prey (of prey) and eagles (Lev. 11:13; Deut. 4:12). Don’t touch that, they say, that it maintains its life through rapacity. But the Teacher expresses a positive commandment with a similar allegory. So, who should you keep in touch with? With the righteous, which is allegorically expressed as follows: “Every cattle that has cloven hooves and a deep cut in the hooves, and that chews the cud, eat” (Lev. 11:3; Deut. 14:12). The two-hoofed righteousness here is called the balance-preserving righteousness that regurgitates the Logos, the true food of righteousness. This food, like any other, also enters from the outside, through listening to the catechetical teaching; but from the inside it again turns outward, as if from the stomach, that is, first perceived by knowledge, then reproduced by rational recollection. The righteous is a regurgitator of spiritual food and has the Logos in his mouth. But, without a doubt, righteousness is two-hoofed, since it sanctifies us for this side of life, but it introduces us to a state of bliss on the other side of the grave. Our Divine Teacher no longer commands us to go to shows. It is not without right that races and spectacles can be called “meetings of the corrupters” (Ps. 1:1). For here it is as if evil counsel is being drawn up against the righteous Man; therefore this meeting is being cursed. They are full of disorder and lawlessness; and the pretexts for compiling them are of a vulgar kind. At these meetings, both men and women mix with each other in order to see each other; and so they are the cause of disorder. Here the council meeting of the wicked speaks and acts. Eyes are nourished by sensuality, desires flare up, and idle eyes, having the opportunity to look more closely at neighbors, are inflamed by sensual desires. Therefore, we should consider public spectacles and performances with their absurd antics and idle talk prohibited for ourselves. Because what kind of dirty deeds are not presented on these stages; What kind of shameless words do the buffoons utter here! But whoever finds pleasure in these vulgarities brings images of them with him and home. Those, on the contrary, who do not come into contact with sorcery of this kind and whose spiritual world remains unaffected by them, cannot indulge in frivolous pleasures. But even if someone considered such spectacles to be comic, as arranged to amuse the spirit, I maintain that the leaders of those cities have little sense where they are concerned with what seems to be an important matter, amusements. And besides, these vain amusements are also cruel, for so many they are accompanied by death. And isn’t it a vain thing to seriously engage in empty and insignificant things? They fuel reckless ambition, and their energy is wasted senselessly. But the excitement and outrage at these spectacles is not a joke or entertainment. Moreover, one should not arrange such pleasures for others out of vanity. A reasonable person will never prefer something pleasant to something good. But they say: “Not everyone can be a philosopher.” Really? But don’t we all strive for eternal life? What do you say to this? Why did you accept faith? Can you love God and your neighbor without philosophizing? “Yes, I don’t even know how to read,” someone might say. If you don’t know how to read, how can you protect yourself if you don’t listen? Listening, after all, does not require learning. However, faith is not at all the property of the wise of this world (1 Cor. 1:26–27), but of the wise in God. You can know God even without knowing literacy; the scroll containing the provisions of this faith and addressed to people, albeit simple and ignorant, is nevertheless Divine; this is Divine self-testimony, called Divine love, this is a book of spiritual seal. But you can be a listener of Divine wisdom and at the same time correspond to your civil status; nothing, after all, prevents one from conducting worldly affairs correctly and pleasing to God. Whoever buys or sells anything, therefore, should not set two prices for him, one for sale, the other for purchase; let him name only one true one; through this he will remain faithful to the truth and although he will not receive profit, he will be rich in justice. Let everyone refrain from swearing especially in commercial matters, but also in other cases. This should be the philosophy of both large and small traders. “Do not take the name of the Lord your God in vain; for the Lord will not leave him unpunished who takes his name in vain” (Ex. 20:7). Contrary to this, those who act, such as money lovers, liars, hypocrites, who receive small profits through playing with the truth (2 Cor. 2:17), are cast out by the Lord from the house of His Father (Matt. 21:12, 13; Mark 11:15–17; Luke 19:46), for He does not want the holy house of God to be a place of unrighteous trade or resale, or real profits. A husband and wife should go to church decently dressed, with an unaffected gait, keeping silence, with a flame of “unfeigned love” toward their neighbors (Rom. 12:9; 2 Cor. 6:6), clean in body, pure in heart, and disposed to prayer. It is especially desirable for the wife that she leaves the house completely covered. This gives her an appearance of sedateness, but even for the watchers she remains invisible, so that no stumbling block will come from this either for herself, for her eyes will be covered with moral modesty and a veil, but she will not impose sin on any stranger until she opens her face. This is how the Logos wants it; It is proper for a woman to pray with a veil over her face (1 Cor. 11:5). It is said about Aeneas’s wife that she was so modest and so decent that even after the capture of Troy she did not forget and did not throw off her veil, remaining under it even when fleeing from the city on fire. And men who have dedicated themselves to Christ, throughout their lives, should not only appear, but also be as sedate and decent as they appear in the churches: just as modest, God-fearing, and loving. But I wonder why, with a change of place, they change both their appearance and behavior, like polyps, which are likened to stones to which they stick, imparting a color corresponding to these and their skin. Leaving the church meeting, they put aside the holy feelings inspired in the church by the Spirit of God, and become like the majority among whom they move. Or, better to say: as soon as this feigned and hypocritical sedateness is put aside, it becomes obvious that it was only a mask on their true spiritual physiognomy. Apparently, having listened with blessing to the word of God, they leave it where they heard it, and outside the church meeting, as if they had gone crazy, in the company of the wicked they do not remember themselves with pleasure; listening to the playing of harpers and harpists, they lose their temper while listening to their loving chirps, go into a frenzy from singing while playing the flute, clap their hands, drink, allowing themselves to be showered and dirty with all sorts of rubbish and other rubbish, swept up, dragged and thrown by the flow and spirit of the time. Having just sung hymns before in glorification of immortality, now alternately, sometimes playing along with themselves on some instrument, sometimes alternating with another, they again sing the song to their death: “Let us eat and drink, because in the morning we will die” (Is. 22:13; 1 Cor. 15:32). No, you won’t die tomorrow; you are already dead before God, taking care of your “dead men” (Matthew 8:22; Luke 9:60), that is, you are digging your own grave in the abysses of the underworld. The Apostle with all his energy opposes them with the following words: “Do not be deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor fools, nor homosexuals, nor thieves, nor the covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers,” and others listed by the Apostle, “will not inherit the kingdom of God” (1 Cor. 6:9, 10). But if we are called to the Kingdom of God, then we must be citizens of this kingdom, worthy of this title, loving God and our neighbor. This love does not consist in kissing the world, but in goodwill. Some give and receive their kiss of peace with such shamelessness in church meetings that they create noise and confusion, without having love itself in their hearts at all. And this circumstance gives reason to suspect that such an unbridled practice of kissing the world occurs for shameful and wicked purposes, whereas it should have a mysterious meaning. The Apostle calls him “holy” (Rom. 15:16). Giving this very kiss of peace proof that we use civil rights in our kingdom correctly and for good purposes, we will testify to our spiritual goodwill towards our neighbors with a modest kiss of peace and with closed lips; This kind of kissing is especially consistent with meek morals. But there is another, criminal kissing, poisonous, which only puts on the guise of piety. Or don’t you know that some spiders cause pain to humans as soon as they land on the mouth? In the same way, kisses often infuse the poison of sensuality. It now becomes clear to us, therefore, that Christian love does not consist at all in kissing the world. She is Divine love (1 John 4:7). But this love of God, says John, consists in our “keeping His commandments” (and not in mutual kisses); “and His commandments are not burdensome” (1 John 5:3). But even the open embraces on the streets of people who are close to each other, the stupid ease with which they testify to each other their love with these external evidences, do not represent anything worthy. If we must pray to God “in secret,” even in our home, in a place where not everyone is allowed to enter (Matt. 6:6), then it is consistent that we should embrace our neighbor, whom after God we should love most of all (Matt. 22:39), with love inwardly and mysteriously, “taking advantage of the time” (Col. 4:3; Eph. 3:13, 16), for “you are the salt of the earth” (Matt. 3:13). It is said: “Whoever loudly praises his friend early in the morning will be considered a slanderer” (Proverbs 27:14). Moreover, one must avoid the presence of women in society and diligently avoid meeting them; touch is not necessary to bring sin into your soul; Even a simple glance can be sinful. “Let your eyes look straight, and let your eyelashes be directed straight before you” (Prov. 4:23). It is possible, of course, and, seeing, to remain firm, one should still beware of danger. It is also possible to slip with your eyesight; but it is impossible for a desire to be born in anyone without pacifying what may be the object of it. It is not enough for the wise to have a pure heart; they must strive to be above all censure in their external behavior and to eliminate every reason to suspect themselves, so that their impeccability is complete; we should not only be faithful, but also prove to be so, and, moreover, prove to be worthy of being faithful. “Beware,” says the apostle, “lest we be reprimanded by anyone, for we strive for what is good not only before the Lord, but also before men” (2 Cor. 8:20, 21). And the Scripture says: “Turn your eye away from a beautiful woman, and do not look at someone else’s beauty” (Sir. 9:8). And so that you know the reason for this, it added: because “many have turned away from the path through female beauty; from it, like fire, love ignites” (Sir. 9:9); turning into sin, it leads into fire, even unquenchable; that inclination from this fire ignites, which is called “love.” Chapter 12. Further sketch of the best (ideal) way of Christian life, compiled on the basis of various passages of Holy Scripture And I would advise married men (Gal. 7:10) never to kiss their wives in the presence of servants. Aristotle does not even allow gentlemen to smile in front of the servants; the more impermissible it is to hug wives in their presence. It is much better, even at home, starting from marriage, to behave sedately. Holy morals in marital relations among the owners spread the fragrance of pure joy throughout the house. This is stated beautifully in one tragedy: Alas, how little influence you wives have on our happiness! It is not gold, not power, and not the splendor of riches that brings a complete abundance of pure joys into people’s lives together, but an efficient husband’s honesty. And a moral wife with caring love for him. Why do we neglect these commandments of wisdom and righteousness, which are expressed as pets even of worldly wisdom? Understand each one of your responsibilities and “conduct your journey with fear,” says Peter, “knowing that you were not redeemed with corruptible things like silver or gold from the futile life handed down to you from your fathers, but through the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot” (1 Pet. 1:17–19). “For it is enough that in the past time of your life,” the apostle continues, “you walked on the waters of the pagans, indulging in uncleanness, lusts (sodomy, bestiality, thoughts), excess in food and drink, and absurd idolatry” (1 Pet. 4:3). The pitiful image of our former life is contrasted with a barrier, the cross of the Lord; through which we are, as if by some kind of front garden, fenced off and separated from our previous sins. Regenerated, therefore, let us nail ourselves to the cross of a life consistent with the truth (our name, our twofold nature, agreement between word and deed); let us enter into ourselves and become jealous of the holiness of life. For “the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, and His ears are on their cry. But the face of the Lord is against those who do evil” (Ps. 33:16, 17). “And who will harm you if you are zealous for good”? (1 Pet. 3:13) The best way of life is orderliness, that is, impeccable decency in everything and complete beauty in everything, included in certain norms, and moral strength, stable in itself, as a result of which everything in the way of thoughts and actions receives its rightful place, and a person’s virtue becomes invincible. “And if I spoke to you about this truth somewhat harshly,” says the Teacher, it was only out of jealousy for your good and improvement. The severity of My words is the greatest proof of the goodness of My heart, for “he who reproaches with sincerity is ready to make peace” (Proverbs 10:10). So, if you listen to Me, you will be saved. And if you do not follow what was said, then I will not tolerate anything from it; or not: still this will concern Me, as it is written: “Do I want the death of the wicked? says the Lord God. Is it not that he should turn from his ways and live?” (Ezek. 18:23). Again, therefore, the Teacher repeats: “If you want and obey, you will eat the blessings of the earth” (Is. 1:19). By “the blessings of the earth” He means human happiness: beauty, wealth, health, bodily strength, material means of life. But besides these blessings, true happiness awaits us, about which “it is written: no eye has seen, no ear has heard, and no one has come into the heart of man” (1 Cor. 2:9), true happiness from the true King, who is the Distributor, but also the Guardian of this happiness. But, encouraging us to strive to achieve this happiness on the other side of the coffin. He speaks of earthly happiness: The Divine Logos, as a Teacher, elevates our human weakness to spiritual contemplation through sensual images. So, the Divine Teacher teaches us everything: which virtues we should especially love and observe, and which vices we should abhor and avoid. To correct us, He even penetrates inside our homes, teaching us the rules of how we should behave and organize our lives here. He treats us, first of all, in the same way as little boys are treated when they are taken to school. Just as along the way they are usually instilled with the main rules of their behavior during the teaching ahead of them: similarly, in Scripture, according to the brevity of the path (earthly wandering), the rules are only short and main, the further development of which is left to the Teacher (in heaven). Indeed, the Teacher wishes a little. Resolving the bonds of the law, He desires only one thing, that we should not fear Him (Rom. 8:15), but that we should love Him, following Him from now on willingly and without resistance, according to the strength of the freedom of voluntary faith given to us. “If you want to be well-bred,” He says, then listen, My child, listen and learn the main saving laws. I will reveal before your eyes the commandments of My moral law and set out its main provisions before your face: by observing them you will reach heaven. The path that I will lead you is the only saving one; therefore abandon the ways of error. “For the Lord knows the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked perishes” (Ps. 1:6). So, follow, My child, the good path I show you. “Incline your ear” (Ps. 44:11) to listen to Me, and “I will give you the treasures kept in darkness,” hidden and hidden from the pagans (Is. 45:3), but known to us, “treasures” of wisdom “that do not fail” (Luke 12:33). Marveling at them, the apostle cries out: “O depth of riches and wisdom” (Rom. 11:33). The one God seeks us with the gift of countless treasures. Some He reveals to us through the law, others through the prophets, others through the mouth of His Divine Son, and about others the Holy Spirit sings to us in a seven-voice chord (Isa. 11:2, 3). But in all this, the one Lord of all people, the same Teacher of them, reveals himself. Thus, one of His commandments contains, as if in grain, all the rules and regulations of His Divine morality: “And whatever you want people to do to you, do so to them” (Luke 6:31). The two commandments below contain equally all the others, as the Lord Himself told us about this in these words: “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength, and with all your mind, and your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments,” He added, “the whole law and the prophets are established” (Matthew 22:37, 39, 40; Luke 10:27). And when someone asked Him: “What must I do to inherit eternal life?” He, in turn, asked: “Do you know the commandments?” And when the questioner answered in the affirmative. He said: “Do this, and you will live” (Luke 18:18, 20; Luke 10:25–28). But we should also recognize the special love for mankind of our Teacher, which is reflected in the countless number of different saving commandments scattered throughout the Scriptures, so that we can find here all the more easily and in abundance everything that we need for salvation and so that we use the totality of the Scriptures more willingly, each time finding in them something saving for ourselves. Particularly important here is the Decalogue given through Moses, which, with a simple, homogeneous ten commandments, describes the area of ​​salvation through the names of sins that must be avoided. These are: “Do not commit adultery, do not indulge in idolatry, do not abuse boys (Lev. 18:22), do not steal, do not bear false witness, honor father and mother,” etc. (Exod. 20:13–16; Deut. 5:1). These are the commandments, the observance of which is obligatory for us, but also many other things, the fulfillment of which in other places Scripture commands us. Through the mouth of Isaiah the prophet, God addressed us with the following words: “Wash yourselves, make yourselves clean; remove your evil deeds from before my eyes; stop doing evil; learn to do good; seek the truth; save the oppressed; protect the orphan; stand up for the widow; then come and let us reason together,” says the Lord (Isa. 1:16–18). We find different commandments in Scripture, applicable in different conditions. So here we find commandments regarding prayer, its nature, image and fruits. “Prayer acceptable to God is a good deed,” says Scripture. But both the type and the image of prayer are shown here. “Divide your bread with the hungry, and bring the wandering poor into your home”; says the Scripture, “When you see a naked person, clothe him, and do not hide from your half-blood.” “Then your light will break forth like the dawn, and your healing will quickly increase, and your righteousness will go before you, and the glory of the Lord will follow you” (Isaiah 58:7–8). And what is the fruit of this prayer? “You will call, and the Lord will hear; You will cry out, and He will say: Here I am!” . But regarding fasting, a commandment is also given: “Is this the fast that I have chosen,” says the Lord, “the day on which a man languishes his soul, when he bends his head like a reed, and spreads sackcloth and ashes under him? Would you call this a fast and a day pleasing to the Lord?” What kind of fasting pleases God? “This is the fast that I have chosen,” says the Lord, “loose the chains of unrighteousness, untie the bonds of the yoke, and set the oppressed free, and break every yoke; divide your bread with the hungry, and bring the wandering poor into your home; when you see a naked man, clothe him.” (Isa. 58:5–7). The same is true for sacrifices. “Why do I need the multitude of your sacrifices?” says the Lord. “I am full of burnt offerings of rams and the fat of fattened cattle; I do not want the blood of bulls and lambs and goats. When you come to appear before me, who demands that you trample on my courts? Bear no more vain gifts; smoking is disgusting to Me; I cannot endure the new moon and Saturdays, holiday gatherings: lawlessness and celebration” (Is. 1:11-13). What sacrifices should we offer to the Lord? “A sacrifice to God,” it is said, “a broken spirit” (about sin) (Ps. 50:19). Why should I, therefore, decorate myself with a wreath, anoint myself with incense, and burn incense before the Lord? “The heart is already fragrant before the Lord, glorifying its Creator,” says Scripture. Here is a wreath, here is a sacrifice, here is the fragrance and aroma of flowers before God. There are sayings in Scripture that encourage us to be patient. “If your brother sins against you,” it says, “rebuke him” (in private), “and if he repents, forgive him. And if he sins against you seven times a day, and seven times a day he turns back and says, “I repent,” forgive him” (Luke 17:3, 4). The Lord further announces to the soldiers through the mouth of John that they should “be content with their pay” (Luke 3:14); to tax collectors, so that they “demand nothing more than is determined by them” (Luke 3:13); to judges: “Do not discriminate between persons in court” (Deut. 1:17); “Do not accept gifts: for gifts make blind those who see and pervert the work of the righteous” (Ex. 23:8), instead of freeing the oppressed (Is. 1:17), freeing the perpetrators of atrocities. Further, Scripture tells householders: “Wealth is exhausted through vanity” (Prov. 13:11); and about Christian love: “Love covers a multitude of sins” (1 Pet. 4:8); and about civil duties: “Render unto Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and unto God the things that are God’s” (Matthew 22:21). About oaths and rancor: “For I did not speak to your fathers, nor gave them any commandment in the day that I brought them out of the land of Egypt concerning burnt offerings and sacrifices” (Jer. 7:22); “But he gave them this commandment: let none of you think evil in his heart against his neighbor, and do not love a false oath” (Zech. 8:17). This is how He threatens liars and the arrogant. First: “Woe to those who put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter” (Isaiah 5:20). The last: “Woe to those who are wise in their own eyes and understanding before themselves” (Is. 5:21); for “everyone who exalts himself will be humbled; but he who humbles himself will be exalted” (Luke 14:11; Luke 18:14). He calls the merciful blessed, “for they will receive mercy” (Matthew 3:7); Wisdom complains about anger, because “(anger destroys even the wise)” (Proverbs 15:1). She commands us to love our enemies, to bless those who curse us, and to pray for those who offend us. “Offer the other to the one who hits you on the cheek; and do not prevent the one who takes away your outer clothing from taking your shirt too” (Matthew 5:40; Luke 6:27–29). And about faith: “And whatever you ask in prayer in faith, you will receive” (Matthew 21:22); “He who is distrustful, and according to Pindar, is not worthy of trust.” He obliges us to treat our servants in the same way as we would like for ourselves, because they are people just like us; and both masters and servants have one and the same God as their Ruler (Col. 4:7; Eph. 6:9). Erring brothers should not be punished, but rebuked (2 Tim. 4:2). In this sense it is said: “Whoever spares the stick hates his son” (Proverbs 12:24). And He condemns the pursuit of vain distinctions: “Woe to you Pharisees, because you love presiding in synagogues and greetings in public assemblies” (Luke 11:43). He accepts the sinner’s repentance willingly (Ezek. 18:23); He rejoices in repentance as an epilogue to a sinful deed. Sinless (i.e. by nature), after all, only the Logos. Sin is a kind of common inheritance; Conversion after sin is not something everyone is capable of, but only an honest one. He also encourages us to do good with rewards. “Come,” He said, “you blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world, for I was hungry, and you gave me food; I was thirsty and you gave Me something to drink; I was a stranger and you accepted Me; I was naked and you clothed Me; I was sick and you visited Me; I was in prison, and you came to Me” (Matthew 25:34–6). And when did we render any of this to the Lord? Again, let the Teacher himself tell us about this. Attributing the loving kindness of the brothers to His own Person, He says: “Just as you did it to one of the least of these My brothers, you did it to Me: and the righteous will go away into eternal life” (Matthew 25:40, 46). These are the commandments of the Logos, these are His reminders. “They were not written on tablets of stone” (2 Cor. 3:3) by the finger of the Lord, but “on tablets of linen of the heart” they were written, so long as they were not broken. The tablets of the hard-hearted Jews are broken precisely because these truths of faith were to be imprinted on the hearts of young Christians. But both the one and the other law serve the Logos in the education of humanity, one through Moses, the other through the apostles. Therefore, I find it necessary to present in general terms pedagogy and the apostles, or, better to say, the Teacher himself speaks through me, offering here the seeds of the commandments. “Having put away falsehood, speak the truth every one of you to your neighbor, for we are members of one another. When you are angry, do not sin: let not the sun go down on your anger; and don't give room to the devil. If anyone has stolen, do not steal first, but rather labor, doing with your own hands what is useful, so that there will be something to give to the needy” (Eph. 4:25–28). “Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and crying and slander, along with all malice, be put away from you. But be kind to one another, compassionate, forgiving one another, just as God in Christ forgave you” (Eph. 4:31–32). So, “be wise” (Matthew 10:6), “imitate God as beloved children and live in love, just as Christ loved us” (Eph. 5:1–2). “Wives, submit to your own husbands as to the Lord” (Eph. 5:22). “Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church” (Eph. 5:25). Those united in marriage should love each other “as their own bodies” (Eph. 5:28). “Children, obey your parents in the Lord. Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and admonition of the Lord. Servants, obey your masters according to the flesh with fear and trembling, in the simplicity of your heart, as to Christ, not with only visible obsequiousness, as people-pleasers, but as servants of Christ, doing the will of God from the soul” (Eph. 6:1, 4-3). “And you, gentlemen, do the same with them, moderating your severity, knowing that both over you and over them there is a Lord in heaven, with whom there is no partiality” (Eph. 6:9). “If we live by the spirit, then we must walk by the spirit. Let’s not be conceited, irritate each other, envy each other.” (Gal. 5:23–26). “Bear one another’s burdens, and in this way fulfill the law of Christ” (Gal. 6:2). “Do not be deceived: God is not mocked” (Gal. 6:7). “Let us not grow weary in doing good, for in due season we will reap if we do not give up.” (Gal. 6:9). Be at peace with each other. We also beseech you, brothers: admonish the disorderly, comfort the faint-hearted, support the weak, be patient with everyone. See to it that no one repays evil for evil” (1 Thess. 5:13–15). “Do not quench the spirit. Do not disparage prophecies. Try everything, hold on to the good. Abstain from all kinds of evil” (1 Thess. 5:19–22). “Be constant in prayer, watching in it with thanksgiving” (Col. 4:2). “Treat wisely with outsiders. Let your speech “always be with grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone” (Col. 4:5–6). Feed on the words of faith and good doctrine. Exercise yourself in piety. For bodily exercise is of little benefit, but godliness is of benefit for everything, having the promise of life, both present and future” (1 Tim. 4:6–8). “Those who have believers as masters should not treat them carelessly, because they are brothers, but should serve them all the more because they are faithful” (1 Tim. 6:2). “Are you a distributor”, distribute “in simplicity; “Is it a boss”, lead with “zeal; whether you are a benefactor”, do charity “with cordiality. Let love be unfeigned; turn away from evil, cling to goodness; be kind to one another with brotherly love, show one another in respect, do not slack in zeal; be on fire in spirit; Serve the Lord; be comforted by hope; in tribulation" be "patient, constant in prayer; take part in the needs of the saints; be zealous for hospitality” (Rom. 12:8–13). This little of much, quickly running through the Holy Scriptures, the Teacher offers as an example to his children, with the help of this, uprooting evil from them, so to speak, by the roots and putting sin within boundaries. But there are many commandments in Holy Scripture intended for individuals: for bishops, presbyters, deacons, for widows, which can be discussed with us another time. Much is expressed symbolically in Scripture, and much is expressed in parables; Such parables are very useful for those who come across them on occasion. “But it’s not my business,” says the Teacher, to talk about this; to expound those holy teachings we need a Teacher, to whom we now have to turn (go).” The task of the Teacher is now over for me; Now we have to listen to the Teacher. With you, instructed in good teachings by the Teacher, the Teacher will now talk in a scientific way. The wonderful leader in the understanding of these spiritual things is the church, and the only Teacher in them is her Bridegroom, the (personified) will of the Father, true wisdom, the sanctification of all our knowledge. “And He is sin for our sins,” as John says about Him. He heals our spirit and body, the whole person. This is Jesus, “(the propitiation) for our sins, and not only for ours, but also for the” sins “of the whole world. And we know that we have come to know Him by keeping His commandments. He who says, “I know Him,” but does not keep His commandments, is a liar and there is no truth in him. And whoever keeps His word, in him truly the love of God is perfected; by this we know that we are in Him. Whoever says that he abides in Him must do as He did” (1 John 2:3–6). Oh, pets of sweet pedagogy! More and more, more closely and more fully, we will join this beautiful body of the Holy Church; Let us run into it, like little children running to their kind mother. Having become listeners of the Logos, let us glorify the economy of our salvation, which makes us blessed; by it a person is raised to the state of a child of God and is sanctified into it; through the education received on earth, he becomes a citizen of heaven (Phil. 3:20); in heaven he receives the Father whom he learned to know here on earth. Logos is the Creator of everything; He is both an Educator and a Teacher. A horse is controlled by a bridle, an ox by a yoke, game is caught by nets, and human life is transformed by the Logos. He bridles a wild horse, catches animals swimming in the water for bait, and charms them flying through the air. It is He who forms the bridle for the horse, the yoke for the ox, the snare for the fish, the snare for the birds. He himself governs the citizens of His Kingdom, but He is also the Farmer; He is the Lord, but also the Minister; He Himself creates everything. He formed the earth, the sky and the sea And all the beautiful stars with which the sky is crowned. O divine deeds! O Divine commandments! “Let this water (of Divine revelations and commandments), says the Logos, like the ebbs and flows of the sea, agitate non-stop and unhindered, mutually connecting us! Let this fire (of Divine revelations and commandments) bring with it anger. Let the air (of these revelations and commandments) spread throughout the ether, purifying it. Let this soil (of Divine revelations and commandments) be strengthened; and, being fertilized by them, is constantly and further covered with vegetation. If I wanted to create another (new) man, and if I wanted more matter for this, then I have it in these elements. I live in this creation of mine. If you believe in Me, the fire (eternal, but also the judgments of this place) will serve you.” Such is the Logos and such is His greatness. He is an Educator and Teacher. He is the Creator of the world and man. And through this He is the Teacher and the Universe. Spirit and matter are equally submissive to Him; and He has them to separate at the last judgment. For the Logos does not announce to us in these revelations and commandments with any fleeting word, but with eternal wisdom, as Bacchilides says. “That you may be blameless and pure, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, in which you shine as lights in the world,” says Paul (Phil. 2:15). Now, after such a solemn recognition of the glory of the Logos, what can we do but turn to Him with such a humble prayer: “Be merciful to Your children. Divine Teacher, Father, Leader of Israel, Son and Father, both one God, our Lord. Grant to us, the fulfillers of Your commandments, to be a complete likeness of Your image, to love You to the best of our ability, to prove worthy of Your goodness and not to be subjected to the severity of Your terrible justice at the Last Judgment. Meanwhile, before its onset, imbue everyone with the desire to gather under the peaceful banner of Your kingdom, under the meek wings of the Holy Spirit, transform everyone into peaceful citizens of Your holy city, so that under the influence of the quiet breath of the grace of the Spirit, by His power, we can quietly sail towards a peaceful harbor, not suffering harm on the sea of this life from the waves of sin breaking towards us, on the contrary, in Him, the Holy Spirit, wisdom ineffable, night and day, even until the last hour of life, thanks to the glorifier, and while glorifying, to thank the one Father and Son, Son and Father, You the Son as Educator and Teacher, with the Holy Spirit, Who is all things in one, in Whom are all things, through Whom all things are one, through Whom eternity, of Whom we are all members. To whom belongs the glory, (history in all) ages. Which is the sum total of all good things, all beauty, all wisdom, all righteousness. To whom be glory now and unto ages of ages. Amen. Since the Teacher brought us into the church and united us with Himself, it is completely natural that every time we are here, we should offer praise and gratitude to this Teacher, the all-seeing Logos, the Lord. It is perfectly and decent for well-mannered people to do this. A rein for foolish foals, The wing of birds in flight that do not wander, Durable ships helm, O Logos, Giver of Humility, To the wisdom of the Father Almighty, Guide, The wing of heaven of the holy flock! catching to the sweet life! Glorifying God! O Christ Jesus! Your wisdom flows. In reverent retribution May we all praise the God of peace in the psalms. O Teacher, this creation is for you I bring from the Scriptures pure meadows, Collecting it like hardworking honey A bee buzzes over a field all day long. Like her, I tried my best for You, My lord, collect beautiful honey. I, of your slaves, am truly the most insignificant, Thank you for your blessings I strive for the Laws, the giver of blessings. God. The leader of the good and the creator of everything Father who established heaven alone And by His Logos he created the world, Who showed us day and light, who gives The paths for the stars in the sky are immutable. The sea and the earth were created by you, Wisely in the circle of times the whole year connects, Spring and winter, summer and rich Autumn bears fruit. You're out of condition Summoned the whole world of formless matter And everything was put in perfect order. I continually ask for grace To fulfill Your Laws and remember them And praise You and full of Wisdom Your Logos, who reigns with You forever. I do not ask for poverty, nor, my Father, You have riches, but I pray for one thing, To live and die without complaining.