Беседа 17

Praise to the world (De laude pacis) A conversation said in Carthage, in view of the upcoming conversation with the Donatists, in 411, around May 15. 1. As far as God will help our strength, it is time, brothers, to turn to your love with an exhortation to love the world and ask the Lord for peace. So, let the world be close and kind to us. With him may the bed of our heart be pure. With him, let your holiday be calm and your companionship not burdensome. With him may there be sweet unity and unbreakable friendship. It is more difficult to praise the world than to have it. Because if we want to praise the world, we look for strength and feelings that excite us, we pronounce words; if we want to have peace, then without any labor we have it and own it. We need to glorify those who love peace. Those who hate him are better to be pacified by teaching or silence than to be irritated by reproach. He who truly loves the world also loves its enemies. Just as if you love this light, you are not angry with the blind, but grieve for them, because you know what good you have, and therefore they seem to you, who know what good they are deprived of, worthy of compassion, so that if you had the means, art or medicine, you would rather treat them and not condemn them, so exactly, if you love the world, no matter who you are, have compassion for someone who does not love what you love, who does not has what you have. Such is the object that you love that you do not envy your co-owner. He has peace with you and does not interfere with your possession. No matter what earthly thing you love, it is difficult not to envy the one who has it. If you wanted to own the land you have together with a friend, striving for your kindness to be praised and your love to be glorified in this case (ut etiam in istis temporalibus rebus charitas proedicertur), if, we say, you wanted to own your earthly property - an estate, a house or something similar - together with your friend - then, let’s assume, you own with one, allowing it to participation with you, and rejoicing with him. You are thinking, perhaps, of accepting a third accomplice and a fourth. You think about how much it can accept, how much a house can accommodate for living in it, or a field for pasture, and you say: “The fifth can no longer be accepted, the sixth cannot live with us, and how can the seventh be placed in such a small area?” So, it is not you, but the tightness itself that excludes others. But love the world, have peace, own the world and take as much as you want into your possession. The more extensive it is, the more owners there are. A real house cannot accommodate many roommates; the dominion of the world increases with the increase in the number of those in it. 2. How good it is, brothers, to love! Because that is what it means to have. Who doesn't want what he loves to increase? If you want a few to be at peace with you, your peace will be small. If you want your possessions to increase, accept another owner. After all, how comforting is what I said, brothers, that it is good to love the world and that to love it means to have it together? What voice can praise and what heart can feel it, i.e. What does it mean to love and have? Just think about the other things that people are passionate about. Look, someone loves lands, silver, gold, wants to have many children, expensive and beautiful houses, picturesque and expensive estates. Does he like it? Loves. But does he already have it if he loves? It may happen that he will remain an empty lover of all this. When he does not have, he loves, burning with passion to have. When he has it, he is tormented by fear of losing it. A person loves honor, loves power. But how many people sigh in private about gaining power? And for the most part, this is how their last day (the day of death) finds them, before they achieve what they desire. How much, then, does it mean to love and have together? In this case, you don’t buy what you love with money. You don't go to any patron to get that. Here in this place where you stand, love the world, and you already have what you love. This is the property of the heart. You don’t own the world with your friends the same way you own, for example, bread. When you want to share bread with others, the more there are to whom it is given, the less what is given becomes. The world is like the bread that was multiplied in the hands of the Lord’s disciples as it was broken and distributed. 3. Have peace, brothers. If you want to attract others to it, first have it yourself, first possess it yourself. Let what you have blaze within you, so that it can ignite others too. The heretic hates the world, just as the one who suffers from eyes hates the light. But is the light really bad because those who suffer from eyes cannot bear it? Although the patient with eyes cannot tolerate light, the eye is created for light. Those who love the world and want to own it together with others naturally try to ensure that as the number of owners increases, the ownership itself increases. Let them try to heal the eyes of those who suffer, no matter what the cost and effort. The patient is being treated against his will; he does not want to while he is being treated, but as soon as he sees the light, he rejoices. But don't forget that he is angry. Don't flatter yourself with high hopes. You, lover of the world, first become imbued with the world, enjoy the beauty of what you love, and then be excited to captivate another. Let him see what you see; let him love what you love, let him own what you love. Now your beloved, whom you love, turns to you and says: “Love me and you will immediately have me. Bring with you whomever you can to my love. I will be clean and remain unharmed. Bring as much as you can; let them come, possess and enjoy me. If many who watch this light do not harm me, will many who love me harm me? But they don’t want to come because they don’t know how to see me. They don’t want to come because the shine of peace washes away the festering hostility. Pay attention to the miserable cry of those suffering from blindness. This is what is proclaimed to them: it is necessary that Christians have peace. Hearing these words, they say to each other: “Woe to us.” Why? Unity is coming. So what? And what does this mean: “Woe to us, unity is coming”? Wouldn't it be better to say "woe" when division comes? But let this not happen, let there be no division. This is darkness for those who see. Unity is coming, and we need to rejoice in this, brothers. Why were you afraid? It is said that unity is coming. Is it said that a beast or fire is approaching? Unity comes, light comes. If he wanted to be truthful, he would tell you: “I was not afraid that the beast was approaching; I'm not a coward. But that’s why I was afraid that the light was coming, because my eyes were sick (lippus enim sum).” So, let efforts be made to heal them. With God's help, as much as we have the strength, we must try to jointly own with them that which, as a result of joint ownership, does not become less. 4. Therefore, beloved, I exhort you to show love towards them, i.e. to the erring, true Christian meekness. Now it takes persistence to extract them (nunc curandis instatur). The eyes of the sick are inflamed. They need to be treated carefully and treated gently. Let no one begin litigation with any of them, let no one seek to defend even his faith through dispute, so that a spark of hostility does not arise from the dispute and so that those who are looking for a reason for this do not have a reason to do so. In general, if you hear swearing, be patient, don’t show it, walk past. Remember to heal. You know how kind doctors are to those whom they treat seriously (mordaciter). They listen to abuse, but they give medicine and do not respond to abuse with abuse. It should be remembered that one heals and the other must be healed, and there should be no bickering. Be patient, my brothers, I beg you. “But I can’t stand it,” someone will say, “when he curses the church.” But this is what the church asks of you, so that you can endure it when it is reviled. “He reviles,” you say, “my bishop. They are bringing accusations against my bishop, and will I remain silent? Let the accusation speak, but you remain silent, not because you agree with him, but because of patience. By doing this you will also be doing the bishop a favor if you do not intercede for him before the time comes. Consider the time, have reasoning. After all, how is your God sometimes slandered? Do you really hear, but He doesn’t hear? Do you really know, but He doesn’t know? And, however, “He makes His sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust” (Matthew 5:45). He shows patience and defers power. So, know the time and do not irritate your sore eyes. Do you love the world? Be blessed with him in your heart. “But what should I do?” - you ask. There is something to do. Forget about strife and turn to prayers. Do not answer with abuse the one who scolds you, but pray for him. If you want to turn to him against him, but turn to God for him. I am not telling you to remain silent, but rather prefer to address the One with whom you are talking, silently, when your lips are closed and only the voice of your heart is heard. And then, when the detractor does not see you, be kind to him. To him, who does not love the world and wants to argue with you, answer peacefully: “Say what you want, hate as much as you like, and despise as much as you like, but you are my brother.” Why do you act in such a way that you become, as it were, not my brother? Whether you are good or bad, kind or unkind, you are my brother. Let him say that he is not your brother, but an enemy, an enemy. “Although you say so,” answer him, “however, you are my brother.” It seems amazing: he hates, blasphemes, and yet he’s your brother?! But can I really believe him, who doesn’t know what he’s saying? I wish him health, so that he can see and recognize his brother. So, is it necessary for me to believe him, that I am not his brother, because he reviles, because he hates, to believe him, and not the Light Itself? Let's listen to what this Light says. Read from the prophet: “Hear the word of the Lord, those who tremble at His words.” It is the Holy Spirit who speaks through Isaiah the prophet: “Hear the word of the prophet, you who fear His word: shout, brethren, to those who hate you and abhor you.” So what? Now the light has shone, brotherhood has been shown, and the blind man still says: “Close the window.” Turn your eyes to the light, recognize the brother standing outside, you who are in darkness, and say calmly, “These are God’s words, not my words: “Cry, brethren,” says the Lord, “to those who hate you”... To whom are you brethren? To those who hate you. There is nothing surprising in saying “brothers” to those who love you, but to those who hate and persecute you. Why is this? Listen and find out the reason. Ask, as it were, the Lord Your God Himself and say: “Lord! How can I call him my brother who hates and dishonors me? Tell me why? “Let the name of the Lord be glorified and made manifest in their joy, and they will be put to shame” (Isa. 66:5). That is why I beg for patience, for such meekness. They are your brothers. - Why? To glorify the name of the Lord. Why doesn't he recognize you as his brother? Because the name of people glorifies them [the idea is that by calling another his brother, a heretic (in this case, a Donatist), thereby, in his opinion, glorifies him]. So, tell him: although you hate me, although you revile me, nevertheless, you are my brother. Know within yourself the image of my Father. Whether you are bad or good, you are my brother. After all, you, like me, say: “Our Father who art in heaven!” (Matthew 6:9). We say one thing, why don’t we unite? I ask you, brother, look into what you are saying to me and condemn what you are doing against me. Pay attention to the words coming out of your mouth. Listen not to me, but to yourself. Remember before Whom we say: “Our Father who art in heaven!” Not your friend and not your neighbor, but God Himself, to whom we address these words, commands us to be in agreement. Together we speak before the Father with one voice. Why don’t we have one world together? 5. Say it passionately, say it meekly. Speak with the fire of love, and not with the indignation of discord, and ask the Lord with us, combining this with ordinary abstinence. Whatever we render to the Lord, we will render with this circumstance in mind. Now, after Pentecost we usually fast. However, we would, of course, fast, even if there was no reason for it. So, what are we obligated to do for our brothers, whom in the name of our Lord, our Physician, we want to accept for healing and correction, when we leave their healing to Him, and do not appropriate the doctor’s art to ourselves? But what should we do? Let us ask the Doctor Himself, fasting with humility of our hearts, with piety and mutual brotherly respect. Let us show piety before God and love for our brothers. Let our benefactions multiply, through which our prayers are promoted. Be welcoming to strangers. Now is the time for this, since the servants of God are gathering from everywhere. Now there is time for this and there is a reason, why should it disappear? Observe what you have at home, in the dining room. Don’t forget to put something aside for yourself and into that heavenly treasury, where only you can find peace for yourself. Put it there, entrust it not to your servant, but to the Lord. Are you really afraid that a thief will sneak up there, and a robber will find you there, and a cruel enemy will kidnap you there? Try to do so that there will be something to reward you for later. You will receive much more than what you put in. God wants to have you as a creditor, but as His own, and not as your neighbor’s creditor. 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