Let no one deceive himself, let no one deceive himself. Only the Lord can have mercy; He alone can grant remission of sins committed against Him, since He bore our sins, and suffered pain for us, and God gave Him up for our sins. Man cannot be higher than God, and a servant cannot let go of his own condescension or grant that which has been committed against the Lord as a grave sin. Let not ignorance of what is said in the Scriptures be added to the transgression of the fallen: "Cursed is the man that trusteth in man" (Jeremiah 17:5). To beseech the Lord blessedly; The Lord must be propitiated by our repentance. Who said that He rejects the one who rejects, and Who alone received all judgment from the Father. We believe that the merits of the martyrs and the deeds of the righteous can do a great deal with the Judge, but this refers to the time when, with the end of this world and the world, His people will stand before the judgment seat of Christ. Meanwhile, if anyone thinks that he is reckless and untimely in his haste to grant everyone absolution of sins, or dares to revoke the commandments of the Lord, then he not only does not help, but also harms the fallen. To disobey the sentence, to think that it is not necessary to pray to God for mercy and, having despised the Lord, to rely on one's own strength, means to draw wrath upon oneself.

Under the altar of God, the souls of the slain martyrs cry out with a loud voice: "How long, O holy and true Master, dost thou not judge and avenge our blood from those who dwell on the earth? (Rev. 6:10). And yet they are commanded to calm down and be patient a little longer. Is it good, therefore, to desire that anyone could, contrary to the Judge, forgive indiscriminately and forgive sins, and protect others, without first being avenged himself? Do the martyrs command us to do anything? If this is just, permissible, and not contrary to the Lord Himself, then the priest of God must do the following: it is easy and convenient to agree to the fulfillment, when moderation is observed in the petition. Do the martyrs command us to do anything? If what is commanded is not written in the law of the Lord, then it is first necessary to find out whether they have asked of the Lord what they demand, and then to do what is commanded: for the greatness of God does not always permit that for which a human promise has been given. And Moses once asked for the sins of the people, but did not ask forgiveness for those who sinned. I pray to thee, – he said, – O Lord: these people have sinned greatly, and have made for themselves gods golden. And now, if thou hast forgiven them their sin, forgive them; if not, blot me out of Thy book, in which Thou hast inscribed. And the Lord said to Moses, "If any man sin against me, I will blot him out of my book" (Exodus 32:31-33). He, a friend of God, who often conversed face to face with the Lord, could not receive what he asked for, and by his prayer he did not atone for the insult that had brought God's indignation! God praises Jeremiah and speaks of his predestination: "Before, if I should create thee in the womb, I shall know thee; and before, if thou didst come out of thy couches, they sanctified thee, and set thee a prophet in tongues (Jeremiah 1:5); and yet, when he often prayed and asked for the sins of the people. God said: "Pray not for these people, and do not ask that they may receive mercy, and do not pray below to come to Me for them, lest I hear thee" (Jeremiah 7:16).

God said that if only they had begged. He wouldn't respect their prayers. "If the earth sins against Me," He says, "if it is shepherded by sin, I will stretch out My hand against it, and I will wipe out the strength of bread, and I will make a famine upon it, and I will take from it men and cattle. And if these three men be in the midst of it, Noah, and Daniel, and Job... neither their sons nor daughters shall be saved, but only these alone shall be saved (Ezekiel 14:13-14; 16). Thus, everything that is asked does not depend on the reasoning of the asker, but on the will of the giver, and a human decision has no meaning or force if it is not confirmed by the judgment of God. But the Lord says in the Gospel: "Whosoever hath spoken of Me before men, let us sing it and I before My Father who is in heaven; whosoever shall deny Me before men, I will also deny him (Matt. 10:32-33). But if He does not reject the one who rejects, then He does not confess the one who confesses. The Gospel cannot be firm in one and accommodating in the other—either both must remain in force, or both must lose the force of truth. If those who reject are not guilty of a crime, then those who are guilty will not receive a reward for their valor. Further, if the faith that has conquered is crowned, then it is necessary that the vanquished treachery should also be punished. Thus, martyrs can either do nothing if the Gospel can be violated; or if it cannot be broken, then those who become martyrs according to the Gospel cannot do anything contrary to the Gospel.

Let no one, most beloved brethren, let no one dishonor the dignity of the martyrs, let no one deprive them of glory and crowns. With them the power of unharmed faith is unshakable, and he who has all hope and faith and valor in Christ can neither speak nor do anything contrary to Christ. Those who themselves have fulfilled God's commands cannot demand anything from bishops contrary to the command of God.

And thou didst sin against Him, and did not desire to walk in His way, nor to hear Him? And bring upon them the wrath of thy wrath (Isaiah 42:24-25). And in another place it testifies thus: Food cannot save the hand of the Lord? Or have you aggravated your hearing, so that you cannot hear? But your sins separate you from God, and for your sake turn away his face from you, lest he have mercy on you (Isaiah 59:1-2). Let us pay special attention to our sins and, having examined our actions and spiritual secrets, let us weigh the merits of our conscience. Let us remember that we have not walked in the ways of the Lord, we have rejected the law of God, we have never wanted to keep His saving commandments and commandments. And what good can you say about what fear or what faith you attribute to him whom danger could not correct, and persecution itself did not transform? Her proud and erect neck did not bend, though she had fallen; The haughty and arrogant spirit has not been tamed, even though it has been defeated. The lying man threatens those who are standing, the wounded – those who are unharmed, and the sacrileger is indignant at the priests of God because they do not suddenly allow him to receive the Body of the Lord with unclean hands and to drink the Blood of the Lord with defiled lips. Oh, your utter madness, furious! You are indignant at him who tries to turn away the wrath of God from you; you threaten the one who begs God's mercy for you, who feels your wound that you do not feel, who sheds tears for you that you yourself may not shed. By this you only aggravate and increase your crime, and, being implacable to the leaders and priests of God, do you really think that the Lord can be merciful to you? It is better to accept and admit to yourself what we say. Why do not your deaf ears hear the saving commandments that we express? Why do blind eyes not see the repentance that we indicate? Why does the afflicted and alienated mind not understand the life aids that we draw and offer from the heavenly Scriptures?

However, if the unbelievers have no faith in the future, then let them at least be frightened by the present. Here before our eyes are the executions that have befallen those who have denied Christ, whose sad outcome we mourn. They cannot remain unpunished here either, although the day of punishment has not yet come: some are punished temporarily, so that others may be reformed; The torment of the few is an example for all. For example, one who ascended to the Capitol for renunciation, as soon as he renounced Christ, became dumb. The punishment began with the beginning of the crime, so that, deprived of the gift of speech to ask for pardon, he could no longer ask. Another, being in the bath (for the only thing that was lacking for her transgression and sins was to go immediately to the bath, as soon as she lost the grace of the font of life), the unclean, being seized by an unclean spirit, bit her tongue, with which she impiously either ate or spoke. After partaking of the lawless food, the lips that were angry armed themselves for their own destruction. She herself became her own executioner, and after that she could not remain alive for long: she died, exhausted by diseases of the womb and viscera. But listen to what happened in my presence, which I myself witnessed. Some parents, running away, in anxiety and turmoil, left their little daughter in the care of a wet nurse. She took her to the rulers; And they, since the little girl could not eat meat because of her minority, gave her bread to eat before the idol, where the people flocked, mingled with the wine left over from the offerings sacrificed to idols. Subsequently, the daughter was handed over to her mother. But the girl could neither discover nor express the crime that had been committed, just as she could not have understood it or resisted it before. And so, through ignorance, it happened that my mother brought her with her when we were performing the Divine service. The little one, finding herself among the saints and unable to endure our prayers and supplications, began to sob and rush about in all directions as if in a frenzied state: the young soul at such a tender age, as if under the torture of an executioner, showed by all possible signs the consciousness of its crime. When, at the end of the Divine service, the deacon began to bring the chalice to those present, and after being accepted by the others, it was her turn, the little one, by inspiration from above, turned away her face, pursed her lips, closed her mouth, and refused the chalice. However, the deacon insisted and, despite her resistance, poured a little sacrament into her mouth. Hiccups and vomiting followed: the Eucharist could not remain in the body and mouth of the injured entrails. Such is the power, such is the majesty of the Lord! The darkest mysteries are revealed before His light, and the hidden crimes did not deceive the priest of God. The story relates to a child who, because of his minority, could not declare someone else's crime against him. And here is another case: during our sacred service, a woman of full age and already of mature age secretly approached, and, taking not food, but a sword for herself, swallowing as it were a deadly poison, began to suffer and writhe, as if in a fever, and then, having endured the illness not of persecution, but of her own sin, she died in writhing and convulsions. The concealed crime of a feigned conscience did not remain unpunished for long: the one who deceived man found an avenger in God. Another woman, who had attempted to open her ark with unworthy hands, in which the Lord's holiness was kept, was frightened by the fire that came out of it and did not dare to touch it. Likewise, someone who was also defiled, who, after the priest had performed the Divine service, dared to receive a part of the sacrament together with the others, could neither taste the Lord's holiness nor touch it: opening his hands, he saw that he was carrying ashes in them. This case indicates that the Lord departs when they deny Him, and that what is acceptable does not serve in the least for the salvation of the unworthy, since saving grace turns to ashes after the removal of holiness. And how many who do not repent and do not come to the consciousness of their sin are daily possessed by evil spirits! How many, completely losing their minds, are tormented by violent demonic possession! However, there is no need to follow the outcome of everyone: with the variety of misfortunes in the world, the punishment for sins is as different as the number of sinners. It is better for each one to reflect not on what the other has suffered, but on what he himself deserves to suffer. No one thinks that he has escaped execution if it is postponed for a while; how much more let him be afraid of the punishment which the wrath of the Judge of God has granted to himself.

Let also those who, though they have not defiled their hands with impious sacrifices, yet have stained their consciences with writings (libellis), do not flatter themselves that they need not repent. For this is also the confession of the renouncer; what happened testifies to the Christian who refuses: he confessed that he had done what another had actually done on his behalf. And as it is said in the Scriptures: "No man can serve two masters" (Matt. 6:24), then he served a worldly master who fulfilled his command and obeyed the command of man rather than God. Let it seem to him that what he has done should appear in the eyes of people less ugly and criminal. However, he could not hide himself and flee from God the Judge, when the Holy Spirit says in the Psalms: "Thy eyes have seen what I have not done" (Psalm 138:16); And again: a person sees on the face. But God sees in the heart (1 Samuel 16:7). Likewise, the Lord Himself reminds and precedes this, saying: "And all the churches shall understand, that I am that they have tried the heart and the bowels" (Rev. 2:23). He also sees the hidden, sees the secret and the hidden. No one can hide from the eyes of God, Who says: God draw near I am, and not God from afar. If any man be hidden in the hidden, shall I not see him? I do not fill heaven and earth with food (Jeremiah 23:23-24)? He sees the heartfelt dispositions of everyone; He will judge not only by deeds, but also by our words and thoughts; before Him are manifest the thoughts and desires that have arisen in the innermost recesses of the heart. Finally, how much higher in faith, and better in fear, are those who, although they have not committed a crime either by sacrificing to idols or by writing, yet by the mere fact that they have thought about it, confess it with sickness and sincerity before the priests of God, cleanse their consciences by confession, lay down the burden of their spirit, seek a saving remedy for their small and light wounds, remembering what is said in the Scriptures: God is not mocked (Gal. 6:7). It is impossible to mock and mock God, it is impossible to deceive Him with any cunning deceit. And he sins more who, reasoning about God as a man, thinks to escape punishment for a crime, when the crime is committed by him secretly. Christ in His commandments says: "Whosoever shall be ashamed of Me, the Son of man shall be ashamed of Him" (Matt. 8:38). And does he consider himself a Christian who is ashamed or afraid of being a Christian? How can one be with Christ who was ashamed or afraid of belonging to Christ? Of course, he sinned less, not seeing idols, not denying the holiness of the faith in the eyes of the approaching and mocking people, not staining his hands with idolatrous sacrifices, not defiling his mouth with unclean foods. All this contributes to the fact that the guilt is less, but in no way so that the conscience remains innocent. It is easier for him to achieve forgiveness for a crime, but he is not free from crime at all. Let him not cease to repent and ask the Lord for mercy, so that what appears as a sin as a small one may not become greater through the neglect of repentance.

I beseech you, most beloved brethren! Let each one confess his sin while the sinner is still in this world, as long as his confession can be accepted, as long as satisfaction and absolution, through the priests, is pleasing to the Lord. Let us turn to the Lord with all our thoughts and, expressing repentance for the crime with true sorrow, let us implore God's mercy. May the soul prostrate itself before Him, may sorrow be satisfied with Him, may all hope be placed in Him! And how we should pray, He Himself teaches. "Turn unto me," he says, "with all your heart, in fasting, and in weeping, and in weeping, and tear open your hearts, and not your garments" (Joel 2:12). Let us turn to the Lord with all our hearts, propitiate His anger and indignation, as He Himself inspires, with fasting, weeping and weeping! But can one be considered to lament from the bottom of his heart, imploring the Lord with fasting, weeping and weeping, who, from the very beginning of the crime, washes daily in a bath with women, who, satiated with abundant feasts, fattening himself with fatty dishes, regurgitates undigested food the next day and does not share his food and drink with the needy beggars? How he mourns his death who speaks cheerfully and joyfully, and when the Scriptures say: "Let not ye shave your breasts" (Lev. 19:27)

Even if you adorn yourself with gold, pearls, and precious stones, without the adornment of Christ you are ugly. Cleaning your hair, at least stop doing it now - in sorrows! Rubbing your eyebrows with black powder, at least now wash your eyes with tears! For if thou hadst lost through death any of thy loved ones, thou wouldst surely lament and weep, and with an untidy face, a change of clothes, uncombed hair, a gloomy appearance, and drooping lips, thou wouldst express thy sorrow. But you, wretched one, have lost your soul; having died spiritually, you have outlived yourself here, and walking you carry your corpse; And yet you do not weep bitterly, do not grieve constantly, do not seclude yourself in order either to hide the shame of the crime, or to continue lamentation! This is the worst sinful wound, this is the greater crime - to sin and not repent, to commit a crime and not to mourn it! The glorious and noble youths, Ananias, Azariah, and Mishael, did not consider it unnecessary to confess to God, even in the midst of the flames and fire of the fiery furnace; being calm in their consciences, having more than once pleased the Lord by the testimony of their faith and fear towards Him, they, nevertheless, even in the midst of the brilliant proofs of their virtues, did not cease to preserve humility and satisfy the Lord. The Divine Scripture says that Azariah, standing, prayed, and, opening his mouth, together with his companions confessed to God in the midst of the fire (Dan. 3:25-45). In the same way, Daniel, in spite of the repeated approval of his faith and chastity, in spite of the fact that the Lord often showed him His favor for his valor and praiseworthy qualities, still tries to please God by fasting, undergoes in time and in ashes, making confession and saying: Lord God, great and wonderful, keep Thy covenant and mercy to them that love Thee and keep Thy commandments! Thou hast sinned, iniquity, and wickedness, and have departed and departed from Thy commandments and from Thy judgments, and have not listened to Thy servants the prophets, who have spoken in Thy name to our kings and to all the people of the earth. Unto Thee, O Lord, is righteousness, but unto us is shame (Dan. 9:4-7). This is how meek, simple and blameless people acted to please the majesty of God; but now those who have denied the Lord refuse to satisfy the Lord and implore Him!

Молю вас, братья, прибегнете к спасительным средствам, послушайтесь здравых советов: с нашими слезами соедините ваши слезы, к нашим стенаниям присовокупите ваши стенания! Мы просим вас для того, чтобы нам можно было просить за вас. К вам прежде обращаем те моления, которыми умоляем Господа о вашем помиловании. Принесите полное покаяние, докажите скорбь болезнующего и сетующего духа! Пусть вас не смущает нерассудительное заблуждение или тщеславное безрассудство некоторых, которые, будучи одержимы столь тяжким преступлением, вместе с тем поражены слепотою ума, чтобы не понимать и не оплакивать согрешений. Это величайшее наказание разгневанного Бога, как говорится в Писании: напои вас Господь духом умиления (Ис. 29, 10); и опять: зоне любве истины не прияша во еже спастися им; и сего ради послет им Бог действо лети, во еже веровати им лжи, да суд приимут вси не веровавший истине, но благоволивший в неправде (2 Фес. 2, 10-12). Довольные собою в неправде, обезумевшие от извращения пораженного ума презирают заповеди Господни, пренебрегают врачеванием раны, не хотят приносить покаяния. Нерассудительные прежде совершения злодеяния, они и после злодеяния упрямы; нестойкие прежде, они и потом непокорны. Когда должны были стоять, - они лежали; когда должны лежать и повергаться пред Богом, - они находят нужным стоять. Сами себе присвоили мир, которого никто не дает им. Обманутые ложным обещанием и соединившись с отступниками и вероломными, принимают ложь за истину; считают непременным общение с теми, которые не имеют с ними общения; верят людям вопреки Богу, тогда как не поверили Богу вопреки людям. Избегайте, сколько можете, подобных людей! Со спасительной осторожностью удаляйтесь от тех, которые прилепляются к пагубному их союзу! Слово их распространяется, как рак (2 Тим. 2, 17); беседа переходит, как зараза; вредоносная и ядовитая уверенность убивает хуже всякого гонения. Там остается покаяние, которое могло бы удовлетворить, но отвергающие раскаяние в преступлении преграждают путь к удовлетворению. Таким образом, когда одни по безрассудству обещают ложное спасение, а другие тому верят, - отнимается надежда на истинное спасение.

Вы же, возлюбленнейшие братья, питающие в себе страх Божий, которых дух хоть и пал, однако помнит о своем бедствии, - внимательно, с покаянием и сокрушением, рассмотрите грехи ваши, познайте всю тяжесть преступления совести, откройте сердечные очи к уразумению вашего согрешения, не отчаиваясь, впрочем, в милосердии Господа, но и не присваивая уже себе прощения. Бог всегда любвеобилен и благ как Отец; но Он же и страшен своим величием как Судия. Сколь много мы согрешили, столь тяжко должны и плакать. Глубокую рану надобно врачевать прилежно и долго. Покаяние не должно быть менее преступления.

То, что похитил враг, да приимет Христос. Не должно уже ни беречь, ни любить наследства, которым кто-либо был обманут и побежден. Надобно удаляться от имущества, как от неприятеля, убегая от него, как от разбойника, бояться, как меча и яда для обладающих им. То, что осталось, да послужит к тому только, чтобы искупить им преступление и вину. Неукоснительно и щедро да употребится оно на добрые дела, весь доход пусть издержится на врачевание раны, все наше богатство и имущество пусть будет отдано для приращения Господу, Который будет судить нас. Так процветала вера при апостолах! Так первые христиане исполняли веления Христовы! Они с готовностью и щедростью отдавали все апостолам для раздела и тем искупали не такие грехи.

Если кто будет молиться от всего сердца, если будет выражать раскаяние истинным сетованием и слезами, если праведными и непрестанными делами преклонит Господа на отпущение греха, то такого может помиловать Тот, Кто обещал свою милость, говоря: егда возвратився воздохнеши, тогда спасешися и уразумевши, где еси был (Ис. 30, 15); и опять: не хощу смерти грешника [умирающего], но еже обратитися и живу быти ему (Иез. 33, 11). Также и пророк Иоиль объявляет о милосердии Господнем по внушению самого Господа: обратитеся, - говорит, - ко Господу Богу вашему; яко милостив и щедр есть, долготерпелив и многомилостив и раская-вайся о злобах (Иоил. 2, 13). Он может даровать помилование, может отклонить приговор свой. Он может милостиво простить кающемуся, добро делающему, молящемуся; может зачислить за таковым то, о чем просили мученики и священники. А кто особенно подвигнет его своим удовлетворением, кто гнев Его и оскорбление, сделавшееся причиной Его негодования; умилостивит праведным молением, тому Он снова дарует оружие, в которое побежденный мог бы облечься, возобновляет и укрепляет силы для ободрения восстановленной веры. Снова вступит воин в свое сражение, снова повторит брань, вызовет врага, но сделавшись уже через болезнь более сильным для борьбы. Кто таким образом удовлетворит Богу, кто, раскаявшись в своем проступке и устыдясь своего греха, через самую болезнь падения, приобретет более доблести и веры, тот, услышанный и вспомоществуемый Господом, Которого огорчил недавно, обрадует Церковь и заслужит от Бога не только прощение, но и венец.