He also poured out the riches of His mercy on you and called you, who are far removed from Him in thoughts and worship strangers... not to gods, but to evil spirits, to wooden, lifeless and senseless idols. Therefore, first of all, turn to Him who called you, from whom you received the knowledge of things visible and invisible. But if you do not want to turn to God even after your calling, or if you delay in turning to God, then you will be condemned by the righteous judgment of God. And then, because you did not want Him, He will not want you, for the same Apostle Peter said so to one of his disciples.

But I hope that you have heeded the calling, take up the cross, and follow the Lord God, who has called you, who calls you from death to life, and from darkness to light. For ignorance of the Lord is true darkness and death of the soul, and enslavement to idols, contrary to nature, is the height of all foolishness. To whom shall I liken them? How to express the madness of such people?

I will give you a confirmation of their folly, expressed to me by a wise man. He said that idolaters are like a bird-catcher who catches a nightingale. When he raised his hand to kill and eat him, the nightingale suddenly, turning to him, spoke in a human voice: "What is the use of my slaughter to you, O man? You can't even fill your stomach with me. But if you let me out of the net, then I will give you three commandments, by fulfilling which you will benefit all your life." The bird-catcher, struck by his speech, told the nightingale that if he heard anything new from him, he would immediately release him from captivity. Then the nightingale said: "Never undertake anything unattainable, do not repent of your deeds, never believe doubtful deeds and words. By fulfilling these three commandments, you will prosper." The bird-catcher, who liked the simplicity and truth of these words, let him out of the net.

Then the nightingale, wishing to test whether the bird-catcher had grasped the essence of the advice given to him, and whether he could therefore profit from it, said to him, flying in the air: "Alas, man! What a treasure you have let go of today! There are pearls inside me that are larger than an ostrich egg." The bird-catcher, hearing this, was very grieved, repenting that he had let such a nightingale out of his hands; trying to catch him, he said: "Come with me to my house, I will receive you cordially and let you go with honor." Then the nightingale said to him: "I have now learned that you are terribly stupid, because, having heard and willingly taken into account what I have said, you could not profit by it. I told you not to repent of the past, but you were completely grieved that you let me go from your hands and thus repented of the past. Then, I commanded you not to undertake the unattainable, and now you are trying to catch me again, although you cannot follow me. Besides, I told you not to believe doubtful words, and you believed that there was a jewel in me that was larger than my height, and you did not even try to understand that I was all smaller than an ostrich's egg. In like manner are those who believe in idols are mad, for they have made them with their own hands, and worship what they have made themselves, saying, "These are our creators." How can they regard as their creators that which is itself the work of their own hands? These people protect their idols so that they are not stolen by thieves, and yet they call them the guardians of their salvation. What madness one must reach in order not to understand that those who are unable to help and protect themselves are even more unable to protect others. And when they say to you, Turn to the conjurers of the dead, and to the sorcerers, to the whisperers and ventriloquists, then answer, Should not the people turn to their God? Do the dead ask about the living? (Isaiah 8:19). In the Holy Scriptures it is said: "Like unto them shall be those who do them, and whosoever trusteth in them" (Psalm 134:18). They pour the gold out of the purse, and weigh the silver in the scales, and hire a silversmith to make a god out of it; bow down to him and prostrate themselves before him. They lift it on their shoulders, carry it and put it in its place; he stands, does not move from his place; they cry out to him, he does not answer, he does not save him from trouble (Isaiah 46:6-7). Then those who trust in idols will turn back and be covered with great shame, saying to idols, "You are our gods" (Isaiah 42:17). They offered sacrifices to demons, and not to God; the gods they did not know, the new ones who came from their neighbors. They are a corrupt generation, children in whom there is no faithfulness (Deuteronomy 32:17-30).

Out of this treacherous and unfaithful generation the Lord calls you, saying to you: Go, go, come out of there, do not touch the unclean; come out from among him; cleanse thyself, thou who bearest the vessels of the Lord (Isaiah 52:11); be saved from this corrupt generation (Acts 2:40). Arise and depart, for this country is not a place of rest (Micah 2:10). The multitude of your gods is the cause of disorders, even rebellions, and is quite improbable. It is not so with us at all: we do not have many gods and rulers, but we have one God the Father, of Whom all things are to Him; and there is one Lord Jesus Christ, in Whom all things and we are in Him, Who is also the invisible True God, Who was born of the Father before the creation of all creation and before all ages. Everything that is in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones, principalities, or powers, was created by Him and for Him. He is first of all, and all things stand by Him; and there is one Holy Spirit, the Life-Giving Ruler of all, the True God, the Good Spirit, the Spirit of consolation, the Spirit of adoption.

Thus, we have one God, triune in Persons: God the Father, God the Son, God the Holy Spirit. They have one nature, one kingdom, one power, one glory, one being, distinguished only by the properties of each Hypostasis: the Father was never born of anyone; The Only-begotten Son is eternally begotten of. Father; The Holy Spirit proceeds from the Father from eternity. From the light of the Father is born the light of the Son, and the light of the Holy Spirit proceeds, by which we are also illumined. In the three Hypostases we glorify the one Godhead: the one, True God, known in the Indivisible, One-in-Essence Trinity. From Him are all things, by Him all things, and for Him all things.

By His grace I learned of your existence and was sent to you to teach you what I myself had been taught. Therefore, if you believe and are baptized, you will be saved, but if you do not believe, you will be condemned. Everything that you see now, all the greatness with which you are surrounded, such as wealth, fame, luxury, will soon pass away; you will leave them against your will. Your body will be enclosed in a narrow coffin, left completely alone without friends and other loved ones. Your soul will be thrown into hell, where it will remain until the general resurrection, after which, having reunited with the body, it will be driven away from the presence of God and condemned to the fiery Gehenna, burning with eternal, but never burning fire. This is what will happen to you then, and much worse if you remain in your unbelief. But if you readily obey Him who calls you to salvation, joyfully shine upon His light, follow Him irrevocably, renouncing all worldly and vain things, and become attached to Him alone, then listen only to what blessedness you will attain: When you go to bed, you will not be afraid, and when you fall asleep, your sleep will be pleasant. You will not be afraid of sudden fear and destruction from the wicked when it comes (Proverbs 3:24-25).

You will walk confidently like a lion; you will live in all joy and delight of the heart; and everlasting joy shall be upon thy head; thou shalt find joy and gladness; sorrow and sighs are removed (Isaiah 51:11). Then thy light shall be revealed like the dawn, and thy healing shall soon increase, and thy righteousness shall go before thee, and the glory of the Lord shall follow thee. Then you will call, and the Lord will hear, you will cry out, and He will say, Here I am (Isaiah 58:8-9). I, I Myself, blot out your transgressions for My own sake, and I will not remember your sins. Remember me; let us sue; thou shalt speak, that thou mayest be justified" (Isaiah 43:25-26). Though your sins be as scarlet, as white as snow; though they be red as crimson, as white as wool (Isaiah 1:18)."

Then Joasaph said to Barlaam: "All that has been said is so beautiful and worthy of wonder, that I believed and hated idols with all my soul; and before your coming I had distrusted them, but now I am finally convinced of their inadequacy, having learned from you all the absurdity of idolatry and the madness of their worshippers. Therefore I desire to become a servant of the true God, if only He does not push me, unworthy, away for my sins, but forgives me everything, being humane and merciful, as you teach. I am ready to be baptized and keep everything that you prescribe. But tell me, what should I do after baptism: is faith alone enough for salvation, or is there something else needed?"

На это Варлаам ему отвечает: "Выслушай, что надо делать после крещения.

Если же вы духом водитесь, то вы не под законом. Дела плоти известны, они суть: прелюбодеяние, блуд, нечистота, непотребство, идолослужение, волшебство, вражда, ссоры, зависть, гнев, распри, разногласия (соблазны) ереси, ненависть, убийства, пьянство, бесчинство и тому подобное. Предваряю вас, как и прежде предварял, что поступающие так царствия Божия не наследуют. Плод же духа: любовь, радость, мир, долготерпение, благость, милосердие, вера (Гал.5:16-22).

После крещения нужны освящение души и тела, смирение сердца, сокрушение о грехах, человеколюбие, милостыня бедным, бодрствование и постоянное раскаяние во всех совершенных грехах. При соединении одного с другим, восхождении от одного к другому, это, подобно ступеням лестницы, приводить душу в царствие небесное. Таким образом, вот что нам предписано исполнять и как жить после крещения, противного же этому следует избегать. Если же мы, познав истину, будем все-таки творить прежние суетные, греховные дела и подобно псам набросимся на собственное рвотное, то на нас сбудется сказанное Господом: Когда нечистый дух выйдет из человека, то ходит по безводным местам, ища покоя, и не находит. Тогда говорит: возвращусь в дом мой, откуда я вышел; и пришедши находит его незанятым, выметенным и убранным (Мф.12:43-44), но пустым и не наполнившим еще себя богатством добрых дел. Тогда идет и берет с собою семь других духов, злейших себя, и вошедши живут там; и бывает для человека того последнее хуже первого. Так будет и с этим злым родом (Мф.12:45).

Крещение, смывая водою грязь грехов, уничтожает всякий их след, и на будущее время оно для нас есть несокрушимая стена и славное оружие против врагов. Сила его не уничтожится даже последующими новыми прегрешениями, для очищения которых не требуется нового погружения в купель, ибо мы исповедуем единое крещение. Потому следует всеми силами остерегаться, чтобы снова не осквернить себя прегрешениями, но соблюдать заповеди Господа, сказавшего: Итак, идите, научите все народы, крестя их во имя Отца и Сына, и Святаго Духа, уча их соблюдать все, что Я повелел вам; и се, Я с вами во все дни до скончания века (Мф.28:19-20). В своих заповедях блаженства Христос назвал блаженными нищих духом. Их же признал и достойными царствия небесного.

Он дал такое общее правило поведения для сей земной жизни: Так да светит свет ваш пред людьми, чтобы они видели ваши добрыя дела и прославляли Отца вашего Небеснаго (Мф.5:16).