Thou hast loved all evil words, Thou hast flattered thy tongue. For this reason God will destroy thee to the end: He will exalt thee, and bring thee away from thy dwelling, and thy root from the land of the living (Psalm 51:3-8), and the following words of the Psalm. The pagan temple continued to burn for many days. 71. After this, house searches were made (there were many idols in many courtyards), and what was found was burned or thrown into the dirt. Books full of magic were also found, which they called sacred, and by which idolaters performed sacraments and other iniquities; and these books suffered the same fate as their gods. 72. Many resorted to the holy faith, some out of fear, others repenting of their former way of life, and the holy church opened its doors to all, remembering the Holy Scriptures, which say: "To him who interprets it will be opened, and seek it finds" (Matt. 7:8), and "If by guilt, if by truth, we preach Christ" (Philippians 1:18). Some of the faithful told the venerable bishop that it was not proper to receive those who came out of fear, but those who had a good intention. 73. The venerable bishop answered thus: there are virtues that appear in people as a result of [56] circumstances.

For this reason the Scripture of God says: "When I have slain, then I will seek him, and find myself, and will be in the morning unto God" (Psalm 77:34); And he saith for the sake of those who turn away and refuse the yoke of God: "With the reins and bridle of their jaws thou shalt draw them that do not come near thee" (Psalm 31:9). It is necessary, my children, that humanity be reminded of fear, threats, and punishment. Therefore He says: "It is good for me, for Thou hast humbled me, that I may learn by Thy righteousness" (Psalm 118:71). I said this for the sake of those who wish to approach our holy faith. For if they draw near, and with hesitation, time, which is well pleased with Christ, may soften them; and another thing I will tell you, that if they do not prove worthy of faith, as those who were clothed with evil,[57] then those who are born of them can be saved by turning to good. 74. Having said this, and having persuaded the brethren, the Monk Porphyrius received all those who wished to be enlightened, having read them out for many days, not only before baptism, but also after that; He constantly taught the word, not speaking pompously out of a desire to show himself, but teaching in simple speeches, and resolving everything from the Scriptures. And so in that year about three hundred names joined the flock of Christ, and from that time the number of Christians increased every year. 75. When Marnion was finally burned and order was restored in the city, the blessed bishop consulted with the most honorable clergy and Christ-loving people about the establishment of a holy church on the burned place, as he had been announced in a revelation when he was in Constantinople, and for which he had received money from the pious queen Eudoxia. And so, having dismissed the archons and the Christ-loving people, he withheld part of the reinforcements, so that no change would occur after their departure, and not only for this, but also for help in bringing material for the said holy church. Some advised to build it in the position of a pagan temple: it was circular and surrounded by two porticoes, one inside the other; in the middle was a ciborium 69 with an outlet, extending to [58] height; He had other idol devices, adapted to what happened among idolaters, and it was filthy and lawless. And so, some said that the holy church should be built according to this provision, while others disagreed, saying that the very memory of the situation should be destroyed. Those who said this persuaded all, as those who had said well, but the monk bishop said: let us leave this also to the will of God. At the time when the place was being cleared, a magistrian arrived, bringing the royal epistle to the ever-memorable Eudoxia. It contained greetings and a request for prayer for her and for the kings – her husband and son. On the other charter, separately from the letter, there was a plan of the holy church, in the form of a cross, as it is now seen, and in the letter it was concluded that the holy church should be built according to the plan. Porphyrios, who was among the saints, rejoiced when he read and looked at the plan: he learned that this also happened by Divine revelation, and he remembered the words of the Scriptures: "The king's heart is in the hand of God" (Proverbs 217:1). The letter also stated that valuable columns and marbles would be sent. 76. When the ashes had been removed and all the abominations had been destroyed, the remaining fragments of the marble ornaments of Marnion, which were said to be sacred, and were in a place inaccessible to women, the venerable bishop [59] decided to insert them into the square, outside, in front of the church, so that they might be trampled underfoot, not only by men, but also by women, and pigs, and beasts. This grieved the idolaters more than the burning of the temple, which is why many of them, especially women, do not even set foot on marble to this day. A little later, he declared a fast for one day, and after the dismissal of the morning prayers, the God-loving bishop ordered each Christ-loving man to bring pickaxes, rakes and similar tools. This he announced in advance, in the evening, so that everyone would be ready in the morning, which was done. 77. When the people gathered with the said instruments in the holy church called Irene, he ordered that all go with the singing to the former Marnion, and he himself followed, carrying the holy gospel and having around him an honest clergy, in truth imitating Christ with the disciples. Before the people was preceded by the ever-memorable Barokha, carrying the image of the honorable cross, and on both sides of the people were soldiers left behind for the sake of the deanery in the city. As they went, they sang, and at the places where the psalm was divided, they said, Hallelujah. And there was a psalm which they sang:

Come, let us rejoice in the Lord, let us cry out to God our Saviour: let us go before his face in confession, and in the psalms let us cry out to him. For the Lord is a great God, and a great king in all the earth. For in his hand are all the ends of the earth, and the heights of the mountains: for he is the sea, and that he created it, and [60] the dry land of his hand. Come, let us worship him, and let us bow down to him, and let us weep before the Lord who created us: for he is our God, and my people pasture him, and the sheep of his hand (Psalm 94:18). 78. Other psalms were also sung until they entered Marnion. Bishop Porphyrius, who was among the saints, turned to a certain Rufinus, an architect from Antioch, a faithful and knowledgeable man, through whom the entire building was completed. This one, taking plaster, marked the position of the holy church on the model of the plan sent by the most God-loving Augusta Eudoxia. And the most venerable bishop, having made a prayer and kneeling, ordered the people to dig. Immediately all with one accord, with the same readiness, began to dig, exclaiming: Christ has conquered. And it was impossible to notice the difference between husband and wife, old man and child, but readiness gave everyone the same strength, and some dug and others carried out the earth, so that in a few days the whole place was excavated and cleared. 79. Having prepared in advance the material of the huge stones (hewn in the hill) called Aldiomatus,70 which is to the east of the city, and of other substances which are among the saints, having again gathered together the Christ-loving people, and having made many prayers and psalmody on the spot, having girded himself up, the first [61] began to carry the stones and lay them in the foundation, then the God-loving clergy and all the laity, rejoicing and singing with a loud voice, so that they could be heard three miles from the city. 80. On this day a great miracle took place. There are wells inside the enclosure of the sanctuary, one of which is on the western side of the present holy church of God, which is not a little deep. And so the three youths, thirsty, came to drink, and approaching the opening of the well, they bent down, leaning on the tree that was on the hole, as children do, and as the tree broke, all three fell into the well. Some who were there went to tell the people what had happened, and there was no small confusion, and all ran to the well.

The Monk Porphyrius, having learned of what had happened, ran to the place himself and ordered that everyone should be silent; when this was done, he began to pray and ask God with great tears to preserve the youths alive and unharmed, and especially for the sake of the idolaters, so that they would not say: "Where is their God" (Psalm 113:11), in whom they trusted? And after spending an hour, prostrating himself on the ground, and getting up, he ordered someone to go down on the bucket ropes and look for the children. From the crowd they shouted, calling out to the children, and no one could hear them from below from the well. 81. And when the man descended, the three youths found themselves sitting motionless on a large stone,[62] talking merrily to one another. And when the man saw them, he was very much amazed and glorified God, and crying out from below, he said, "Glorify God, for the three youths are alive." The monk bishop and the people, hearing this, rejoiced, and lowering down a large basket, they gave orders to lift up all three together, since they were not large, about six or seven years old. And the one who was below, taking the basket and tying it firmly, sat down three of them, commanded them to close their eyes until they were lifted up, and said, Jesus Christ, save me. And having done this, he cried out to pull the rope with dexterity, and when they were being dragged they said the song of the three youths: "Blessed art thou the Lord God our father" (Dan. 3:52). And when they were pulled out and the bishop who was among the saints saw them (he was standing at the opening of the well and holding a rope), then, filled with joy and tears, he exclaimed:

Bless all the works of the Lord the Lord, sing. (Dan. 3:57). When they were taken out of the basket, we felt if there was anything damaged on their bodies, and they did not find any damage, then we saw a great miracle. 82. For three youths were found having cross-shaped images, as if from a needle prick, one in the middle of the forehead, another above the right bone, near the fingers, and the third on the right shoulder. The crosses were imprinted beautifully, neither crooked nor oblique, but one-dimensional, [63] so that it was clear that this was a sign of God. And they did not hurt them, there was no blood, but were sealed as with paint, and remained on them for a long time to be seen and amazed by all. And many of the strangers, seeing it, believed. 83. When the man who had descended for the sake of the children was also lifted up, he assured me by oath, saying that when I put them in the basket and they were rising, I saw lightning all around them until they reached the opening of the well. Christians on this day had great joy, and idolaters sorrow and temptation. The building moved forward day by day, as everyone worked with eagerness and diligence. For the bishop did not take away his reward from anyone, but paid more, treating them generously to those who worked, and saying, "It is just that the whole work of building should not be cursed, but blessed." 84. The following year, Queen Eudoxia sent the columns that she had promised; they were large and thirty-two in number (they are called Carystia),71 glittering in the holy church like smaragds. When they arrived, the diligence and readiness of the Christ-loving people were again manifested, for all, when they heard, immediately ran to the shore, not only men, but also [64] women, and children, and elders (all were strengthened by the desire for faith), and having brought carts and placed each column on them, they dragged and laid them in the courtyard of the temple, then returned and dragged another, and did so until until they dragged everyone. And this is about these. 85. At this time a certain Antiochian wife, named Julia, who belonged to the abominable heresy of the so-called Manichaeans, arrived in the city, and learning that some were newly enlightened and not yet confirmed in the holy faith, she crept in and corrupted them with her sorcerer's teaching, and much more with the distribution of money. For he who laid the foundation for the said godless heresy could not catch anyone in any other way than by distributing money. For their doctrine is full of all blasphemy and condemnation for men of understanding, and of old women's fables, which attract women, and husbands who are child-like, and who are weak in mind and reason. They composed this evil teaching of theirs from various heresies and Hellenic teachings, wishing to attract everyone by deception and cunning.

They say that there are many gods in order to please the Greeks, then they recognize horoscopes 72 and astronomy 73 in order to sin without fear, since sin is not in us, but it occurs by fatal necessity. [65] 86. They also confess Christ, for they say that He became incarnate illusory, and they themselves ghostly call themselves Christians. I omit what is worthy of laughter and condemnation, so as not to fill the ears of readers with unpleasant words and fables. For they have composed their own heresy, mixing the teaching of the Christians with the teaching of the scenic Philistion and Isiod 75 and other so-called philosophers. Just as a painter, making a mixture of different colours, paints a ghostly man, or a beast, or anything else, in order to deceive those who see, so that to fools and madmen it may seem true, and to the rational – a shadow and deception, and a human invention, so in Manichaeans, drawing from various teachings, they composed their own evil teaching, or, rather, collecting poison from various reptiles and mixing, they prepared a deadly potion for the destruction of human souls. And, as mentioned above; Upon the arrival of the pernicious woman, some were carried away by her deceptive teachings. 87. Porphyrius, who was among the saints, learned a few days later, and sent for her and asked who she was and where she came from, and what doctrine she professed. She also named the fatherland and confessed that she was a Manichaean. When those who were around him became angry (and there were some pious men among him), the blessed one asked them not to be angry, but to exhort them with insistence, and once, [66] and twice, according to the words of the holy Apostle (Titus 3:10).

Then he said to the woman, "Sister, abstain from such an evil teaching, for it is satanic." And she answered, "Speak and listen, and either you will convince or you will be convinced."

The blessed one said: prepare for tomorrow and come here. She said goodbye and went out. The blessed one, having prayed much to Christ in fasting, that he might put the devil to shame, prepared for the next day and invited some pious clergy and laity to a conversation between him and the woman. 88. The next day a woman came, having with her two husbands and the same number of wives; they were young and beautiful, but all were pale 76, and Julia was elderly. They all began with the words of worldly teaching, but much more so Julius. Their appearance was humble, and their disposition was modest, as they say, sheep on the outside, but ravenous wolves and poisonous beasts on the inside. They say and do everything with pretense. Then, having received an invitation to sit down, they began to search. Those who were among the saints, having brought the holy gospels and made the sign of the cross on his lips, began to ask her to express her teaching and that she would begin to speak. Brother Cornelius, the deacon mentioned shortly before, who knew the abbreviations used in the laws,77 on the instructions of the most blessed bishop,[67] wrote down all the conversations and objections, and I and Brother Baroch dictated to him.

I have not written this discourse in this book, because of its length, since I wish this scripture to be brief, but I have set it forth in another work, 78, for those who wish to become acquainted with the wisdom given by God to the most Venerable Porphyrius, and with the old woman's fables, which were prattled by the sorceress and sorceress Julia, who was soon beset by Divine justice. 89.

90. And immediately the sentence was followed by punishment. Julia began to tremble and change in her countenance, and after being in a frenzy for a long time, she spoke to her, but she was voiceless and motionless, having her eyes open and fixed on the most venerable bishop. And those who came with her, when they saw what had happened, were greatly frightened, and encouraged her, and sang in her ears, but she had neither voice nor hearing. Having remained voiceless for a long time, she betrayed her spirit, departing into darkness, which she loved, considering it to be light, according to the scripture, which says: "Woe to them that put darkness light, and light to darkness, to them that put bitter sweet and sweet bitter" (John 5:20). Who among the saints gave orders to tidy up her body and give her over to burial, having mercy on human nature, for he was extremely merciful. 91. Those who heard of what had happened were greatly surprised, and not only those of our faith, but also foreigners. And the two men and two women who were with her, and those who had been corrupted by her, came running and fell at the feet of the most blessed bishop, saying, "We have gone astray and asked forgiveness." The blessed one compelled them to curse Manentus,79 the chief of their heresy, by which they were called Manichaeans, and after announcing them for many days, he united them to the holy catholic church.

On account of them, the other foreigners, repenting, became enlightened. 92. Five years later, 80 years later, the work of building the holy great church was completed, which was named Eudoxia, after the God-loving queen Eudoxia.

The Monk Porphyrios performed the consecration on the Sunday of Holy Pascha with splendor, sparing no expense, but having gathered together all the monks, to the number of a thousand, together with other pious clergy and [69] laymen and bishops, he made joy on all the days of Holy Pascha, and one could see the angelic faces not only in the church rite, but also on the hours when they were present. For it was not only a sensual meal, but also a spiritual one, for after the meal a psalm was sung, and after the drink, a song. But the idolaters, seeing what was happening, withered in their hearts.

And from everywhere pilgrims flocked to see the beauty and size of the said holy church: they said that it was larger than all the churches of that time. 93. For this reason, at the beginning, when he was laying the foundation, he was reproached by some of the faithful for having inscribed it too large, while there were few Christians in the city, and the most Monk Porphyrios said in reply: Let not your faith be small. I hope in the Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, that he will increase his flock and increase this house even more, so that it will not be able to accommodate a multitude of Christians.

For the teaching of Christians is not human, to appear and disappear for a time, but Divine, capable of increase. This and the like was always said by the blessed one to the faithful, not only in church, but also in every place, enlightening and benefiting the Christ-loving people. After the Days of the Feast, he sent the crowd away in peace, each one going home. [70] 94. After the construction and consecration of the said holy church, he ordered that every pilgrim who arrived in the city should be given an allowance for one day; He also gave to every beggar pilgrim and townsman every day six obols 82 in addition to what he himself gave to those who came to him clothes, silver and gold, giving to each according to his worth, and none of the needy was deprived of his gifts.