The second volume of the Complete Works of St. Ignatius contains a significant number of texts published for the first time, which will allow pious readers to more fully imagine the extent of his fruitful episcopal activity in the most difficult conditions of the Caucasian reality. Undoubtedly, the reader's interest will be aroused by materials that reveal the ecclesiastical views of Bishop Ignatius on the preparation of the peasant reform for the abolition of serfdom and the polemical criticism of the radicals that arose in connection with this. Historical and literary research shows how firmly and resolutely St. Ignatius defended the truth in an exceptionally difficult time for Russia. The volume also contains documents relating to the transfer of Bishop Ignatius to the Nikolo-Babaevsky Monastery.

The second part of the fundamental work of the saint "Ascetic Experiments" is published.

ISBN 5–87468–122–1

© Palomnink, 2001

© Compilation, A. N. Strizhev, 2001

© Design, E. B. Kalinina, 2001

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Saint

IGNATIUS

Brianchaninov

ASCETIC EXPERIMENTS

Volume II

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St. Ignatius Brianchaninov

5.ІІ (І7.ІІ). 1807–30.IV (12.V). 1867

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Blessed is the man [1]

The inspired Divine singer sings, beats the sonorous strings.

When the noise of the world deafened me, I could not listen to it. Now, in the silence of solitude, I begin to listen to the mysterious singer. Both his sounds and his song become more intelligible to me, as it were. It is as if a new ability is opening up in me: the ability to listen to it and the ability to understand it. I hear in his sounds a new feeling, in his words a new meaning: wondrous, wondrous, like God's wisdom.