And so one day he was sitting at his parents' table, and with him certain so-called philosophers, friends of his parents, who, though they wished to begin a conversation with him, were afraid, for he despised the foolish. After all, they knew that he was known for his wisdom both in debating and answering questions. Finally, one of them says to the others: "To what extent are the parent-Father and the begotten Son, being of the same nature, consubstantial both in commands and in instructions?" Another answered, "To the extent that the thinking part of the mind interacts with another part to control the members of the body." This is a possible answer to this question, your thought is clear; but what about the spirit between them?'" Just as the knowledge of the mind and the sight of the mind are able to interact for eternal inspiration." The other, approving it, said on his part: "Your solution of the problems is obvious. However, Mr. Epiphanius, tell us also, what are your answers to the same questions? Yes, yes, please let your tongue speak it." Epiphanius answered: "To me your question is like a trial, for you have decided to put the poor puppy to the test. However, even your <obedient>servant could once show grandeur." And they said, "And it is pleasing to us, O dearest one, that you will clothe us with some utterance of your wisdom." Epiphanius answered: "In light, movement, desires, and essence, the Father and the Son are like both eyes in motion and illumination." Then one of them said, "And how is the Spirit among them?" Epiphanius answered: "Just as what is comprehended with the help of sight is one for both eyes." Another said: "Your word, in our opinion, contains an allusion to what St. Athanasius said," Epiphanius answered: "If you like it, I will explain it with an example: as the lips and the tongue interact in speech and are connected with each other in the pronunciation of sound, so also are the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, for the Father is the mind, the Son is the word, and the Spirit is the free breath and luminosity that permeates them both, the subtlest and at the summit of fullness. However, let us also say it in another way: the sun is the Father, the ray of the sun is the Son, the bright fiery radiance is the Spirit-comforter. Look at the originally one essence that appears in three hypostases and be amazed: the ray of the sun is the Father, the image of the Father is the sun, the warmth of the ray is the all-holy Spirit. And the sun never leaves heaven and earth, but, like a son, sends its rays to those who are on earth, in order to warm, do good, and give warmth to the human race. Let us finally look at the bread itself, which we eat daily: for from flour, water, and fire it becomes identical with itself, and is recognized as one, although it itself consists of three hypostases. In this way one should comprehend the one divinity, consisting of three hypostases." Hearing this, the philosophers could not look the young man in the eyes - they were so amazed by his wisdom and depth, and did not even end the argument, fearing counter questions from him.

14. Epiphanius, holding the hand of Blessed Andrew, searched with him for a suitable place to sit down...

As it was said above, Epiphanius, holding Blessed Andrew by the hand, searched together with him for a suitable place to sit down, and the people he met, condemning Epiphanius, said: "Do not spare your youth, lad, cease to communicate and walk around with these madmen and fools, so that the evil one does not envy your blossoming beauty and, falling in love with you, does not lead you astray. After all, the evil enemy has enough tricks." And the young man who was dear to God answered them: "Brothers and fathers! Before this affliction happened to him, he was a very close friend to me, and the love we had for each other was incomparable. And now, when he has endured so much, is it not fitting that I should take care of him and feel sorry for him? For it is written about the bonds of friendship: 'Who has a greater love than that to lay down his life for his friends?'" This is what he answered those who said these things to him, for he had sworn to the righteous man not to reveal his life and deeds to anyone except the youths who loved him.

Having found a place, they sat down, and Epiphanius told how he met on the way, near the Forum of the Bull, Satan, who took the form of a gray-haired old Arab man with wild eyes, dressed in a black cloak and sandals of brick color. And so, meeting me among the passers-by," says Epiphanius, "he cried out: "Are you not that Epiphanius, the son of John, of whom people say that he trampled down the devil? Hypocrite, you are before me! I will weave a net for you, dig a hole and catch you. I will regale you for acting against me!" While the evil one was chattering about all this, and I was at a loss from his words and threats, I wondered why this had happened to me! After all, I don't even know who he is, imposing punishment on me, frightening and threatening, unknown to me and not seen by me. While I was perplexed and pondering this, I was seized with confusion and unbearable anxiety, but when I came here and saw your holiness, your righteousness laid bare everything before me in its true form." The saint said: "That Arab, O child, was a centurion in the army of demons. He is insolent in war against those who fight for God, and by inclining their souls to debauchery, he seduces them to shameful desires and excitement. Wherefore I beseech thee, child, to be attentive to thyself, to be versed in his tricks, and to see that thou be vigilant in all things, for thou art gentle and gentle, and this proud man is mad because of thee, for thou hast consecrated thyself to God. But he envies your intelligence, gentleness, purity, wisdom, purity, and chastity, and therefore goes mad, accursed, going mad for you, since you love God and His saints with all your heart, who shed their blood for Him. Listen to how carefully you should watch over his wickedness and malice: making the way in fear and truth, taming your body with fasting, clothe yourself as in a cloak, in humility, and shine with joy in prayers. Keep all bodily sensations pure and unstained, for the evil one strives to crush your heart and make you a slave to depravity, hastening to sentence you to hell of fire. For he who commits sin is a slave of sin. And each of the two fields has a leader: righteousness has the Lord, and sinfulness has the devil. But you, O beloved child, become a faithful servant of the righteousness of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the Lord will protect you and the Most High will protect you, and His help will be around you, and He will command His angels to keep you in all your ways. Therefore be brave and do not be afraid, and let not your heart be afraid when you call on the Lord God." Hearing this, Epiphanius wept, shedding from his eyes streams of tears like pearls, watering his precious face, for extreme emotion seized him when he listened to that magnificent instruction and sweet instruction. At the same time, everything that the righteous man told him, he said, whispering in his ear, while they were sitting in a hidden place. And so, when all that was necessary had been said, they kissed each other with a holy kiss and parted: the righteous man departed in order to ridicule this world, and Epiphanius went to his house.

15. And now I want to tell your favor another miracle...

And now I want to tell your benevolence about another miracle that happened to the God-loving lad Epiphanius, may our Lord Jesus Christ be a witness to his blessings. And so, this young man, dear to God, fasted in accordance with his own rules, spending the first week of Great Lent without food or drink according to custom, and after communing of the sacraments of Christ, then with the help of bread, water, and some beans, he maintained his bodily strength. And so, during one Great Lent, having completed the above-mentioned week in abstinence, he, in anticipation of the hour of the Divine Liturgy, personally cooked beans called "orofasulon" in his room, not allowing any of the servants to touch them. And since it was cold at that time, he threw coals into the stove for warmth. So he sat bent over the heat while the beans were cooking, when suddenly the signal for nine o'clock prayer sounded, and he got up and went to church, without ordering anyone to take care of his soup. And so, when he came to the church and, standing there, directed all his thoughts to God, the accursed demon, constantly overpowering the human mind with impious thoughts, fell upon the young man with thoughts of apostasy, in order to expel him from the church before the end of the service under the pretext of caring for the preparation of pottage. And he begins to weave the following into his mind: "Look, you suffered for a whole week without touching food or drink, you were adamant about everything, you subjected yourself to so much strain that you fainted from the heat caused by thirst. And so, when you needed to take care of your simple food, you left, threw it away, and gave no orders for it to anyone. So go and see, maybe you've already burned everything down, and there is a stank of burning all around. The church will not flee from here as long as you do what is due to you according to custom." Although the charlatan suggested to him this and something even more audacious, the young man who was dear to God saw through the tricks of the evil one and answered his admonitions in the following way: "There is a God who will take care of my sustenance: for He is the One who gives food to all flesh, and the defender of my life." Having said this in his mind and in his thoughts to the vile envious man, and having made the sign of the cross, he remained there until the end of the service. And so, when he returned to his house, he found that everyone was struck by the sweetest fragrance that hovered in this place, everyone was perplexed, not knowing where it came from, and they spoke of it to Epiphanius as something incredible and great: "Come here, sir, and breathe in the incomparable aroma, although no one knows where it comes from." And when Epiphanius came closer, he himself caught an amazing fragrance and was amazed at the miracle. Then, entering his room, where there was a brazier filled with coals, and looking at it, he saw a handsome-looking youth of wondrous stature, with a face shining brighter than the sun, dressed in a robe befitting a deity. Then Epiphanius, amazed at what he saw, peered into his face: and it was now like snow, now like a blazing fire; his right hand was open, and he stood, bustling at the brazier, with a fair-haired head, with hair that looked like gold. And while Epiphanius stood silently, marveling at his appearance, the dear cook, having tasted the soup as if he had taken a sample from the dish, and taking out a small bag from his bosom, took the seasoning with three fingers and poured it crosswise into the pot, and then covered his uncovered hand with a cloak. Looking at Epiphanius and smiling, he suddenly gained wings, rose from the ground and flew into the sky. And Epiphanius, who was close to fainting and shocked by what he saw, was amazed in his soul. He turned to the east, stretched out his hands and, shedding tears, began to say: "O my Lord! Who am I, the most insignificant one, that Thou hast sent Thy angel to help me? I thank Thee, O Lord, for Thy love for mankind and for Thy great mercy, for Thou hast called upon me, Thou hast sustained me with Thy divine power, and Thou hast considered me one of those who love Thee. I thank Thee, O my kind and life-giving patron, who cares for my salvation!"

With a trembling heart, having said all this to God, he went to see what kind of food had been prepared for him by the one who came to him. And he found that it had a fragrance that no one would have thought impossible on earth. Then, greatly amazed at >this deed and thanking the Lord, he said: "Glory to thee, highly revered Lord, glorified and revered in the Trinity, that thou dost justly appreciate the miserable labors of my humble youth, and encourage my insignificance with thy incomparable beneficence, deeming me worthy to partake of the honey of thy kindness. Thank you. Almighty, and I praise Thee, Who is compassionate, and I will not depart from Thee until my last breath!" After praying in this way and taking some beans, he ate, and, seized with boundless bliss, he felt a sudden transition of all his senses into a divinely inspired state, so that he was amazed at the unexpected transformation and change of his soul. But thanks to this miracle, he became even more inflamed with love for the Lord and the saints, and all the time he showed even greater devotion.

16. And then one day he got up and went to church...

And one day he got up and went to church to pray; And when the procession was over, he returned to his room and sat down before the gate of his parents' house, and his father was also there. And when Blessed Andrew was passing along the road leading along the street, doing what was his custom, Epiphanius saw him and, moved by friendly sympathy, wanted to lead him into his house. However, he did not know how to introduce this acquaintance of his to his father, who was in the house, and, pretending that he did not know Andrew, he said to his father: "My lord father! Do you see that man walking hither and thither with a naked body? It seems to me that, although he has gone mad because of the intrigues of the enemy of the human race, yet, my lord father, let you not see the death of your dear son Epiphanius! "Let us bring him into our house, and with the help of the Lord, Who has honored and made you rich, give him food from the blessings that God has given us, and give him wine to drink for the redemption of our souls — for this is what we must find in the Kingdom of God." His father, being inspired and glad, kissed him and said: "O peace of my soul and the light of my eyes, need you ask me about such a matter? Go and do as you suggest, for all that is mine is yours." Epiphanius answered: "Yes, father, I also know, but it is written: 'The son who teaches his father shall perish, and wherever the father undertakes the work, every filial enterprise will be destroyed.'" Hearing this, the father rejoiced at the prudence shown even in his son's answers. And Epiphanius quickly ran after the saint, caught up with him far from the house and led him, holding him by the hand, to himself. And when they approached the gate, but his father was not there, Blessed Andrew refused to enter it, but sat outside. Then Epiphanius' neighbors and passers-by, seeing the naked and insane man, began to gather to him, and some wailed with groans, cursing the devil that he had ruined such a man by depriving him of his mind, others gave him small coins, and still others wine; he, according to his custom, drove everyone away.

17. And while he was sitting on the ground at the gate, a young eunuch came...

And while he was sitting on the ground at the gate, there came a young eunuch, who had been a servant of a noble gentleman. His face was like a rose, with a body as white as snow, stately, fair-haired, possessed of extraordinary softness, fragrant with musk from afar. Since Epiphanius grew up with him and was his friend, they had great affection for each other. And so the eunuch brought with him dates, about thirty of them. Seeing the saint with a naked body, he became agitated and began to ask Epiphanius, saying at the same time: "My dearest and beloved Epiphanius! Indeed, this man, and why does he walk naked, when the winter and the cold are unbearable, and he looks like those who have been shipwrecked?" Epiphanius answered him: "Dear brother, I do not know what to tell you about his appearance, for his mind is in captivity to the evil one, and he wanders around like a madman possessed. However, all people of this kind tear up their tunics, run around without feeling anything." And he said this, not wanting to reveal the feat of the saint. Hearing this, the eunuch fell silent and gave all the dates that he had to the blessed one, pitying him as a poor man, and said: "Take this for the time being, since I have nothing else here." The saint, divining with the eyes of his mind the deeds of his soul, looked at him with a menacing gaze and said: "Fools do not eat the gifts of colophony." And the eunuch, who did not understand what was said, said to him: "O truly bereft of reason! Did you look at the dates and think they were Colophon?" The blessed one said to him: "Go away, deceiver, to your master's bedchamber and give yourself up with him to the disease of sodomy, and he will give you other dates as well. O wretched one, who does not see the rays of the Kingdom of Heaven, who does not realize the severity and cruelty of hell! Are you not ashamed even of the angel who accompanies you as a Christian? What must happen to you, unclean one, hiding in corners and doing what you ought not to do, which neither dogs, nor pigs, nor creeping creatures, nor snakes do? Why do you, O damned one, do this? Woe to your youth, which Satan has mutilated and thrown with fury and boundless audacity to the terrible depths of hell! See that you go no further, lest some day the god do you justice, incinerating you here with a bolt of lightning, and there with hellfire fire." Hearing this, the eunuch trembled, his face became like fire, and he was ashamed of great shame. Epiphanius said to him: "What has happened to you, my lord? What are you ashamed of? For I told you that he was mad, and if anything came into his head, he would talk about it. And yet, my beloved in Christ, if you know anything of what he has said to you, then go and correct yourself, and do not be angry with his words: for you are young, and Satan is evil, and compels us to commit sin only to make us his comfort in the fire of hell."

Hearing this, the eunuch departed, and the worthy Epiphanius, calling the saint, went with him to his room, and finding a table there, they sat down and rejoiced in the gifts of God. And after they have had their fill"! Epiphanius said to the blessed one: "Why, venerable lord, hast thou so severely rebuked my friend?" The blessed one answered him: "Because he is your friend and dear to you! That is why I entered into conversation with him, for if he were not your friend, he would not have heard a single word from me at all: it is not my purpose to reproach sinners, but to flee the straight path that leads to a better life." Epiphanius again says: "I know this, O servant of God, but this young man is a slave, and being compelled by his master, what can he do?" The saint answers: "I know, and I know it very well; however, for bodily needs, the slave must obey the one who bought him, and not for the sake of the devil's occupations, especially this accursed and abominable abomination, which even animals do not know how to do." Epiphanius said: "If the master gives an order to a slave for bodily needs, or spiritual, or sinful, and the slave does not obey, you know, of course, my lord, how much he will endure, insulted, beaten, showered with threats, and receiving all other torments." And the saint answered: "This, child, is the martyrdom of Jesus Christ, of which he hinted: 'Blessed are they that are persecuted for righteousness' sake, for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven.' Therefore, if slaves do not submit to their masters in the abominable lust of sodomy, they are blessed and thrice blessed, for through the trials of which you speak, they will be numbered among the martyrs."

18. While they were talking about this, one of Epiphanius' servants...

While they were talking about this, one of the servants of Epiphanius, whom his father had entrusted to buy food, observing the saint, understood the meaning of his service and, sitting at his feet, began with tears to beseech the saint, that he would intercede for him before God, that he might lead such a life. And the righteous man understood in his soul what exactly this boy was striving to receive, and, wishing to speak with him alone, by the power of the Holy Spirit he changed his speech into Syriac, then sat down and began to speak to him in Syriac, as he had wished. And the boy spoke to him thus: "If I were not capable of this, I would not have asked you to help me become like yourself." The saint answered him: "You cannot endure the trials and hard labors of this feat, for this path is narrow; Wherefore it is better to remain as thou art in piety and modesty, learning from thy master what is best and what leads to salvation, avoiding lust, adultery, vindictiveness, and all other passions, lest such misfortunes befall thee." And the boy said to him, "And so, if you will not listen to me, an insignificant one, tell me that you cannot do it, and I will certainly leave you."