Which is more important, when the (sacred) books lie in a (known) place, or when (people) speak of what is contained in these books? Obviously, when one speaks and thinks about what is contained in books? Tell me, then, when the devil spoke from the Scriptures, were not his lips sanctified? It cannot be said: he remained what he was, the devil. And what about demons? And they preached and said, "These men are servants of the Most High God, who declare to you the way of salvation" (Acts 2:10). XVI, 17): shall we therefore place them in the ranks of the apostles? Nohow; on the contrary, we also (as before) abhor and hate them. Thus, even the pronunciation of (sacred) words does not sanctify; And do they sanctify books by what they are lying around? How is this possible? For this reason I hate the synagogue especially, because the law and the prophets lie in it, and I hate it now more than when they were not in it. And why? Because it serves as a strong bait, a great temptation for simple souls. Wherefore Paul cast out the demon more quickly when he spoke, than when he was silent: and when he had been cold, it was said, the spirit said, Come out of it, v. 18. For what? Because he cried out: "These men are servants of the Most High God." By keeping silence, (the demons) would not deceive so much; but, if they were to speak, they would attract many weak people, and would force them to listen to them in other cases. In order to open the door to their deceptions and to make the lie more plausible, the demons mixed with it a few truths, just as those who prepare poisonous compositions, by smearing the edges of a vessel with honey, achieve that the harmful potion is easily accepted. That is why Paul especially could not endure and hastened to stop their mouths from arrogating to themselves a dignity that did not belong to them. And therefore I hate the Jews, because they have the law, but break it, and thereby try to deceive the simple-minded. They would not be so guilty if they rejected Christ because they did not believe the prophets. And now they have deprived themselves of all excuse, saying of themselves that they believe the prophets, and yet blaspheming Him of whom they prophesied.

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Finally, if you consider a place holy because the law and the books of the prophets are found there, then you will have to consider both idols and idolatrous temples holy. Once upon a time there was a war among the Jews; the Ashdodians, having defeated them, took the ark and brought it into their sanctuary (1 Sam. V). Did their temple become holy because there was an ark in it? No, he remained vile and unclean, and this immediately turned out to be true. In order that the enemies might know that their victory did not come from the weakness of God, but from the wickedness of those who served Him, the ark, taken captive, showed its strength in a foreign land, twice throwing the idol to the ground, so that it was broken. The ark not only did not consecrate the place, but even opposed this place. Moreover, what kind of ark do the Jews have now, when they have no purgatory, no anointing, no tablets of the covenant, no holy of holies, no veil, no bishop, no incense, no burnt offering, no sacrifice, and no other thing that made the ark honorable then? It seems to me that this (present) ark is no better than theirs, and even much worse than the chests that are sold in the square: these can in no way harm those who are suitable, and the latter daily causes great harm to those who approach it. Brethren, do not be children of mind, but be infants in malice (1 Cor. XVI, 20); and those who have a fear of these things, release them from this undue fear, and teach them that they ought to be afraid and feared, not of this ark, but lest the temple of God be destroyed by going to the synagogue, by being attached to Judaism, by this untimely observance (of the Jewish rites). For it is said: "Whosoever is justified by the law, thou shalt fall from grace" (Gal. V, 4). This is what you should be afraid of, lest in that day you hear from Him who will judge you: "Turn away, I will not take you" (Luke 2:10). XIII, 27); for you have associated with those who crucified Me against My will, and have restored the feasts which I have abolished, and have fled to the synagogues of the Jews, who have done wrong to Me. I destroyed their temple, reduced to rubble this sanctuary, which contained terrible things; and you have paid homage to temples that are no better than innkeepers and robbers' caves. If even when there were cherubim, when the ark was still there, when the grace of the Spirit dwelt (in the temple of the Jews), the Lord said, in one place: "Ye have made a den and a den of thieves" (Matt. XXI, 13), in the other: the house of purchase (Jn. II, 16), (and called him so) for the iniquities and murders of the Jews; then now, when the grace of the Spirit has forsaken them and all their holiness has been destroyed, and in the meantime, contrary to the will of God, they are performing their lawless service, what to call (their) synagogues, how can they find a name worthy of them? If (the temple) was a den of robbers even when it still contained its rule; then now, whether you call it an adulterous house, a place of iniquity, a dwelling place of demons, a fortress of the devil, a destroyer of souls, an abyss and a pit of complete destruction, or in any other way, you will not call everything as it deserves. Do you want to see the temple? Do not run to the synagogue, but be a temple yourself. God destroyed one temple in Jerusalem, and erected thousands of temples, which are far more worthy than this: "You are the temple of the living God," it is said (2 Cor. VI, 16). Adorn this house, cast out (from yourself) every evil thought, so that you may become an honorable member of Christ, that you may be a temple of the Spirit; Make others the same. When you see the poor, you do not want to pass by them; In the same way, when you see him running to the synagogue, do not let him pass, but restrain him with a word, as with a bridle, and bring him into the church. This alms is greater than that, and the profit from it is more than ten thousand talents. And what do I say, ten thousand talents? (Greater) than the entire visible world, since man is dearer than the whole world: for him were created the heavens, and the earth, and the sea, and the sun, and the stars. Think about the dignity of him whom you can save, and do not abandon yourself to take care of him. He who gives to the poor will satisfy hunger, but he who reformes the Judaizer will put an end to wickedness; this one will alleviate poverty, this one will stop iniquity; he will deliver the body from torment; this one will also take the soul out of hell. I showed the treasure, don't lose your profits. Here you cannot complain about poverty, you cannot refer to poverty: all the waste is in words, all the cost is in speeches.

Amen.

SEVENTH WORD.

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ARE YOU NOT ALREADY FED UP with the struggle with the Jews? Or do you want us to take up the same subject today? Though much has been said before, yet it seems to me that you wish to hear more about the same subject; for whoever is not satiated with love for Christ will never be satiated with war with His enemies. Moreover, this word (against the Jews) is necessary for us for another reason: there are still remnants of their feasts. As their trumpets were more iniquitous than those of disgrace, and their fasts more dishonorable than drunkenness and all feasting, so the tabernacles which they now build are no better than the taverns in which there are profligate women and flute-playing. And let no one consider these words to be impudence: on the contrary, it would be utter impudence and impiety to think about it otherwise. In fact, how can one not pronounce such a sentence (of the Jews) when they persist against God and resist the Holy Spirit? Spirit? This feast was once venerable, when it was celebrated according to the law and by God's command, but now it is no longer the same: all its dignity has been destroyed by the fact that it is celebrated contrary to the will of God. And yet those who most violate both the law and the ancient festivals, think of themselves that they are now the best at keeping them; whereas we revere the law most of all, who leave it alone as an old man, do not drag it in old age to the field of battle, and do not force it to fight at the wrong time. And as we have sufficiently proved before, that this is not the time of law and the ancient order of things, so today we will consider the rest. It has already been sufficiently proved, on the basis of all the prophets, that it is lawlessness and wickedness to celebrate such feasts outside of Jerusalem; For even if it were true that which (the Jews) always boast about, that is, that they would get the city again, then they could not be free from the accusation of breaking the law. But we have also fully proved that their city will never be restored and they will not again receive their (ancient) structure. And when this was proved, all the rest became evident, that is, that there could be no kind of sacrifice, nor burnt offering, nor the power of the law, nor anything else of that (ancient) institution. First, the law commanded every male to come to the temple three times a year; But this is no longer possible when the temple is destroyed. Then, he commanded that the seed-bearer, the leper, the menstruating woman (sickness), and the woman in childbirth, should offer sacrifices: and this is also not possible when there is no place and no altar. He commanded the singing of sacred songs; but we have already proved that this also is limited to the place, and that the prophets condemn (the Jews) because they read the law and made confessions outside (Jerusalem). So, if it was impossible even to read the law outside the city, then how can it be fulfilled outside the city? For this reason the Lord said in a threat to them: "And I will not sit on your daughters, when they commit fornication, and on your brides, when they commit adultery" (Hos. IX, 14). What does this mean? I will try to explain it by reading the ancient law to you. What kind of law is this? A man, if his wife transgresses, and despises him, and a man is with her a bed of seed, and hides himself from the eyes of her husband, and there is no witness against her, and this is nothing, and a spirit of jealousy comes upon him, but she is defiled (Num. V, 12-14). These words (of the law) mean this: If a wife commits adultery, and her husband suspects her of adultery, or if she does not commit adultery, but he suspects her of it, there will be no witness, no pregnancy to convict her. then let him bring her to the priest, it is said, and let him bring a gift for nude - barley flour (Num. V, 15). Why not coarse and not wheat, but barley? Since it is a matter of trouble, accusation and suspicion of a bad deed; then the appearance of the victim was in harmony with domestic misfortune. Therefore (the law) says, Let him not pour oil on her, but let him put frankincense on her below: Then (let us put it briefly) the priest bring her, and take pure water in a pot of clay, and from the dust on the earth to the ground, let him pour it into the water: and let him set up a wife, and bind her, and say, If thou hast transgressed defilement under thy husband, be thou innocent from the water of reproof. And if thou hast transgressed and is defiled, and who hath given thee his bed but thy husband, the Lord will give thee an oath and a curse among thy people. What does it mean: into an oath and a curse? That they will say: Oh, if only what happened to this woman had not happened to me! And when the Lord shall let thy womb be opened, and the water of the oath shall come in, and thy womb shall be parted: and the woman shall say, Be thou awake, be thou shalt. And if she is defiled, the water of reproof will bring in, and she will puff up her belly, and she will be a curse among her people. But if the woman is not defiled, the seed will be innocent and fruitful (Num. V, 15 et seq.). And so, since from the time when (the Jews) were led into captivity, none of this could be, because there was no temple, no altar, no tabernacle, no sacrifice, the Lord threatened them with these words: "I will not sit on your daughters when they keep it, and on your brides when they commit adultery" (Hos. IV, 14).

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Do you see that the law borrows its power from the place? And from this it is already evident that there can be no priest when there is no city. As it is impossible for a king to be, when there is neither an army, nor a diadem, nor a purple, nor any other appurtenances of royal power; so it is impossible for a priest to be, when the sacrifice has been abolished, the offering has been withheld, the sanctuary has been destroyed, the entire order (of divine services) has been destroyed; for the priesthood consisted in all this. Thus, as I said above, in order to prove that neither sacrifices in general, nor burnt offerings, nor other (sacrifices) of atonement, nor anything else of the Jewish constitution would be restored, it was sufficient to show that the temple (of Jerusalem) would not be restored. For, as now, when he is gone, all things are destroyed, and if anything seems to happen, it is done lawlessly; Thus, when it is proved by word that (the temple) will never be restored to its (former) form, at the same time it is proved that the rest of the ministry will not return to its former position, there will be neither priest nor king. If no one of their tribe, not even a private person, was allowed to serve foreigners, how much more was it not permissible for the king himself to obey strangers. But since the purpose of our work and care is not only to stop the mouths of the Jews, but also to enlighten your love; then we will prove the same thing in another way, that is, that their sacrifices and priesthood have ceased, and will no longer be restored to their former state. Who is talking about this? Wondrous and great prophet David. Wishing to show that one sacrifice was to be abolished, and another would be introduced, he said thus: "Thou hast done many miracles, O Lord my God, and by Thy mind there is none who shall be like Thee." He proclaimed and spoke (Ps. XXXIX, 6). Notice the wisdom of the prophet. Having said, "Thou hast done many miracles, O Lord my God," and being amazed at the wondrous works of God, he tells us nothing about the visible creature, about heaven and earth, about the sea, water, and fire, nor about the wondrous miracles that took place in Egypt, nor about other similar signs, but what does he call wondrous? Sacrifices and offerings Thou didst not desire (v. 7). Tell me what you say; Is this wondrous and wonderful? No way, he says. Enlightened from above, he saw with prophetic eyes not only this, but also the conversion (to the faith of Christ) of the pagans - how they, devoted to (false) gods, worshipping stones and being worse than dumb ones, suddenly saw and came to know the Lord of all, and, abandoning the vile service of demons, began to perform pure and bloodless service to God; I also saw that not only the pagans, but also the Jews, from the more simple-minded, forsaking sacrifices and burnt offerings and other sensual rites, turned to our wisdom; and having contemplated the ineffable love of God, which surpasses all understanding, and having been amazed at what a change in affairs had taken place, and how God had transfigured everything, how men had been made angels from demons, and had introduced (among them) a way of life worthy of heaven (and all this was fulfilled when the ancient sacrifice was abolished and another sacrifice of the body of Christ was introduced), being amazed and amazed at this, (the prophet) said, "Thou hast wrought many miracles, O Lord my God." And (in order to show) that he pronounced all this prophecy in the person of Christ, David added to the words: "Sacrifice and offering thou didst not desire sacrifice and offering," adding: "Thou didst make the body of the Lord, meaning the body of the Lord, the common sacrifice for the universe, which cleansed our souls, forgave sins, destroyed death, opened the heavens, showed us many and great hopes, and arranged all other things." Seeing this, Paul also cried out thus: O depth of the riches and wisdom and understanding of God! For thou hast not tried His judgments, and hast not searched His way (Rom. XI, 33). Seeing all this, (David) said, "Thou hast done many things, O Lord my God, Thy wonders." Then, having said in the presence of Christ, "Burnt offerings (and sacrifices) for sin thou hast not seeked," he added: "Then rekh, Behold, I come" (Ps. XXXIX, 7, 8). Then - when? When the time of the most perfect teaching comes; for the less perfect (men) had to learn from His servants, and the most exalted and superior to human nature from the Lawgiver Himself. For this reason Paul also said, "God of old, who spoke to the Father in many parts and in many forms, in the last days of these days hath spoken unto us in the Son, Whom thou shalt appoint an heir to all, in whom also hast thou created the worlds" (Heb. I, 1, 2). And John also: "The law was given by Moses, but grace and truth were given by Jesus Christ" (Jn. I, 17). This means that the greatest merit of the law lies in the fact that it prepared human nature for this Teacher. Then, lest thou think that (Christ) is a new God, and introduces any innovation, this is what He says: In the chapter of the book is written about Me, v. 8. That is, the prophets from ancient times foretold My coming, and at the very beginning of the sacred books they revealed to people the knowledge of My Divinity.

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Thus, when God says at the beginning of creation: "Let us make man in our image and after our likeness" (Gen. 2:10). I, 26), then divinatively reveals to us the Divinity of the Son, to Whom he directs his speech. Then, wishing to show that the new was not contrary to the old institution, but that it was the will of God that that sacrifice should cease and be brought in its place (there was indeed a desire for improvement, and not a contradiction or a struggle), David added to the words, "In the chapter of the book it is written about me," he added, "If thou shalt do thy will, O my God, I will also have Thy law in the midst of my womb. Then, in order to explain what the will of God is, without mentioning sacrifices, burnt offerings and offerings, labors and hard labors, he says: "Preach righteousness in the church with great power" (v. 10). What does it mean: preach the truth? He did not simply say, "I gave," but, "Good news." What does this mean? That (Christ) justified our generation, not for good works, not for labors, not for satisfaction (of God's justice), but by grace alone. Explaining this, Paul also said: "But now, besides the law, the righteousness of God is manifest" (Rom. III, 2): but the righteousness of God (is attained) by faith of Jesus Christ, and not by any labor or effort. The same words (of David) he cites as a testimony, when he says, "For the shadow is the law of good things to come, and not the very image of things, for every summer by the same sacrifices, which are offered, can never be accomplished by those who are approaching. And when he entered into the world, he said, "Sacrifice and offering thou didst not desire, but thou didst make me a body" (Heb. X, 1, 5), meaning here the coming of the Only-begotten into the world, the economy of the Incarnation. For He did not come to us in such a way as to change one place for another (how can we say this about the omnipresent and all-filling?), but in such a way that He appeared to us in the flesh. But since we have a struggle not only with the Jews, but also with the Gentiles and many of the heretics, let us reveal to you more deeply what is the meaning of this, and examine why Paul, having thousands of testimonies proving the abolition of the law and the ancient institution, mentioned this. It was not simply or accidentally that he did this, but out of some ineffable wisdom and reason. And that he could, if he had wished, have given other more extensive and striking testimonies on the same subject, on this all will agree. And so Isaiah says, My will is not in you; I am full of ram burnt offerings, and the fat of a lamb, and I do not desire the blood of young men and goats. Below come to see me: for who has sought this out of your hands? And if ye bring Me semidal in vain, the incense is an abomination to Me (Isa. I, 11-13). And he is in another place: "Not now shall I call upon thee, O Jacob, to labor below thee, O Israel." Thou didst not glorify Me in thy sacrifices, nor did Thou serve Me in thy gifts, nor did Thou weary to do thee in Lebanon: Thou didst not buy Me incense for silver. XLIII, 22, 23). And Jeremiah, "Bring me a censer from Sheba, and a kinamon from a distant land; Your burnt offerings are not pleasant (Jer. VI, 20); And he said, "Gather up your burnt offerings with your sacrifices, and eat the flesh" (VII, 21). Another prophet thus said: "Put away from me the voice of thy songs, and I will not listen to the song of thy organs" (Amos. V, 23). And in another place, when the Jews said, "The Lord will receive food in burnt offerings, will I give my firstborn for my iniquity, the fruit of my womb for the sins of my soul" (Mic. VI, 7), the prophet, rebuking them, said, "Thou shalt proclaim unto thee, O man, that which is good, or what the Lord seeketh of thee, unless thou doest justice and righteousness, and love mercy, and am ready to walk with the Lord thy God" (v. 8). And David thus said, "I will not receive bullocks from thy house, nor goats from thy flocks" (Ps. XLIX, 9). Why, then, having the opportunity to point out so many testimonies in which God apparently rejects these (Jewish) sacrifices, new moons, Sabbaths, feasts, (the apostle), leaving all those testimonies, mentioned this alone? Not without reason and not by chance, but here is why. Many of the infidels, and even of the Jews themselves, fighting against us, say that the ancient religion was abolished not because of its imperfection, and not because our best (Christian) religion was introduced, but because of the corruption of those who then offered sacrifices. Thus Isaiah says: "When ye stretch out your hands, I will turn my eyes away from you: and if ye increase your supplication, I will not hear you" (Isa. I, 15). Then, presenting the reason, he adds: "For your hands are full of blood." Here it is not the sacrifices that are accused, but the wickedness of the offerers is exposed; and God did not accept sacrifices, because (the Jews) offered them with unclean hands. And David, saying, I will not receive calves from thy house, nor goats from thy flocks, he added, And God saith unto the sinner, Wilt thou make known my righteousness, and hast received my covenant with thy mouth? But Thou hast hated chastisement, and hast turned back My word. If thou didst see the thief, thou didst flow with him, and thou didst take part in thy adulterer. Thy mouth hast multiplied malice, and thy tongue hast woven flattery: thou hast sat down against thy brother, and hast put a stumbling block upon thy mother's son (Ps. XLIX, 16-20). From this it can be seen that God rejected sacrifices here not without reason, but because the Jews committed adultery, stole, and built snares for their brothers. And each of the prophets, they say, accusing those who offer sacrifices, makes it known that for this reason God rejected them.

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Thus say our adversaries, but Paul dealt them a strong blow, and sufficiently stopped their shameless lips with this testimony. Wishing to prove that God had rejected and abolished the Jewish religion as imperfect, he made use of this very testimony, in which there is no accusation against those who offer sacrifices, but the imperfection of religion itself is revealed in nakedness. For the prophet, without accusing the Jews of anything, simply says: "Thou didst not desire sacrifices and offerings, but thou didst perform a body for me, burnt offerings, and did not delight in sin." And Paul, explaining this, said, "He will take away the first, that he may set the second" (Heb. X, 9). If, having said, "Sacrifices and offerings thou didst not desire," he had been silent, such a speech would have given (the opponents) some opportunity for justification; but now, having said, "Thou hast made me a body," and pointing to the introduction of another sacrifice, he no longer gave any hope of restoring the former one. Explaining this, Paul said: "By this offering sanctify us, in the will of Christ" (Heb. X, 10). For if the blood of a goat, and a heifer, and the ashes of a young man, who sprinkles the defiled, sanctifies them to purity: how much more shall the blood of Christ, which by the Holy Spirit thou hast brought unto thyself blameless, cleanse our conscience from dead works (Heb. IX, 13,14). Thus it is sufficiently proved that the Jewish sacrifices have ceased and will never be restored, and that another sacrifice has been introduced in their place. Now, finally, let us show directly and clearly from the Scriptures themselves what we have long tried to prove, (that is) that the former priesthood no longer exists, and will not be again. First, let us preface some preface, in order to make the explanation of what we are going to talk about more clearly. Abraham, returning from Persia, begat Isaac, and then this one Jacob; Jacob is the twelve patriarchs, from whom came the twelve, or rather thirteen tribes, because instead of Joseph, his children, Ephraim and Manasseh, became the heads of the tribes. And after the name of each of the sons of Jacob the tribes were called: Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah, Naphtali, Gad, Asher, Benjamin; so also after the names of the children of Joseph, Ephraim and Manasseh, two tribes were called, one Ephraim, and the other Manasseh. Of these thirteen tribes, all the others owned fields and large revenues, all tilled the land, and corrected other household tasks; one tribe of Levi, honored by the priesthood, was freed from the affairs of life, and did not cultivate the land, did not engage in crafts or anything of the kind, but was attached to the priesthood alone, and received from all the people a tithe of wine, and wheat, and barley, and all other fruits; all gave (the Levites) tithes, and this was their income. A priest was not allowed to be from any other tribe. For of this tribe, that is, of Levi, was Aaron, and his descendants by succession received the priesthood, but of the other tribes there was never a priest. So these Levites received tithes from those (other tribes) and fed on it. But even before Jacob and Isaac, in the time of Abraham, when there was neither Moses nor the written law, when the Levitical priesthood had not yet appeared, there was no tabernacle, no temple, no separate tribes, when Jerusalem was not visible, and no one had yet received authority to govern Jewish affairs, there was a certain Melchizedek, a priest of the Most High God. This Melchizedek was both king and priest: he was to be the image of Christ, and the Scriptures clearly mention him. bring forth the loaves and wine: and he is a priest of the Most High God. And bless Abraham, and say, Blessed be Abraham by the Most High God, Who hath made heaven and earth. And blessed be the Most High God, Who hath delivered thy enemies into thy hand: and Abraham hath given him the tithe of all things. XIV, 18-20). Therefore, if any prophet appears and says that after Aaron and his priesthood, after these (Jewish) sacrifices and offerings, another priest will arise, not from that (Levi's) tribe, but from another, from which there was never a priest, not after the order of Aaron, but after the order of Melchizedek; then it will be obvious that the old priesthood has ceased, and another new one has been introduced in its place; for if the ancient priesthood were to remain in force, it should not have been called after the order of Melchizedek, but after the order of Aaron. Who is talking about this? The same one who spoke of sacrifices; And in another place, speaking about Christ, he says this: "The Lord said to my Lord, Sit at my right hand" (Ps. CIX, 1).

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