To Sistelius, On Leprosy

Translated by Claude from N. Bonwetsch's German translation (1917) of the Old Church Slavonic; neither is shown

Where are you coming from, Eubulius? Plainly from the hunt for the right way of understanding divine Scripture? Early in the morning one of Sistelius's people knocked at the door, and when a boy opened to him, he announced that Sistelius was calling us to him. I got up and went at once. When we were near the house, Sistelius came to meet me, embraced me, and said: By leaving us for a while you have robbed us of the understanding of Scripture. For as a cloud that covers the sun does not let one see the sun clearly, so too, where good instruction withdraws, the soul becomes dark and the mind is darkened. I answered him: You have spoken well. When we had gone into the house, we sat down. And Sistelius said: Come now, let us look into it from the Scripture of truth itself! With a healing herb let us put away this evil leprosy, soothing the harm with words as with medicines, saying: "Awake, you who sleep, and arise from the dead, and Christ will give you light." Come, now is the time, he said, to let your voice be heard and give an explanation of the leprosy in the Law, since the Lord bids us interpret much in the Law allegorically, so as to share an ungrudging gift with one who thirsts for the gift of God.

Translated by Claude from N. Bonwetsch's German translation (1917) of the Old Church Slavonic; neither is shown

(Eubulius:) Do not think, however, that I will turn away one who wishes to receive this gift of grace, even though I am weak in deed and word. He who plants words (or "thoughts") in the soul of each of us will pull up the evil roots from our hearts and plant every virtue in our souls. For when the nettle-like weed withers, the flower of virtue blooms. This is what Christ, speaking allegorically, likens to "a grain of mustard seed," saying that it gives the birds of heaven a large place to settle. For the divine seed of faith first becomes small, coming down to our weaknesses; once it falls into the furrows of the soul, it grows great and advances to the height of godliness through the meditation of the Spirit. And rightly the Lord names his Father as the planter of such a planting, for "every plant," he says, "that my Father has not planted will be rooted up." Understand that he does not say this because there are several kinds of souls, as some have thought, but of right teaching and godly thoughts (or "words"), which the diligent Planter has invisibly planted in our hearts, rooting out of our hearts the improper planting, that is, evil thoughts and deeds. If we do not believe so, we shall become followers of the utterly lawless Marcion, who says that there is another, good god besides the real God, and that therefore the souls belonging to the Creator of the world cannot receive the life promised by the Good one, since they lack the Good one's planting. But let us leave this aside now, for this is not the time for it in this discussion.

Translated by Claude from N. Bonwetsch's German translation (1917) of the Old Church Slavonic; neither is shown

You rightly say that one should not delay, and that, since the spiritual possession is being prepared by God, one should bear vigorous fruits of wisdom, according to the word of the apostle, who says: "We are God's field." For we ought, so that the sickness may not increase and become manifest to all, "to heal" by the songs of the gospel, and to see "whether anyone lacks the grace of God, whether a root springing up does harm and many are defiled," as the apostle says, writing to the Hebrews. And the Law teaches us thus: "And the Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron, saying: If on a man's skin there is a mark of leprosy, he shall come to Aaron the priest or to one of his sons. And the priest shall see the leprosy on his skin; it is a mark of leprosy; and if it is plain that the leprosy is on the skin of his flesh." And shortly after: "And the priest shall see the leprosy on the seventh day; and see, the leprosy remains before him, the leprosy has not changed in the skin, and the priest shall separate him seven days a second time. (And the priest shall see him on the seventh day a second time,) and see, the leprosy is the same, it has not changed; and the priest shall cleanse him, for it is a mark; and he shall wash his clothes." And shortly after: "And if leprosy takes hold in a garment, in a woolen garment or a linen one or in any worked skin, and the leprosy is scarlet or green"; and further in what follows …

Translated by Claude from N. Bonwetsch's German translation (1917) of the Old Church Slavonic; neither is shown

… having said little, you find fault. But now, Sistelius, to declare the very truth of the Law, let us set about showing these meanings spiritually, so that we understand the writing of the Law not simply but spiritually. Going on again in the discussion, he adds: "But if, after being shut up, the leprosy shown to the priest spreads in the garment or in the skin or in the warp or in the woof, the leprosy is a persistent leprosy; it is unclean, and he shall burn the garment or the warp or the woof," and so on. This is the explanation of the leprosy in the Law. For my part I think the prophet used these words as certain coverings and shadows, God wishing in this way to lead us to the light of truth. That is why, I think, the blessed Paul said: "Even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled among those who are perishing, in whom the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, so that the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of the invisible, may not shine in them." He says plainly that the gospel is unveiled to those who believe and "are being saved," but "veiled" to "those who are perishing," as though fastened from outside with bronze clamps. For one who understands Scripture outwardly goes away bare of spiritual understanding, like someone who has seen empty walls built of stones. But one who has knocked hard and torn the spiritual curtain flies up like a bird on the wings of God's Spirit and reaches the inner understanding of Scripture, which is the holy of holies; and having reached great light, he is nourished by the flashes of true beauty. As trees in winter are stripped of the adornment of their fruits, but in spring put forth leaves again and regain their adornment, so I think the words of the prophets, understood simply, seem dry and without meaning, but understood with wisdom are seen with good fruits and leaves, bearing the blossoms of manifold understanding. So let us too give up understanding simply, and understand the Scriptures spiritually and carefully, Sistelius!

Translated by Claude from N. Bonwetsch's German translation (1917) of the Old Church Slavonic; neither is shown

We say, then, as Christ teaches us: … Scripture (says) that Moses' sister had leprosy because she spoke evil of her brother. And the blessed prophet Jeremiah too says: "Do not sow among thorns, but circumcise yourselves to your Lord and cast off the foreskin of your hearts," meaning: circumcise the evil passions, so that we may bring what is undefiled to God. These commandments, I think, the Lord also gave his disciples, to go "without staff and without two garments (and without shoes)." For the evangelists must, having a joy that is not quenched, and useless … … and he calls the man "new," but again, because of evil deeds, "old." Therefore, so that we may not unite with those again and have fellowship with what is unseemly, the Lord commands us to use only the one garment of self-control; forbidding the disciples to take on the desires of lusts, (he bids them) pray only to be clothed with the one heavenly and simple garment. The shoes made of dead skins, which pinch, he likens to grief that harms the soul, forbidding us henceforth to put on the cares of this life, and bidding us simply say: Washed once for all by the Lord, we shall not go into the corruption of death. … Therefore we can allow no evil desire at all to nest in our mind; but as the ancients showed themselves to the priest, so let us show ourselves to the priests. For greater watchfulness is now required of us according to Christ's word. For the Lord said: "You have heard that it was said to those of old: You shall not commit adultery; but I say to you: everyone who looks at a woman to desire her has already committed adultery with her in his heart." He called the passionate man an adulterer, not only the one who has carried it out, for adultery is the work and fruit of the passion. So he does not call the one who crucifies (or "chastens") desire wholly godly, but the one who refuses to pay it any attention at all; for he commands us to root out not the fruit of adultery but the seed, which is like a fig tree withered before its fruit. So too unreasoning anger against a brother is the seed of murder; and therefore John judges it worthy of the "axe" that cuts off "the root" of evil. For the ancients cut off the fruit of adultery, but the Redeemer the seeds, wishing to destroy evil completely, like a leprosy … "in the mark have turned white, and the appearance of the flesh is lower than the skin of the body, it is the mark of leprosy," and so on. For as the beauty of our flesh is a fruit, so the beauty of the soul is self-control. But if it is "changed" into weakness and desire (for that is what the "white" leprosy means), it begins to become "low." Consider that Paul does not bid the "inner man" grow "old," but "be renewed." As he also says in Hosea of Ephraim, who had grown weak: "Ephraim became a cake not turned. Strangers devoured his strength, and he did not know it; and grey hairs came out on him, and he did not know it." … the sinner …, for one who remains in sins is not worthy to be counted worthy of these mysteries of salvation.

Translated by Claude from N. Bonwetsch's German translation (1917) of the Old Church Slavonic; neither is shown

What did the Scripture say further? For … of the blemished: … at that very word the Lord too does not cease to circumcise our reason. What then, O Lord, have you given your servants as a law? Tell it to us too! "If you do the will of my Father," you will be like lamps, full of eternal life. "Watch," then, so that you may be able to enter with me into the sea (?) of incorruption. Therefore "keep your lamps unquenched," so that you may enter the eternal bridal chamber!

Translated by Claude from N. Bonwetsch's German translation (1917) of the Old Church Slavonic; neither is shown

When I had said this, Euthymius said: Rightly, my friends, (you think) as I do. When I hear of the highest things (and by the highest I mean the words of Christ), I rejoice greatly, as though given life by them; I am filled with awe, as though stretching my eye there through the heavenly things, and as though I had forgotten the world and seemed to have left it. And I said: Let us return, then, to the point from which it is fitting to weave the rest of the discussion, and connect it with what follows. We have made a good start in the discussion, but we have not brought it sufficiently to an end. Let us remember that we said that man is composed of (spirit), soul, and flesh; and so, in laying down the laws (about warp and) woof and skin, he commands us to sin neither according to the spirit nor according to the flesh nor according to desire. Either not all … as many are leprous in spirit, but healthy in soul and body; or again healthy in spirit but sick in flesh and soul. For we say of the words of the heretics that they sin according to the spirit. For they too confess Christ and make profession with regard to truth and righteousness, keeping the woof and the skin clean, as it were, but having the spirit leprous through heterodoxy, blaspheming either against that very being (substance), the Father, or against his pre-eternal Word, or against the Holy Spirit. So much on this. But many who are healthy in spirit and soul, as there in warp and woof, are unclean in the skin, that is, through the pleasures of the flesh, led astray by these visible things (phantasiai). So we must beware lest we sink in that great storm. This, then, Sistelius, is our healing.

Translated by Claude from N. Bonwetsch's German translation (1917) of the Old Church Slavonic; neither is shown

When I had said this, I stood up and was leaving. And he stood up and caught me from behind by my garment. Come, he said, so that I too may tell you something I once heard in Lycia: (about) the virtue of a woman who was learned in Scripture and self-controlled, and who also taught the things of the Lord as a philosopher. What I heard from her I now set before you. That woman, eager for learning and self-controlled, discerning the (spiritual) sense in everything, said: Above all, one who seeks the truth must not be afraid or rebel against the heights of reason. If anyone judges otherwise, he falls into the depths and into paltry thoughts; for in despair, as if turning back in the middle of the road, he who has not received the (spiritual) sense grows slacker, and, in the words of the Gospel, leaves the building of the tower half done. So one must have patience and not take offense. For one who seeks the excellences of Scripture with patience will see more clearly. For the prophet Elijah too, after that "wind" that tore "mountains and rocks," after the "earthquake" and after the "fire," then beheld the "voice" of that gentle, that is, quiet "breeze" (or "Spirit"), passing by all these until he came to the truth. For having put off the darkness and been sanctified (or "enlightened") in soul, we advance as from step to step, from knowledge to knowledge: that is, as from the mountain wind, which is like unbelief, we enter into the searching of Scripture as into the earthquake, and from that into the fire, that is, the unquenchable fire of love; kindled by it, we advance to zeal for what is better, until we reach the summit, that is, the sanctification of the Holy Spirit. And I marveled and said: See now, wisest of women, I admired you for your self-control and serenity (or "calm") and modesty, and now also for your wisdom. And she, smiling quietly, like certain wise interpreters of Scripture, said: By this it has been clearly shown that one who enters into the words of Scripture must not take offense.

Translated by Claude from N. Bonwetsch's German translation (1917) of the Old Church Slavonic; neither is shown

And I said to her: I long to hear about this fully, since we have been speaking of it. Come, let us look carefully at what lies before us too: "If the mark of leprosy is on a garment, a garment of cloth or of linen, or on the woof or on the warp, or on the linen, or on any skin," and so on. The leprosy of the woolen he calls that of the renewed inner man. For "like a sheep he was led to the slaughter"; a garment woven, as it were, from that one's fleece he calls woolen. By the linen he means the man made from dust, for linen comes forth from the earth. Understand how Paul too spoke like this in the second letter to the Corinthians: "For I fear lest, as the serpent deceived Eve by his cunning," and so on. And again: "Having these" sure "promises, let us cleanse ourselves from every defilement of flesh and spirit." For there are some heresies which do not have the outer man leprous, but have the inner man corrupt in mind and understanding. In their way of life we see many who are clean, but corrupt through their faith.

Translated by Claude from N. Bonwetsch's German translation (1917) of the Old Church Slavonic; neither is shown

Come now, so that we may not pass it by, let us behold the glory of God, having uncovered "the veil" of our eyes. For Scripture contains nothing useless. In giving us commandments about the sin of the understanding and of the flesh, he speaks in turn of the skin and of the warp (and of the woof). For whoever keeps his garment of cloth and linen clean, that is, faith and deed … For the Lord's garment is the church; he has gathered us from many regions and woven us together, so that we the weaker may be held by the greater, like the woof. So the prophet too says: "He clothes himself as with the adornment of a bride," speaking to show the union of Christ and the uniting of love. By the warp he means the stronger order of the church, that is, the bishops and teachers; by the woof, those under them and the people who are shepherded; by the skin, the catechumens, as those who have not yet put off the garments of skin through baptism. So Paul too said: "I have betrothed you to one husband, to present you as a pure virgin to Christ." As he also says in Leviticus: "He shall take as wife a virgin of his own tribe; a widow and a harlot he shall not take, but a virgin of his own race," and so on. For when each of us is "renewed day by day" (having put off the leprosy, that is, the sexual immorality that was to blame for our expulsion), he becomes a virgin again and attains the first beauty through the wisdom of God, adorned as with golden chains, that is, with love, faith, purity, and patience; and so, purified, he is united to Christ. "Therefore the virgins love (you)," and he loves the virgins, as he writes in the Song of Songs: the young souls, pure through the Spirit. Or is this not so, Sistelius? And I said: It is altogether wise.

Translated by Claude from N. Bonwetsch's German translation (1917) of the Old Church Slavonic; neither is shown

And she said: So, as we said at first, if we purify all our members, we become the garment of Christ. As he says in the prophet Isaiah: "Let my soul rejoice in the Lord, for he has clothed me in a garment of salvation," and so on. But who will purify these better? Zechariah the prophet, who says: "And God showed me Jesus the high priest standing before the angel of the Lord. And the devil stood at his right hand to oppose him. And the Lord said to the devil: The Lord who has chosen Jerusalem rebuke you, devil. Is not (see) this one like a brand plucked from the fire? (And) Jesus was clothed in filthy garments." And shortly after: "And he said to the angels who stood before his face: Take the filthy garments off him." And shortly after: "And they clothed him in a clean garment." Understand that the filthy garments are humanity before faith; and stripping humanity of the old man, he made it shine like the sun with his flesh. Search out how in this way God also rebuked Tyre, saying: Why is your bed unclean? For it was made of "fine linen" and Egyptian "purple," not of the "manifold wisdom of God" but of "Egyptian" wisdom; as that rich man who "clothed himself in purple" was displeasing to God. He is displeasing to God because he adorns himself with these temporal things, not with spiritual and shining deeds. So too that "Lazarus" cared nothing for outward things but rather took pains for those of the soul; so he went to rest "in Abraham's bosom." And we shall find Job too renowned through suffering and torment. For this reason "that Pharisee went away" from prayer without being made perfect (or "justified"), for he had exalted himself over such a man. For one ought to have a manner of life according to the teaching of Christ, who was neither angry nor proud. For we often find such people living in luxury and clothing themselves in fine garments. So Christ too, speaking of the rich, said: "It is easier for a rope to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven." One must rather honor strangers and the poor, by whose name Christ called himself. But passing over to those with much gold, they honor this much more, some for the sake of rank, others for other reasons. So we have not been merciful, shutting up our compassion toward our brotherhood; so we are ashamed of poverty, the companion of the prophets, the maker of self-control. Alas! In what do we surpass other men, when we are commanded to have "a righteousness greater than that of the scribes and Pharisees," according to the command to learn from these things to disregard the temporal? Even if the ocean flowed with silver and the whole earth were gold, we would not be satisfied.

Translated by Claude from N. Bonwetsch's German translation (1917) of the Old Church Slavonic; neither is shown

Who among us, then, loves his brother in truth? Who does not think evil against his neighbor? Who does not envy another? For where the bishops live on usury, there our warp too is leprous; where the laity do, there the woof. These the Holy Spirit also rebukes: "Should the shepherds feed themselves, and not the sheep? For see, you eat the milk and clothe yourselves with the wool." And shortly after: "And you have scattered my sheep, and they became food for all the beasts." Again, the Lord likened wealth to "thorns"; the Lord commanded the one who asked which "commandment is the greater" to distribute his property; the apostle calls wealth a "snare" of death. The Lord said: "Love your enemies," but we quarrel with our friends. For it is the part of a good man not only to love those who love us, but to love those who hate us as well. The Lord said: "Give to everyone who asks," but we, seeing our brothers naked, do not even think of it. All of us ought to despise temporal things, but the bishops much more. For what use is gold or silver or pearls? If only they could stop hunger or hold back the death of a child! This is nothing but deception, for in itself it is useless. For since no one can "add a single hair" to himself, he boasts of those things in vain. And if "the birds, which neither sow nor reap," are fed, and "the flowers," though no one weaves them a garment, still come forth so because God wills it, "how much more we; for the heavenly Father knows that we need all these things." For Solomon too, who was wiser (and) richer than all kings, sinned through great luxury.

Translated by Claude from N. Bonwetsch's German translation (1917) of the Old Church Slavonic; neither is shown

"So let us watch, lest our hearts be weighed down with gluttony and drunkenness." For now we are drunk with the cares of the world and all wickedness, and very fond of sleep. So we live in luxury, we are jealous, we slander, more than the unbaptized. We have all these vices. For now the Holy Spirit speaks of us through Micah the prophet, who said: "Woe, O soul, for the one who abstains has vanished from the earth, and there is no one among men who sets things right; all quarrel to the point of blood, each afflicts his brother; all make ready their hands for evil," and so on. Now this is fulfilled: our "belly" has become our "God," for we take pains for it alone; bent down to the earth like cattle, we cannot look up to the Father and Creator of all. Truly it is now hard to find one formed by the Son of God in patience and humility and love and the other (virtues), thirsting for the departure from (or "end of") this world, teaching and reproving with gentleness, seen on earth in the body but with the spirit in heaven and feeding on holy knowledge. For such must the true shepherd and teacher be. For "why do you look at the speck in your brother's eye, but do not notice the beam in your own eye?" The first thing must be to govern (or "correct") oneself, and after that one's neighbor. For what use is the word if no deeds follow? For he says: "Physician, heal yourself." And since he wishes us to reprove, he said elsewhere: "If your brother sins, rebuke him." He commands us to receive those who repent and hold them as brothers. But the one who reproves must be blameless in everything. So, O man, when you have first examined yourself and come to know your own state, go on to reproving others …