THE LIFE OF MASHTOTS

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Բաժին

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But let me make an introductory statement whether it is permissible to write concerning the lives of men of perfection. We on our part do not wish to engage in disputatious eloquence, relying on our own thoughts; but through examples we simply wish to prove the contrary.

• That is, contrary to the opinion of those who say that it is not permissible.

For God the bountiful has been so gracious to His beloved as not only to deem them worthy of the splendid and high reward in endless eternity for their virtuous lives, but has caused them to be extolled to the heavens here in this world, in the course of this transitory life, so that they may in general shine with spiritual and earthly lustre.

And in the Mosaic story manifest is the nobility of blessed men and the firmness of [their] true faith, the beauty of godly and god-fearing life, and the radiance of a marvelous life. For one of them by virtue of acceptable sacrifice has been called just; another, because of his pleasing work, disdaining all-devouring death, has remained alive; a third, because of his perfect righteousness has been preserved in a ship for a period of one year on the god-sent scourge of a boundless, mountain-high sea, along with every breathing thing; a fourth, has been justified through [his] suddenly-found faith, and drawing nigh unto God, has become an oracle and ally of God and has inherited the promise of the bounties to come. Many others similarly have come to know God, and whose nobility all the divine books have described.

Similar to those I have mentioned, blessed Paul in his [epistle] to the Hebrews praises by name the true faith of such persons, whereby each one has received, according to his attainments, rewarding consolation from God the Bountiful, giver of all things. He even offers as an example the hospitality of Raab the evildoer [which she had shown] to the spies. However, upon noting how numerous such persons are, he actually has revealed the names of but a few of them, omitting others, deeming the time insufficient to recount them all in their proper order. He then records in a general manner the tribulations of such persons and their martyrdom without resistance, which he considers preferable to all the wealth of the world.

Thus, all the inspired books have recorded the brave deeds of men of war; the victory of some, in accordance with the divine religion, the bravery of some in the course of encounters and wars, in the manner of the world, as those of Nimrod, Samson, and David. A few are praised, moreover, for their natural as well as godly intelligence, as that of Joseph, in Egypt, and Daniel, in Babylon. There were among them advisors to mighty kings, who indicated the state of worldly affairs, at the same time imparting knowledge to everyone concerning God, the Lord of all. In praise of the wisdom of such persons, the prophet himself states as follows: "Art thou wiser than Daniel; or were they wise councilors who have advised thee by their understanding. " And this is not all, he extols the power of the saints, by dispatching the angels as emissaries, who declared Daniel to be magnificent and the Holy Mother of the Lord, in Galilee, "blessed among women. "

But what to say concerning the praise whereby comrades honored each other, whose nobility the Lord Himself loudly proclaimed before the angels and men, revealing not only their known works, but also the radiance in the recesses of their hearts. How He represented hospitable Abraham as an intimate servant, and after the promise he had received, related to him what was to befall to Sodom. Similarly, He praises the good martyr Job, prior to his encounter with Satan, saying: "A perfect and upright man; one that feareth God and turneth away from evil. " Moreover, He has revealed, in every religious book, the close intimacy of great Moses with God. The divine tradition has disclosed even his youthful intelligence, nor has the advice of Jethro, the alien, been omitted.

And thus, through divine tradition there shine the good works of all the devout masters whose blessed names no one can completely record. And He has caused to blossom forth not only the noble deeds of those who had come before, but also of those who came after the Only Begotten Son, the Saviour of all, even crowning them with beatitudes in His luminous gospel, lauding not only His own twelve or the Forerunner, but also praising the rectitude of the faith of the others who had come nigh unto the truth of the faith. Thus concerning Nathanael He states that in him there was no guile, and the greatness of the faith of the patrician, which He says, was not to be found in Israel. Yet Christ who exalts the humble [praises] not only the greater things, but more so he [praises] the lesser ones; who thinks highly of the pouring of a little ointment and [states that] the memory of those who poured it shall be preached under heaven. He, moreover, says concerning the faith of the Canaanite woman that it was great, and the generosity of those who contributed two mites He found more praiseworthy than those of the wealthy.

As. for Paul, who had determined to spread the luminous order that was established by Christ, he was designated as a chosen vessel who could bear His wondrous name in the world. Therefore, the blessed one, upon beholding the loftiness of the grace [which had been bestowed] for his faith and for that of all the saints, begins loudly to glorify [by saying] that "the grace of God which is proclaimed in everything, concerning us in Christ, and the savor of His knowledge is made manifest everywhere through us. " Yet he adds even more boldly: "Who shall lay anything to the charge of God's elect?" And the blessed apostles had received from the Lord permission to put into writing the virtues of all their co-workers. A few [of them] can be seen in the Holy Gospel, and a few others are found in the Acts, written by blessed Luke, and there are others who are better presented in the general epistles.

At the same time St. Paul tells in fourteen epistles concerning his fellow apostles and co-workers, making [them] participants in his joy, and at the end of his epistles extends greeting to each one of them, inquiring [concerning them] by name, and quotes the gospel in praise of one of them. But he is thankful not only for the assistance to the blessed one, but gives much praise for the Christian hospitality of his hosts, and pleadingly applies to God, asking recompense for their kindness. And he declares in all the synagogues the nobility of the chosen, not only of the men, but also of the women disciples who preached the truth of the gospel.

And he has declared all this not for the sake of praise or pride, but so that it may serve as an example for those who were to come later. So that they all should be zealous in good deeds, he says: "Follow after charity and desire spiritual gifts. " In relating in Macedonia, of the Achaians' readiness to serve the saints, he exhorts by rousing their envy, and even permits them to be unreservedly [jealous] of the virtue of the just, by saying that, "it is good to be zealously affected always in a good thing. " He moreover, exhorts them to resemble him and the Lord.

Again, he strives to live with them all by Christ's example. "Look unto Jesus, " says he, "the author and perfector of our faith, " and again, "remember them which have rule over you, who have spoken unto you the word of God; whose faith follow. " And finally, "Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus. " Thus states also Luke at the beginning of the book of "The Acts, " while beloved James, brother of Jesus, taking as his example the entire phalanx of the saints as well as the Lord, lover of the saints, states in his epistle: "Take my brethren, the prophets who have spoken in the name of the Lord, for an example of suffering, affliction and patience. Ye have heard of the patience of Job, and have seen the end of the Lord. "

It is evident from what has been stated that praise of the God-loving chosen is from the Lord Himself, some from the angels, and some from others, not for the sake of pride, but for the purpose of arousing each other's envy, so that encouraged by each other, we may succeed in the accomplishment of good works, the goal set up by blessed Paul, "to come... unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ, " whose freedom is in heaven, to await The Saviour, the great God.

We have also the gracious canonic writings which came after the apostles indicating how they honored and praised one another for their true faith and evangelical life and have been similarly treated to this very day.

And thus we have from them both permission to commit to writing the life of the just man.

Therefore, that which we have promised shall henceforth be produced, to the best of our ability; the biography of the father shall be duly completed and their sweet command shall be elaborately carried out.

That is, of Hovsep, the Acting Catholicos, and the other pupils of St. Mesrop.