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.
