There was a certain bishop named Yakobos
who held the superintendency of the churches in Hark'. At the
inception of his rule, he displayed himself as a virtuous man,
wearing a hair-shirt, keeping fasts, and going about barefoot.
He selected priests who circulated around with him, [men who]
wore coarse unadorned clothing, who had forsworn sumptuous foods,
and who continuously were occupied with the singing of psalms.
In this fashion, he had moved many people, far and near, to wonder,
and everyone wanted to see him. Those who had grown haughty with
conceit because of their princedom/authority, so gave themselves
up to him in obedience that if he had ordered them to die (or
t'e ew zhogis hanel hramayer), none would have resisted nor
dared open his mouth to warble. But this was all a sham, not the
true state of things. For the tree is judged by its fruit, as
the Lord said. In a similar vein the Apostle wrote: "Satan
even disguises himself as an angel of light, so it is not strange
if his servants also disguise themselves as Christ's apostles"
[II Corinthians 11.13-14]. Just as poison is mixed with ordinary [142] food, and those
who eat of it--thinking it to be ordinary food--are poisoned,
just as fishermen conceal the fish hook with bait so that the
fish will be deceived and caught by the hook, so do the servants
(mshakk') of impiety. They dare not display to anyone their
own pit of perdition. [g119] Otherwise, who in his right mind
would willingly sink into an abyss from which there is no exit?
For this reason, they wrap themselves up in our pious faith to
deceive the gullible, and they dupe the innocent with sweet words.
For their words spread liks cancer (ibrew k'aghe'kegh charakin)
and just as that illness is difficult to cure, so the people ensnared
by [deceivers] are hardly able to eustain themselves.
Indeed our Lord Himself had them in
mind [when He said] in His envivifying evangelization: "Beware
of false prophets who will come to you in sheeps' clothing, for
underneath they are ravaging wolves"[Matthew 7.15]. Counseling the Lord's
commandments, the Apostle similarly taught this to the Philipians:
"Look out for the dogs, look out for the wicked servants"
[Philippians 3.2].
It is easy to beware of external enemies, but difficult to be
saved from the wars of [your own] clansmen--as Habel and Joseph
learned. Should [the enemy] be from a people (c'eghic')
[143] which speaks a foreign language, it is easy for us to beware.
But, as the venerable John wrote: "They went out from us,
but they were not of us"[I John 2.19], it is not easy to recognize them.
Those who share the same language, and who belong to the same
people (hamac'eghk')--who spring from the same fountain--[may
be] sweet and also bitter water, even though St. James said that
this was impossible. Nonetheless, such was the case regarding
our [Armenian] people. [Bitter water indeed did flow] from that
same sweet fountain which our grand leader [St. Gregory] caused
to flow for us from the depths of the earth (after fifteen years
of fatiguing labor in Xor Virap), a copiously flowing fountain,
similar to the one in Ezekiel's vision, limpid and clear, into
which [g120] pestilential heretical streams could not run. For
the bulwark of truth had been firmly secured to the rock of faith--until
recently. Truly, [St. Gregory] our Illuminator himself saw in
prophetic spirit how lambs became wolves and caused a carnage
of bloodshed. This occurred when human iniquity multiplied in
the country, when the goodly householder (tanuter), the
sower of grain, reposed, when the enemy, finding a way, sowed
weeds among the grain, as in the parable in the Gospels. The dregs
of bitterness mixed with the life-giving water [144] which flowed
from the house of the Lord. However, [the heresy of the T'ondrakeans]
was quickly exposed by the vardapets of the Church who
uprooted the harmful weed from the meadow of our faith, who strained
and purified the dregs of bitterness and brought health to the
waters with the salt of truth, like the prophet Elijah. We have
said enough about this matter. Now it is time to return to the
narration so that our words be supported.
[Bishop Yakobos], the first-born disciple,
the sharer of opinions of the father of all evil, seeing how much
his falsely-good reputation had grown--[a renown] which stupid
people noised about--commenced shooting arrows at our faith, arrows
whose heads had been tempered with oak embers. For he was an extremely
great publicist, and he bewitched the ears of many with his oratory.
On such a foundation he thought he could overthrow the blessed
Church. He did not recall the Lord's command and unswerving promise
to Peter: "You are a rock and upon this rock shall I build
my Church, and the gates of Hell shall not overcome it"[Matthew 16.18].
But [Yakobos] did not believe this; rather, he considered these
singular words those of an ordinary man. Therefore he entered
[g121] [145] battle, thinking to shear the Church of its glory,
just as in ancient times the prostitute had shorn off Samson's
locks so that the unconquerable man be betrayed into foreigners'
hands. [Yakobos] also wanted to betray the holy Church into the
hands of the sowers of discord, that Church which our Lord Jesus
Christ ransomed with His honored blood, and glorified and crowned
with the invincible Cross, erecting in it an altar of mystery,
resembling the Tree of Life in Eden, whose immnortal fruit was
the very body of the life-giver, in accordance with His truthful
command: "Whosoever eats of my body shall never die"[John 6.56-58].
Behold now his adroit cunning, see how with serpent-like duplicity
he schemed to inject his polluting poison into those healthy in
the faith.
First he commenced selecting among the
priests, according to their worth, telling the unworthy to be
silent. When this pleased many folk, [Yakobos] then added something
to it: he ordered those worthy [priests] to perform mass but three
times a year. Now it is written in the cannons of [the Council
of] Nicea that although an individual be extremely sinful, his
confession must be accepted, he must be given communion in the
body and blood of the Lord and be made worthy of masses and all
Christian rituals. But [Yakobos] refused to accept this.[146]
On the contrary he taught that if the sinner himself did not individually
repent, neither memorials (yishatakk') nor masses would
help him. Then with his accomplices, subjecting [the sinner] to
ridicule, they laughed at him. The animal [brought for sacrifice]
would be led forward and they would say: "Unfortunate beast,
it is bad enough that he, during his lifetime sinned and died,
but how did you sin that you must die with him"? At [such
teachings] the people divided into two groups: some accepted this,
but [g122] others did not. Everyone was confused and doubtful
and sought some resolutidn of the matter, this included those
who at that time were ever doing God's will, in retreats and caves,
[and who] requested a visitation from the beneficent Lord, with
great sighings and tearful entreaties. Now on two occasions assemblies
were held which included an inestimable number of people, numerous
[church] fathers, patriarchs, priests, as well as the laity (xarhnichaghanch
bazmut'eanc'). However, since all the princes of the district
were bound as if by chains to [Yakobos'] deceptive preten- sions,
they vowed they would die in battle before handing him over to
the gathering. Meanwhile [Yakobos], resembling Nestorius, sat
at home greatly encouraged, and sent replies to the meeting by
means of messengers. Placing his hopes on the princes' aid, not
on God, he did not think about the [147] Davidic psalm which says,
"It is better to rely on the Lord than on princes"[Psalms 117.8].
The wretch thought that he could vanquish truth with human assistance.
God, however, does not permit the strength of sinners to approach
the righteous, so that the righteous not extend their hands toward
evil. [God] works the will of those who fear Him, He hears the
prayers of those who pray to Him, [God] stilled the tempests and
brought rain in time of drought, all for the prayers of one just
man, and He also visited us and saved His people. Through His
deep wisdom God knows how to lay the foundations for very great
matters from afar. Indeed in this matter too He also disposed
of things in a very helpful way. [Events] transpired as follows.
There was a certain cleric from the
Karin district named Esayi, descended from a pious family (tohm),
who; attracted by [Yakobos'] renown for goodness, went and [g123]
became his adherent. Now when the investigations arose regarding
[Yakobos], [Esayi] carefully kept watch over matters. He was an
extremely learned man, and displayed great intimacy toward [Yakobos],
declaring himself to be one of [Yakobos'] adherents. Observing
and becoming informed about [Yakobos'] Mcghneay faith,
[Esayi] went at [148] once and informed the blessed patriarch
Sargis. Now when the latter heard this, and as events continued
to unfold, he summoned that wretched man to him with mild words,
and requited him as was meet. For he removed him from the ranks
of the priesthood, and, branding [Yakobos'] face with the likeness
of a fox, he loudly preached: "Whoever quits the faith of
the blessed Illuminator and crawls into the fold of those beasts
with human faces, the impious (anoren) T'ondrakeans, and
unites with them, shall bear the same judgement and punishment".
[Sargis] ordered that that most wretched man be confined in prison,
since he wanted him to repent yet and to promise to stand clear
of that loathsome sect. For he was greatly concerned over the
loss of a soul.
But as Jeremiah said, the fire cannot
forget to burn, the Indian cannot lose his darkness, and the leopard
cannot lose its spots, so too the evil person cannot quit his
evil ways. For at night [Yakobos] broke out of jail, and fled
across Byzantine territory until he reached the royal city of
Constantinople. There he slandered our [Armenian Apostolic] faith
and requested baptism according to their [Orthodox] rites. [The
Byzantines] in their wisdom became knowledgable about the matter
and comprehended what it was. They refused [149] [Yakobos' request]
saying instead: "Whomever the Armenians have refused and
dishonored regarding the faith, we also do not accept". Not
succeeding in this, [Yakobos] arose and came to the Apahunik'
district, to that residence of satan, the assemblage of atheists
(yastuacurac' zhoghovn), that lair of the beasts called
T'ondrak, where, temporarily, [g124] he nestled in secret. It
is said, however, that the people there similarly did not accept
him because of his excessive impurity. Consequently he left that
place and went to the mountain of Xlat' where he found his own
folk (yiwrayoc'n) settled there on fields (yagaraks)
and in distant places (i bac'agoyn teghis), and he tarried
with them. Having spent some time there, he departed for the city
called Muharkin (Tigranakerd/Martyropolis/Mufarghin) where he
wickedly perished. Whoever does not live according to the cannons
of the Bible, and does not unite with the Christians will be rejected.
Therefore [Yakobos] died like an ass, and was buried like one,
leaving behind [to posterity] an evil memory, such that everyone
who hears this narration will curse him.
[150] There was a certain adulterous
monk named Kuncik who dwelled near the fortress-town (berdak'aghak'n)
of Shirni(which to this day is the name given to its field). Being
of an advaneed age, [Kuncik] had within him the ferment of impurity.
He had studied with a certain churlish monk who claimed to be
from [Caucasian] Aghbania, but was in fact satan's first-born
son and the storehouse of his plans. Therefore smoke from the
furnace of Gehenna was ever billowing forth from his mouth, and
many were poisoned therefrom and died. Now this Kuncik, satan's
diligent servant (mshak), gave instruction to a certain
woman named Hranoysh who belonged to a principal and fine (entir)
line (azg), mistress of field(s) (ter agaraki) and
[Kuncik's] neighbor (sahmanakic'). Once infected by that
death-bringing poison, [Hranoysh], dissatisfied with her own perdition,
prepared many others as accomplices for their heresy. First and
foremost were two women, her clanswomen (tohmakic'k') who
were named Axni and Kamaray (truly the willing aecomplices (kamarar)
of satan). [g125] These two were actual sisters, infected with
that outrageous dissolute disease which is typical of their fold,
and by the art of sorcery they became satan's vardapets,
and the father of all evil made them strong. "They whet their
tongues like swords, and aimed bitter words [151] like arrows",
aiming at the hearts of the righteous. They struck and mortally
wounded many innocent souls. [These two sisters] possessed two
villages from their patrimonial inheritance (i hayreni zharangut'ene)
which they turned into dwellings and dens for that crafty dragon-snake.
[Yakobos] nested therein and violently spewed forth his bile.
[The sisters collected the poison] and, serving as cup-bearers,
gave it to the folk living about them to drink themselves to ruin.
It was about such people that Moses wrote: "Their wine is
the poison of serpents, and the cruel venom of asps, impossible
to heal"[Psalms 63.4].
There was a certain prince named Vrverhh
who became the willing brother to these sorceresses (jatuk
kananc'). Previously he had been correct in the faith, and
forward in pious deeds, to the point that he had had constructed
a clerical retreat (kronastan) on his patrimonial lands
and assembled ascetic brothers therein. Within its extensive confines
he kept them free from want. Their director was known as Andreas,
a man greatly renowned in clerical competitions (i kronaworakan
mrc'muns). This prince [Vrverh] would visit them each year
during the fast of Lent, and remain with them until Easter day
itself, doing much to serve [152] their needs. He proved himself
more forward than many when it came to charity for the poor (yaghk'atasnut'iwns)
[g126] and in showing submission to the priests' wishes. The devil
ensnared him by means of those women who indiscriminately copulated
with him, those diseased prostitutes, thinking nothing about consanguinity.
Such are their dens of perdition. This is the leech's fourth daughter
that Solomon spoke of and about which the divine Apostle commanded:
"[Fall not] into the passion of lust like heathen who do
not know God"[I Thessalonians 4.5]. Do you see that that disease is pagan? See
how the divinely blessed Solomon set this forth: "My son,
keep yourself from adultery with foreign women for whomever they
find foolish enough, they shall convince to remain with them through
their honeyed words. For the lips of a loose woman drip honey,
and her speech is smoother than oil; but in the end she is bitter
as wormwood. For she will take her lovers, bound like dogs, and
drag them off like a calf for alaughter, and she will [kill you]
just as a goat shot by an arrow in the liver. There is no cure
for it until in death you reach Hell, because her home is the
abyss of Hell[Compare Proverbs 5.3].
Trapped by them, that lamentable Vrverh
lost his prudence and fell from the faith, becoming the enemy
of God and His saints. [153] He forsook the Lord in whose blessed
font he had been baptised; he forgot God Who had nourished him
with His body and blood. Having left the house, he fell from honor.
He forgot the divine covenant, and withdrew from communion with
the ascetic orders. The site which had been an aseembly-place
for clerics, which he had constructed with very great expense
and labor, where groups of psalm-sayers and clerics with divine
accompaniment [g127] sang sweet songs glorifying God, is now silent,
ruined and desolate. What do you suppose happened next? The wretched
man went and joined up with those diabolical women. And they joined
to themselves all the inhabitants of those fields which naturally
belonged to them and which we spoke of a little earlier, namely,
Kashe and Aghiwsoy. Frenzied with diabolical rage, they ruined
those churches which they had long since had constructed in their
snake-infested places. Whenever they found an opportune moment,
to avenge their satanic father, they unashamedly destroyed the
symbol of our salvation, the weapon of the Lord's victory (=the
Cross) in the villages {yandastanac'n). It was through
the Cross that the victory of death was set at nought and the
temptations of the wily Enemy were removed. The venerable Paul,
ignoring created beings (zararacovk's zanc' arareal), took
pride in its power, saying: "I boast of nothing except the
Cross of our Lord Jesus Christ"[Galatians 6.14]
. Since I have mentioned
the Cross [154] let me add to this narration a wondrous account
which will strike all listeners with trepidation.
In a section of Paxra mountain which
presently is called Gaylaxazut, there was an ancient awan
(arhajin harc'n awan) named Bazmaghbiwr (Many Fountains)
wherein a resplendently stunning Cross had been erected. Because
of this Cross and even to the present the village was renamed
Xach' (=Cross). At night on the day of great Pentacost (called
"new Sunday") those willing servants of satan came and,
striking the crown of the divine symbol with hammers, smashed
it and threw it to the ground. Then they went secretly and entered
their snake-infested lairs. [At their deed] the sky above was
stupified and the earth was afflicted with trembling. In the darkness
of evening, Aurora (aruseakn) lamented [g128] and mourned
that deed. Now according to ordinary custom, at cockscrow the
presbyter arose and went before the Cross to perform the ceremony
for great Sunday. Observing that frightful scene, he grabbed his
own collar and tore his clothing. Then crying loudly for the inhabitants
of the place to immediately come forth, he gathered them. Seeing
[the damaged Cross] they were stupefied, shrieking loudly, and
beating their breasts, they returned home.[155 Then everyone,
men, women, the elderly and the young, lamented sighing in unison.
While they thusly were fraught, suddenly through God's ineffable
wisdom, they had a thought. The evening that that [deed] was wrought
it had suddenly begun to snow, whitening the face of the land.
So, following the footprints of the impious, they were led to
their dens. Immediately they notified the blessed patriarch Samuel,
who arrived at the spot with a great multitude. Gathering up the
district's bishops, presbyters, and fathers, he took them and
went and put to the fire the lair of the impious, cursing their
goods and property just as in the past Joshua cursed Jericho so
that no one would dare to take anything from it. He further arrested
six of them who were styled the vardapets of that wicked
and foul religion, and came with the crowd to the town named Jerma.
And he commanded that their faces be branded with the sign of
a fox, so that eternally that would serve as a notice to them,
clear and recognizable to all, so that no one in ignorance commune
with them, but rather that they be hounded by all as evil beast(s).
After this, [Samuel] blessed the people who had been his colleagues,
then sent them off in peace. [g129]
[156] Now when summer arrived, the [Byzantine]
king sent to see after the affairs of the land a judge (datawor)
whose name was Eghia. When he reached the Ekegheac' district,
that most wicked Vrverh went before him and accused the very respectworthy
patriarch Samuel and the other bishops with him, saying: "They
robbed my home, and burned down the village". Moreover [Vrverh]
made them accountable for debts of many treasures and goods. When
the judge heard this, becoming increasingly enraged, he sent soldiers
to bring before him speedily the venerable bishops. As soon as
the soldiers arrived, the head of the bishops wrote commands to
the clergy, to the presbyters and the cenobites that they assemble
by him forthwith. Upon receiving the news--it was as though everyone
were informed through God's providence-- immediately a multitude
of people assembled in one place, not merely priests, but especially
laymen (ashxarhakanac'), and so vast was their number that
I am unable to record it . They went in a body to the confluence
of the Euphrates and the Mananaghi rivers, to the banks of the
Euphrates. It so happened at that time that rain started to fall,
and swollen from the downpour, the Euphrates had risen and coursed
fully. The soldiers, having brought a boat, were hastening to
take across the aged bishop Samuel and his nephew (brother's son)
T'eodoros, to [157] the awan called Kot'er, since the judge
was there. However, the people, forcibly holding the bishops,
did not permit the soldiers to touch them. Now [the soldiersj
said: " First we shall ferry across those [bishops], and
then, the people". Thus did they get the people to consent.
Then, taking the bishops, they ferried them to the other shore.
Stopping the boat, they placed the bishops in prison. When the
people perceived [the soldiers'] [g130] duplicity--for they had
not returned to them the boat as they had promised--they commenced
encouraging each other with loud voices and exhortatory expressions,
saying that it would be better to die crossing the waters than
to permit the overseer of the faith to hear rebukes. It was evening.
The sun, having gathered up the dispersion of its rays, was setting
(i mayrn darhnayr) giving boldness to the stars which adorned
the sky. The priests, coming forward, divided the waters, not
by the mystery of the Cross, but rather, holding that symbol of
the Lord's triumph in their hands and raised to their shoulders,
and with unwavering faith, they split asunder the lofty billows,
which, resembling an intractable steed suddenly bridled by the
strength [of their faith] gave way for the people to pass over.
From the entire multitude not one person was [158] harmed. When
they had crossed, they spent the entire night singing songs of
thanksgiving to God. As the leader of the troop they had the spotless
Mariam.(which is the blessed Church) holding in her hands a drum
(t'mbuk) (which is correctness of faith); they were not
silent and without art as are those conquered by dissolute heretical
diseases, rather, being pure in fervor of the holy Spirit, ready
with ringing songs, with the plectrum of David's lyre they made
to resound within the hearing of all: "Bless the Lord, for
He worked a miracle"[Psalms 97.1], etc. Praying to God with such songs,
they made light the entire night.
Now the judge, when he heard about the
divine dispensation and the miracle-working, realized that the
Lord was visiting our [Armenian] people. In trembling from extreme
amazement, he prayed prayers of atonement and called on God's
aid, that "I not, ignorantly", he said, "distort
your laws, Lord". When day dawned, it was a Sunday. [g131]
The judge went to the bishopric named P'rris seeking a just trial
and entrusted the case to the chiefs of the people. They commanded
the worthless and guilty Vrverh to appear at the trial. There
is a creature known as the cuttle-fish (sepeans) about
which it is said that in order to escape the hunters, it changes
colors. So was [159] [Vrverh] when he observed the strengthening
of justice, which he could not resist; for when the light dawns,
darkness is dispelled, and when truth appears, falsehood vanishes.
What could he do, what ruse could he find? He promised that he
would become a Roman (=Chalcedonian), and, bribing a bishop named
Episarhat, he agreed to become his adopted son. The bishop appeared
at the trial and beseeched them to grant him [Vrverh], and the
judge agreed. This was because the brother of the impious one,
through his princely station, bravery and valliance was one of
the king's acquaintances and select [companions], and the judge
was very considerate of this. Consequently, he gave [Vrverh] to
the bishop, as the latter had requested. However, as for those
of [Vrverh's] comrades they found, after subjecting them to severe
torments and beatings, they persecuted them and ruined their homes.
The assembly blessed the judge and adjourned in peace.
However the verdict of God quickly fell
upon [Vrverh] who, although able to escape punishment [from men]
was unable to flee from the hand of the Omniscient. For, suddenly,
his body burned with fever--like unto Herod--and because his fingers
had so dried up, he was unable to eat; whatever he was able to
get down, he then threw up, since his food [160] entrace was blocked
(mut kerakroyn p'akeal er). So he remained until his death
and then, his body decayed with leprosy/syphilis. However he did
not repent, nor did he remember his previous piety. Rather, he
remained inflamed with that same diabolic heresy until he quit
this life. The aches of his body were a constant reminder of gehena
where he is being tormented. [g132]
However, their mcghne deeds being
too foul, we regarded it as inappropriate to set it down in writing,
because everyone is not steadfast when it comes to the audible,
and because the narration of many sins could arouse the listener
even to doing the same. Consequently, I have avoided it. However
what is known about them, and what I have heard about them is
this: they entirely do not accept the Church or church ritual--not
baptism, not the great and awe-inspiring mystery of the mass,
not the Cross, not the observance of fasts. But let us, the true
Believers in the holy Trinity, firmly keep the doctrine of confirmed
light which we learned from the blessed Fathers. Let us, turning
away from their atheistic assembly, heap curses upon them.
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