Letter 43: To Mar Yazdannan on the true faith

Letter 43: To Mar Yazdannan on the True Faith — Ishoʿyahb III of Adiabene To the faithful of truth and to the one lacking little of the praise that is due to him: the honored and chosen lord Mar Yazdannan. Ishoʿyahb in the Lord, greetings. Not from the haste of the will, nor again from the daily agitation of affairs, did it happen from the beginning to my insignificance—or rather, to your greatness—to meet together face to face, except through the letters alone. The burden of the time is evident from now on both to you and to me, and also to those who are occupied with this. And when you are freed from the beginnings of such a matter, I am bound by the cause of revelations; but for myself, under the obligation of bringing forth a lofty spirit, I am. For it was fitting that from the time that the conflict of that contrary doctrine arose against your honor from the priests of God, until at Constantinople the troubles reached you—the pain of your own and the grief of the entire Church of the Lord—that I also, in the weakness of my thought, should run after the helper of your soul and cast a little water upon the flame. And if the medicine became an affair, I was appointed in the rank of the ministers. And the hands of peace, reconciliation, and the completeness of help were a labor. Yet not even now, from the thoughts of those who were occupied with your honor and the goodness of your name and the increase of your virtues, was I forgotten. Now, however, when from the adversaries who arose, and from the grievous agitation of the changes of afflictions, and from the great distress of the whole world in the abysses that cut off good hope, I also was restrained from that which I was obliged to perform. From the peace and the midst of the unique griefs that the enemy stirred up against me through the ministers of his will—who are the heretics, the enemies of God—the letter of your love reached me, from which the fragrance of the true faith, which you loved, breathed forth sweetly.

and to the weak and the small, the letter of the heart that is in the letter. I have arranged. It is also fitting for you, for the truth of faith and the love of orthodoxy are with every place. With the father, with whom? That one who is not much, as he thought, I: his faith was diminished from that of Peter and from that of Abraham. With the mother, however: that one who is not even much left from the measure of the greatness of the faith of her partner. And from you again, in truth, you are with the power of the union that suffices for the lack of deeds such as these. Well then, you also anticipated my help in the letter that the adversary cast at me through the wicked ones who serve his all. Therefore, strengthen your power in prayer, while the help of God is with you as a support. And add more daily cares until the excellent completion. That which moves the confession of God to all his worshippers of God everywhere. And not, however, according to the suitability of the deeds of which you speak. That one, however, of the audacity of the wicked ones, and of the beginning of the movement of their error, and of those who after you became audacious, and where now, while they daily disturb the rulers and the people of the land, they move the eternal tablets. And of what again also I, when I was compelled, I took care to act: by means of a going out, or rather by a sending to the rulers, and all those that are like these in the letter I will write, to the greater measure it will be brought. Behold, I have sent to your presence for your information concerning all these, to show the honored lord Mar Ḥenanishoʿ, the head of the monastery. So that you may hear from him those things that are required. And also that you may do those things that are required. And after these, I ask from you in the mercies of God, that the conduct of your life not be disturbed by anything that appears contrary to the fear of the Lord. And that you not give place to the enemies of the Lord to set a seal on honor, as on the honored member of his body, the Lord.

and let there be no breaking of the heart, nor a reproach that passes through your being; and let a shining star be placed in it every day, the true victory over the enemies. Yes, my brother: let your mercy be at ease in Christ, and draw near to your threshold with spiritual passion, and look a little from nearness, and discern a little from distance. And let the example of your father in the flesh be for you, that one whose greatness of faith was shown by his deeds, showing God; and the memory of his piety in the fear of God is celebrated by the mouths of many. Why then should not your house be filled, in his likeness, with the honored feet of the priests of God? And why should not your table be sanctified every day with the faithful blessings of the saints of the Lord? And why should not your dwelling be honored at all times with the pure prayers of the servants of the Lord? And to say more excellently: why should not you and yours be adorned and arrayed in every place, all those who are zealous for the order and rejoice in the economy? For thus also do all these see your eyes and the eyes of all: that there are those who are in the economy and in the fear of the Lord, for the blessed man whose inheritance of life and house and honor you are. And with the Lord is all grace. With you, however, I do not know what. I ask therefore of you, O my brother: remember the grace of the Lord. Remember the afflictions that brought near to death, those many times when from the depth of the abyss of the flesh you were snatched to a life that had no hope for you. Remember all the endurance of the pains of our short lives, which in the changes of times are found to be varied, and the death of life in the bitternesses of opposites is changed. Remember therefore that you are dust, and like a dream are your days upon the earth, and like water you are that is poured upon the earth and not gathered up.

I know, O my brother, I know that you are a man of stout heart, but lacking in fear, and that you feel pain only slightly. Yet with this, you also trust in sins as you trust in the righteous events that happen to you, as it is written: "Without fear and without falsehood are sins established." What then, Paul? Or what, Apollo? Are you angry at them? Are they not enemies who proclaim the truth to you? Or like madmen who choose you for themselves? Is it not your teacher, or rather the son of your teacher, who from the world has been your city's priest? Or is it not a debt, not a death, that stands before you and before your entire father's house in righteousness? Or is it not the good benefits that you placed upon him, upon his people, and upon his monastery from the beginning? So that evil might not repay good, and he had no means to repay you, but he is cursed from the Scriptures, whoever is like that. And evil was truly to repay. If he had kept silent and submitted to your authority at the time when even upon the church of my Lord, the stumbling blocks of your transgression were poured out, he would have been a hostile man. If not for all the power of his authority, it would have sufficed for the crown of your rectitude. Now, then, that he acted as was fitting and fulfilled the spiritual law in human love, do you not consider him an enemy because he proclaimed the truth to you? But you say now that you have striven in vain. And I have conquered in my own eyes and before God. Good. And why do you not openly establish your victory for the encouragement of your beloved priest and for all the holy ones of my Lord? For this is what all who find themselves also pray. That one, then, who is free from injustice for you, and if your conscience is not pure before God by the hand by which you are guided with his priests, why then are you angry at the priests?

I know that you are a man of good deeds, O my brother, and I know that you are a man of stout heart. I know that you are a man who is strong against your adversaries. You think that you are not in need of this. For it is evident that there is no place for need, and I do not say even that, nor this, but with a trembling and fearful heart, with a hidden and unfeeling numbness, you are a man who is great and esteemed, and you are a man who is swift and active concerning the living customs of Christian conduct, and concerning the humble customs that follow them. Know then that you are far from the many prayers of the saints, if this fall should befall you with sorrow. That which God does not will to happen, and which does not happen for the sake of his people, and for the joy of enemies: the pain of your prayer and the evil of your lack. And let not those who mock you say, "This man, see what has happened to him." But may the Lord save, may the Lord deliver, may the Lord help, may the Lord have mercy, may the Lord show, may the Lord heal, may the Lord accomplish. May the Lord raise you from the dust of sins, and may he raise you from the trembling of pains. May the Lord give you a new heart and a new spirit. May the Lord give strength and power to his blessed servant of God. Be steadfast in prayer, and let the service of the Lord not cast you out. Receive the reading of the scriptures in the clarity of discernment. And whenever the divine mysteries are consecrated, prostrate yourself on the ground on your face, and let it grieve you and the trembling of your bowels. And the voice of the hidden one, many and unceasing times, when you say, "God, show me the sinner." And when your heart is moved by the depths of prayer, call upon the Lord, and he will open the eyes of your mind, that you may know where you are, and what it is right for you to do. And when you know, be zealous for the correction of your stature. And when you are corrected, love those who have been hindered on your account.

...and when you loved, you honored as before the altars of God and rejoiced with them. And in the communion of joy you praised with them the one who makes God present. And you also gave to my insignificance and to the whole holy Church a cause for thanksgiving and for gratitude for the glory of the merciful God, who wills that all the faithful live and be instructed in the knowledge of truth and in the life of righteousness, so that by his grace your strength may be employed to do his will at all times: all the days of your life. Amen. Completed.