Thursday, September 16, 2021

Trust the saints on what you haven't yourself experienced

"Although the tri-hypostatic nature of the Godhead—that is in no way destroyed by the principle of unity—was in later times revealed to the ends of the earth, it was also fully known to the prophets prior to the fulfillment of the things prophesied and was readily accepted by those who trusted in them.  In the same manner, even at this present time we are not ignorant of the doctrines of the Christian confession, both those which are openly proclaimed and those which are mystically and prophetically revealed by the Spirit to such as are accounted worthy.  These are persons who have been initiated by actual experience, who have renounced possessions, human glory and the ugly pleasures of the body for the sake of the evangelical life; and not only this, but they have also strengthened their renunciation by submitting themselves to those who have attained spiritual maturity in Christ.  Through the practice of the life of stillness they devote their attention undistractedly to themselves and to God, and by transcending themselves through sincere prayer and by establishing themselves in God through their mystical and supra-intellectual union with Him they have been initiated into what surpasses the intellect.  Others again have learnt about these things through their reverence, faith and love for such persons.

"If, then, anyone condemns as Messalians those who declare this deifying grace of God to be uncreated, ungenerated and completely real, and calls them ditheists, he must know . . . that he is an adversary of the saints of God. . . .  But if anyone believes, is persuaded by and concurs with the saints and does not 'make excuses to justify sin' [(Ps 141:4 LXX)], and if although ignorant of the manner of the mystery he does not because of his ignorance reject what is clearly proclaimed, let him not refuse to enquire and learn from those who do possess knowledge."

     Gregory of Palamas, “Declaration of the Holy Mountain in defence of those who devoutly practice a life of stillness” Prologue and 1 (=Triads I.ii?), in Philokalia:  the complete text, translated from the Greek and edited by G. E. H. Palmer, Philip Sherrard, and Kallistos Ware, vol. 4 (London:  Faber & Faber, 1995), 418-420.

No comments: