Aristakes Lastivertc'i's

History

22. Concerning the Evil Sect of the T'ondrakeans Which Appeared in Hark' District and Agitated Many People.


[141] 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 hairshirt, 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 to wonder, far and near, and everyone wanted to see him. Those who had grown haughty with conceit because of their authority, so gave themselves up to him in obedience that if he had ordered them to die, 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 fishhook with bait so that the fish will be deceived and caught by the hook, so do those who serve 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 and just as that illness is difficult to cure, so the people ensnared by [deceivers] are hardly able to sustain 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 [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—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 people. [Bitter water indeed did flow] from that same sweet fountain which our great 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, 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—began 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 would be betrayed into the 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 immortal 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 began 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 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 resolution 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. However, since all the princes of the district were bound as if by chains to [Yakobos'] deceptive pretensions, 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, 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 T'ondrakeans, and unites with them, shall bear the same judgement and punishment." [Sargis] ordered that this 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, 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 settled there on fields and in open places, 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.

23. How That Fire of Heresy Also Inflamed the Borders of Mananaghi.


[150] There was a certain adulterous monk named Kuncik who dwelled near the fortress-town 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 Aghbania/Aghuania ["Caucasian Albania"], 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, gave instruction to a certain woman named Hranoysh who belonged to a principal and fine line, mistress of field(s) and [Kuncik's] neighbor. 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 who were named Axni and Kamara (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 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 Vrverh who became the willing brother to these sorceresses. Previously he had been correct in the faith, and forward in pious deeds, to the point that he had had constructed a clerical retreat 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. 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 [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 this 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 slaughter, 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 baptized; 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. 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, 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 named Bazmaghbiwr [Many Fountains] wherein a resplendently stunning Cross had been erected. Because of this Cross the village was renamed Xach' ("Cross"), even to the present. 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 lamented [g128] and mourned that deed. Now according to ordinary custom, at cockcrow 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 were so fraught, suddenly through God's ineffable wisdom, they had a thought. The evening that this [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 would commune with them, but rather that they be hounded by all as evil beasts. 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] emperor sent a judge, whose name was Eghia, to see after the affairs of the land. 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 should 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, 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 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 was setting, having dispersed of its rays, and giving boldness to the stars which adorned the sky. The priests, coming forward, divided the waters, not [striking the water] with 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. Not one person was [158] injured out of the entire multitude. When they had crossed, they spent the entire night singing songs of thanksgiving to God. As leader of the troop they had the spotless Mariam (which is the blessed Church) holding in her hands a drum (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: "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 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 valiance 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 esophagus [160] was blocked. 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 do not accept the Church or Church ritual at all—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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