Drawing upon St. John Chrysostom, Archbishop Averky examines this teaching from St. Paul and how modernists and ecumenists can and do twist it to their liking.📖 "There Must Be Heresies Among You" (1 Cor 11:19) (Orthodox Life, July-August, 1994)https://orthodoxlifemagazines.blogspot.com/🎧 Archbishop Averky: His Significance for the Ecumenical Orthodox Church - by Fr. Seraphim Rosehttps://youtu.be/04DCg8rZsDg🎧 What is Orthodoxy? - Archbishop Averky of Jordanvillehttps://youtu.be/cOIy6YaV5po🎧 I Have Not Come To Bring Peace, But A Sword - Archbishop Averky of Jordanvillehttps://youtu.be/e3FiL7CCN9M⛪ FIND an Orthodox parish and monastery near you: https://orthodox-world.org/https://orthodoxyinamerica.org/_______Achrbishop Averky writes:See how these people who so blatantly violate one of the most important rules of our Holy Church even dare to call themselves "Orthodox" and try, by way of all kinds of false interpretations of the Word of God, to justify their "dissension" with the age-old teaching of the Universal Church of Christ. And what is especially horrible - they take shelter behind their imaginary "Christian love" for the "dissenters." O how great is the evil of these contemporary evil-doers, how unlawfully do they misappropriate for themselves the patent on "Christian love," and all those who disagree with them they accuse of a lack of "Christian love," and even fanaticism! Saint John Chrysostom (Commentary on the first epistle to the Corinthians): "By the word 'heresies' he [Saint Paull understands here not errors concerning dogmas, but actual (and similar) quarrels. If he were speaking of errors concerning dogmas, however, he would not have given occasion for offense (with the words, for there must be). For Christ said, 'It must needs be that offences come' (Mat. 18:7), but at the same time He did not violate our free will and establish this as a necessity and inevitability for us. He foretold the future which happens from the evil will of mankind, not as a result of His prediction but from the arbritariness of depraved people. Offenses occurred not because He foretold them, but rather He foretold them because they were going to occur. For if offenses occurred out of necessity and not according to the will of those who caused them, then in vain would He have said, Woe to that man by whom the offence cometh. That the Apostle actually called these disturbances and divisions during meals heresies' we see clearly expressed by him in the previous sentence. For he said, I hear that there be divisions among you. He did not stop here however. Desiring to explain what divisions he is referring to, he then says, 'For in eating every one taketh before other his own supper' (11:21). It is evident that he is speaking of these disturbances; but do not be surprised that he calls them divisions (schisms). As I said, he desired to have a greater effect on them by using such an expression. If he had meant dogmatical heresies he would not have spoken to them so briefly."_______Orthodox Wisdom is dedicated to sharing the writings and lives of the Saints of the Orthodox Church. Glory to Jesus Christ!

St. Basil's mediation on the many virtues of bees and how Christians do well to imitate them. "Imitate the character of the bee," writes St. Basil, "because it constructs its honeycomb without injuring anyone or destroying another's fruit."An excerpt from homily eight of the Hexaemeron, a collection of nine homilies on the six days of creation. Note: in St. Basil’s time the queen bee was understood to be a king. They didn’t know the leader was a female until much later. I have kept the original text but when you hear “king” know that St. Basil is referring to the queen bee.📖 Hexaemeron by St. Basil the Greathttps://stanthonysmonastery.org/products/hexaemeron?srsltid=AfmBOopEzZqE0t0Z2M-lYo3Fmq7MeVjMJOG4eihWIa9zNc-wK5A5Pegl🎧 Scandalized? Be Like the Bee - St. Paisios the Athonitehttps://youtu.be/i9nRU9KnYIM🎧 A Lament for Sin - St. Basil the Greathttps://youtu.be/I6erTc_FPKI🎧 On Illness, Doctors, and Healing - St. Basil the Greathttps://youtu.be/WOxigGgPenw⛪ FIND an Orthodox parish and monastery near you: https://orthodox-world.org/https://orthodoxyinamerica.org/_______St. Basil teaches:Imitate the character of the bee, because it constructs its honeycomb without injuring anyone or destroying another's fruit. It gathers the wax openly from the flowers, then, sucking in with its mouth the honey, a dew like moisture sprinkled in the flowers, it injects this into the hollows of the wax. At first, therefore, it is liquid, then in time being matured, it attains its proper consistency and sweetness. The bee itself has won honorable and becoming praise from the Proverb, which calls it wise and industrious. It gathers its food so laboriously ("Whose labors," it is said, "kings and private men set before them for their health."), and devises so wisely its storehouses for the honey (stretching the wax into a thin membrane, it builds numerous cells adjacent to each other) that the great number of the connecting walls of the very tiny cells supports the whole. Each cell fastens upon the other, separated from, and at the same time joined to it by a thin partition. Then these compartments are built upon each other two and three stories. The bee avoids making one unbroken cavity lest the liquid, because of its weight, should break through and escape to the outside. Notice how the discoveries of geometry are merely incidental to the very wise bee. The cells of the honeycombs are all hexagonal and equilateral, not resting upon each other in a straight line, lest the supports, coinciding with the empty cells, might meet with disaster; but, the corners of the hexagons below form a base and support for those resting upon them so that they safely sustain the weights above them and hold the liquid separate in each cell.

The same arguments against icons today are found in this 9th century debate between the Patriarch of Constantinople and the Emperor. As St. Nikephoros said, "But the ‘Logos became flesh [Jn. 1:14].' He was a man seen by men, otherwise we could not reproduce in pictures what is unseen."Text is from the Life of St. Nikephoros of Constantinople found in the The Great Synaxaristes of the Orthodox Church (Lives of Saints)📖 Icons are Idolatry? A Discussion Between St. Nikephoros and the Emperor Leo V the Armenianhttps://www.nepsisblog.com/2025/06/icons-are-idolatry-discussion-between.html🎧 Against Those Who Attack the Divine Images (First Apology) - St. John of Damascushttps://youtu.be/bm2eV_anejw🎧 Never Will I Cease Honoring the Matter Which Wrought My Salvation! - St. John of Damascushttps://youtu.be/Dnp_CZasZgw⛪ FIND an Orthodox parish and monastery near you: https://orthodox-world.org/https://orthodoxyinamerica.org/_______The saint the explained that the Orthodox do not paint God, the transcendent reality, in images. For how can one paint what is not perceived by the eyes? When iconographers depict the Christian martyrs, the latter are not considered gods; but rather, they are deemed the faithful servants of God. Thus, we honor the martyrs for their valor, since they are like the attendants of the King. In our behalf do they represent our requests before Him. Nikephoros then attempted to make this clear to Leo in a manner in which he could understand. As emperor of so great a realm, did not have officials so that he might be among his subjects when absent? Thus, his subjects revere him through his officials. Certainly, Leo does not reproach his subjects for bringing their petitions before his officials. But Leo surely would not tolerate his functionaries to be addressed as emperor. Now Leo agreed with this example. How could he not?_______Orthodox Wisdom is dedicated to sharing the writings and lives of the Saints of the Orthodox Church. Glory to Jesus Christ!

Excerpts from her 1917 diary from the section on marriage, family, and children. The wife of Tsar St. Nicholas II, Tsarina St. Alexandra's simple and beautiful words come from her small diary bound in light blue fabric sewn by the Tsarina herself with a small cross embroidered in the corner. On the inside of the cover, written by the hand of Her Majesty, is a simple “Alix, 1917.”📖 Garden of the Heart: Spiritual Diary by Her Majesty the Empress Alexandra Fyodorovna Romanovahttps://www.amazon.com/Garden-Heart-Alexandra-Fyodorovna-Romanova/dp/1533411999🎧 PLAYLIST: Marriage and Family Life - Teachings from Orthodox Saintshttps://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLzFKi22k2KYgkVz_d0SAUQkWSGp-L75yd⛪ FIND an Orthodox parish and monastery near you: https://orthodox-world.org/https://orthodoxyinamerica.org/_______St. Alexandra writes:The meaning of marriage is to bring joy. It is meant to be that married life is the happiest, fullest, purest, and richest kind of life. This is God's establishment of perfection.Thus the divine intention is for marriage to bring happiness, to make the lives of both husband and wife fuller, for neither of them to lose but both of them to win. If a marriage does not bring happiness and does not make life richer and fuller, it is not the fault of matrimonial ties themselves; it is the fault of people bound with them.The wedding day should be always remembered and emphasized among the other important dates of life. This is the day, the light of which will illuminate till the end of life all other days. The joy of entering a marriage is not exultant but deep and calm.Selfless love is a duty in a family. Each should forget about their self and dedicate themselves to the other one. Each should blame themselves, not the other one, when something goes wrong. Endurance and patience are necessary, while impatience can ruin all. A sharp word can decelerate the merging of souls for months. From both sides, there should be a willingness to make the marriage happy and overcome anything standing in the way of this. The strongest love needs to be strengthened every day. The most unforgivable rude words are those said in your own house to those you love.It should be that the hands of a husband could do everything, inspired by love. It should be that every loving husband has a big heart. Many sufferers should find help in a real family. Every husband of a Christian wife should unite with her in her love to Christ. Because of this love to her, he will go through challenges of faith. By sharing her life full of faith and prayers, he too will tie his life with heaven.Between siblings there should be a strong and tender friendship. In our hearts and our lives, we should protect and nurture everything that is beautiful, true, and holy. Friendship bonds in our own house, in order for them to be deep, genuine, and cordial, should be shaped by parents by helping souls become closer. There is no purer, richer, or more fruitful friendship in the world than that in a family if such friendship's development is guided. A young man should be politer to his sister than to any other young lady in the world, and a young lady, before she has a husband, should consider her brother the closest person to her. In this world, they should protect one another from dangers and dishonest and disastrous paths._______Orthodox Wisdom is dedicated to sharing the writings and lives of the Saints of the Orthodox Church. Glory to Jesus Christ!

St. John Maximovitch appears in a vision and comforts a young man who was grieving the death of his mother. As the young man understood, "[St. John] affirms the Church’s prohibition of offering public prayers for the departed non-orthodox, but also affirms the teaching that private prayers for them are of great value and should be encouraged."📖 Read the text of this recording here:https://orthodoxheritage.org/2007%20Issues.pdf📖 Man of God: St. John of Shanghai and San Franciscohttps://hvcbookstore.com/St-John-of-SF/Man-of-God📖 The Orthodox Veneration of the Mother of God by St. John Maximovitchhttps://www.sainthermanmonastery.com/product-p/ven.htm🎧 How Should We Treat the Non-Orthodox? Fr. Seraphim Rose Respondshttps://youtu.be/6b8MgXrudPs🎧 Life After Death - St. John Maximovitchhttps://youtu.be/PdW_p4CmF2A⛪ FIND an Orthodox parish and monastery near you: https://orthodox-world.org/https://orthodoxyinamerica.org/_______I do not know the full meaning of what I experienced… One thing I noted is that Vladika said nothing and made no promises. I was simply assured of his prayers and of the need of my own and others’. I also note that he wore a monk’s mantle and staff. This would indicate to me that he did what he didin a private capacity rather than as a bishop in official capacity, which would mean that he affirms the Church’s prohibition of offering public prayers for the departed non-orthodox, but also affirms the teaching that private prayers for them are of great value and should be encouraged. _______Orthodox Wisdom is dedicated to sharing the writings and lives of the Saints of the Orthodox Church. Glory to Jesus Christ!

We all have times of apathy, boredom, and a general cooling off of our once fiery zeal. Elder Athanasios draws out valuable lessons from Christ’s words in Revelation to help us regain our zeal and our love for Christ.A reading from Lesson 10 (Rev. 2:4-7) on Revelation by Elder Athanasios MitilinaiosElder Athanasios Mitilinaios, a dynamic and beloved preacher, abbot of the Monastery of Komnineiou and Saint John the Theologian in Stomion, Larisa, Greece, gave 104 consecutive lessons of Revelation to thousands of faithful. This beloved elder, venerated by many in Greece and around the world, reposed in the Lord in the year 2006.The Lord said, "Nevertheless I have this against you, that you have left your first love. Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent and do the first works, or else I will come to you quickly and remove your lampstand from its place—unless you repent." -Revelation 2:4-5📖 Revelation - The Seven Golden Lampstands (Vol. 1) by Elder Athanasios Mitilinaioshttps://www.zoepress.us/revelation-the-books📖 Remember Thy First Love by Archimandrite Zachariashttps://mountthabor.com/products/remember-thy-first-love?srsltid=AfmBOor4QP28IF3HO0I2K1FW-QzVErUTQWKoT5b7SwDmeIbiQ0T7xCy0🎧 The Cowardly Shall Suffer in the Lake of Fire (Rev. 21:8) - Elder Athanasios Mitilinaioshttps://youtu.be/jflIrMj3TXw🎧 Freemasonry: The Depths of Satan - Elder Athanasios Mitilinaioshttps://youtu.be/CUu-6a0KhHw🎧 Idolatry of Sexual Relations: Separation of the Purpose from Pleasure - Elder Athanasios Mitilinaioshttps://youtu.be/Bg54rv4r6Zs⛪ FIND an Orthodox parish and monastery near you: https://orthodox-world.org/https://orthodoxyinamerica.org/_______Elder Athanasios teaches:The bishop of Ephesus worked extensively to cleanse the Church of evildoers and especially of heretical teachers. Somehow, the anti-heretical struggle became the focus, the main preoccupation, of the church of Ephesus and in the process something was overlooked. What was overlooked was love for the Lord Jesus. I am very much afraid that this could be the case with a number of people in our audience who fight against evil and false faiths. They fail to develop their own spirituality. I have noticed this to be the reality among many of today's Christians. I am being very sincere in saying this. We need to become especially watchful and take up the necessary measures to correct this.Many times we notice this in people who are very active in the life of the parish. They lack this spiritual ascent and vice versa, those who have this spiritual sense do not have much involvement. They do not seek any involvement; they keep to themselves. The Lord reproves both. We will see in another epistle that He reproached the church that allowed People of a heretical influence to coexist with it. So, both of these are necessary—spiritual life and active involvement in the church. We must not gravitate towards one sector; we must work in all the areas of our spiritual life. We will work to defend our faith, but we will not ignore our own spiritual development. Just because I am active in the fight against the falsehood, I can't feel content that it is an indication that I am doing well spiritually.However, when some time passes, and we live many years in the faith, then this love may fade, and the result is a superficial form of worship. Our life enters the pattern of the daily routine. There is nothing worse than to reduce spiritual life to a routine and to keep going through the motions. Believe me, this routine is the death of the spiritual life.Now, if I can find something new in all this every day, then boredom in this daily routine will not become part of my life. Protect yourselves from this danger of the routine, because we can slip into the mode of superficial worship, and simply go through the motions. Woe to us if we left our first love, which is life itself, variety, interest, excitement—everything that the word life means.

A reading of the Life of St. Olga of Alaska, published by the Orthodox Church in America who glorified her as a saint in June 2025. St. Olga's life is very accessible to us who live in the world. She was a matushka and a mother of 13 children, always offering hospitality and whatever she could to those in need. Her quiet and sacrificial labors did not end when she reposed; many have found divine help when calling upon her for heavenly assistance. She is a great intercessor especially for midwives, pregnant women, couples hoping to conceive a child, abused women, and others suffering on earth. As St. Olga said in an appearance to a victim of sexual abuse, "God can create great beauty from complete desolation and nothingness."📖 The Life of St. Olga, published by the Orthodox Church in Americahttps://www.oca.org/saints/lives/2025/10/27/100561-righteous-mother-olga-of-kwethluktanqilria-arrsamquqwonderworker🎥 Uncovering of Saint Olga (Arrsamquq) of Alaska's holy relicshttps://youtu.be/2YwqgN0_VO0?si=W0c3aQS71jk2a3HN🎥 Glorification Liturgy of St. Olga in Kwethlukhttps://www.youtube.com/live/k0IJxQxOqyY?si=cM8wvwEroTMvB2j3📖 Akathist Hymn to St. Olga of Alaskahttps://arizonaorthodox.com/saints-north-america/matushka-olga-michael-kwethluk/akathist-matushka-olga-michael/🎧 Another version of her life, including a detailed miracle:https://youtu.be/2qSF1wCh95k⛪ FIND an Orthodox parish and monastery near you: https://orthodox-world.org/https://orthodoxyinamerica.org/_______Troparion:God has chosen a humble mother from Alaska to be an example for all the servants of God; he has given us Saint Olga as a helper in afflictions and as a guide to leading a life of sacrificial love. Therefore we entreat thee, O holy mother Olga: pray that we, thy sinful children, may be saved and rejoice with thee in the Kingdom of Heaven.Kontakion:Guided by the heavenly light and touched by Christ’s rich mercy, thy loving hands heal the wounds of those hurt in the past. Thy soft voice encourages all to remain faithful to God, for the eternal Lord will give the steadfast a crown of life. O holy mother Olga, visit us with love and reassure us, that we may accept whatever cross we must bear as chosen by the merciful God and that, through thy prayers, we do the will of God for the salvation of our souls._______Orthodox Wisdom is dedicated to sharing the writings and lives of the Saints of the Orthodox Church. Glory to Jesus Christ!

How should Orthodox Christians share their faith? As an Athonite who spent many years as a priest in a busy Greek city, St. Porphyrios points us in the right direction.A reading from "Wounded by Love" p. 186-188📖 Wounded by Love: The Life and the Wisdom of Elder Porphyrioshttps://www.holycross.org/products/wounded-by-love-the-life-and-the-wisdom-of-elder-porphyrios?srsltid=AfmBOoorE21YcZGUDow6RQlSnMJLerM851JSD-JP01Rl_2lvrmd0tO7n🎧 The Orthodox Spirit is the True One - St. Porphyrios of Kafsokalyviahttps://youtu.be/3JgzCGJtfDc🎧 Divine Eros: Insatiable Love For Christ - St. Porphyrioshttps://youtu.be/v2iwE1FVYm0📖 Healing the Soul: Saint Porphyrios as a Model for Our Lives by Elder Savvas Hagiorite. The St. John Chrysostom Monastery in Wisconsin publishes this book. Email them to ask how to obtain a copy:https://www.stchrysostomoscrafts.com/⛪ FIND an Orthodox parish and monastery near you:https://orthodox-world.org/https://orthodoxyinamerica.org/_______St. Porphyrios teaches:We should be zealots. A zealot is a person who loves Christ with all his soul and who serves his fellow men in Christ's name. Love for God and for our neighbour; they go together and cannot be divorced. Passion, yearning and tears along with contrition, not for a purpose, but all as an overflowing of the heart!Fanaticism has nothing to do with Christ. Be a true Christian. Then you won't leap to conclusions about anybody, but your love will cover all things. Even to a person of another religion you will always act as a Christian. That is to say, you will show respect for him in a gracious manner irrespective of his religion. You will care for a Muslim when he is in need, speak to him and keep company with him. There must be respect for the freedom of the other person. Just as Christ stands at the door and knocks and does not force an entry, but waits for the soul to accept Him freely on its own, so we should stand in the same way in relation to every soul.In our missionary endeavour we need to employ a very delicate manner so that people accept what we are offering, whether it be words, books or whatever, without reacting negatively. And something else: use few words. Words often provoke irritation. Prayer and living example find resonance. Living faith moves people, regenerates them and changes them, whereas words alone remain fruitless. The best form of mission is through our good example, our love and our meekness.Mastery of a subject is a great thing when it is combined with meekness, graciousness and love. This is true in all fields. When you have the relevant mastery of the subject, then speak. Otherwise, speak through your example.In debates, if you say a few words about religion you will prevail. Let the person who has a different opinion give free rein to his thoughts and speak as much as he likes... Let him sense that he is addressing himself to a calm and uncontentious person. Influence him through your graciousness and prayer and then speak briefly. You achieve nothing if you speak heatedly and tell him, for example, “What you're saying is untrue, a downright lie!” What will you achieve? Be as sheep among wolves. What should you do? Show indifference outwardly, but be praying inwardly. Be prepared, know what you are talking about and speak boldly and to the point, but with saintliness, meekness and prayer. But in order to be able to do this you must become saints._______Orthodox Wisdom is dedicated to sharing the writings and lives of the Saints of the Orthodox Church. Glory to Jesus Christ!

Many answers to this question are offered today. Here we have a detailed answer from a saintly bishop. His answer may leave the listener wanting more, but with patience and consideration, the wisdom contained therein shines brighter and brighter.📖 Read the text of this recording here:http://orthodoxinfo.com/inquirers/metphil_heterodox.aspx🎧 The Life of Metropolitan Philaret of New Yorkhttps://youtu.be/4rR4jJ_23RY📖 Living According to God’s Will by Met. Philarethttps://churchsupplies.jordanville.org/products/living-according-to-god-s-will📖 Metropolitan Philaret of New York: Zealous Confessor for the Faithhttps://uncutmountainpress.com/products/metropolitan-philaret-of-new-york-zealous-confessor-for-the-faith🎧 What is Orthodoxy? - Archbishop Averky of Jordanvillehttps://youtu.be/cOIy6YaV5po🎧 Life After Death - St. John Maximovitchhttps://youtu.be/PdW_p4CmF2A🎧 How Should We Treat the Non-Orthodox? Fr. Seraphim Rose Respondshttps://youtu.be/6b8MgXrudPs⛪ FIND an Orthodox parish and monastery near you: https://orthodox-world.org/https://orthodoxyinamerica.org/_______Metropolitan Philaret writes:It is necessary to mention only one thing: that to "lead a perfectly righteous life," as the questioner expressed it, means to live according to the commandments of the Beatitudes—which is beyond the power of one, outside the Orthodox Church, without the help of grace which is concealed within it.It is self evident, however, that sincere Christians who are Roman Catholics, or Lutherans, or members, of other non-Orthodox confessions, cannot be termed renegades or heretics—i.e. those who knowingly pervert the truth... (The Greek word for "heresy" is derived from the word for "choice" and hence inherently implies conscious, willful rejection or opposition to the Divine Truth manifest in the Orthodox Church). They have been born and raised and are living according to the creed which they have inherited, just as do the majority of you who are Orthodox; in their lives there has not been a moment of personal and conscious renunciation of Orthodoxy. The Lord, "Who will have all men to be saved" (I Tim. 2:4) and "Who enlightens every man born into the world" (Jn. 1.43), undoubtedly is leading them also towards salvation In His own way.With reference to the above question, it is particularly instructive to recall the answer once given to an inquirer by the Blessed Theophan the Recluse. The blessed one replied more or less thus: "You ask, will the heterodox be saved... Why do you worry about them? They have a Saviour Who desires the salvation of every human being. He will take care of them. You and I should not be burdened with such a concern. Study yourself and your own sins... I will tell you one thing, however: should you, being Orthodox and possessing the Truth in its fullness, betray Orthodoxy, and enter a different faith, you will lose your soul forever."We believe the foregoing answer by the saintly ascetic to be the best that can be given in this matter._______Orthodox Wisdom is dedicated to sharing the writings and lives of the Saints of the Orthodox Church. Glory to Jesus Christ!

From the publisher: In the 1790s, the brightest promises of the Enlightenment turned violent with the eruption of the French Revolution. Europe watched in shock as the French, intoxicated with promises of freedom, equality, and reason, sent their king — along with thousands of nobles, clergy, and commoners — to the guillotine. Legitimate fears that the revolution might destabilize the entire continent provoked a whirlwind of responses. Amid this upheaval, the Ecumenical Patriarchate, first confronted by undercover agents of republican ideology and later by Napoleon’s advancing armies, turned to one of its most renowned teachers, Saint Athanasios Parios, for a response.This reading is an excerpt from Chapter 6 of An Apology for Christianity by St. Athanasios Parios📖 Philokalic Library Volume 2: An Apology for Christianity by St. Athanasios Parioshttps://newromepress.com/philokalic-library-volume-2-an-apology-for-christianity?srsltid=AfmBOorC6pe_vWoFBjKuc44EYxDGo7SzKujPMSmMDP2KHttiXigp6qXg🎧 Introduction to the Philokalia - St. Nikodemos the Hagioritehttps://youtu.be/nH8--dllcbk⛪ FIND an Orthodox parish and monastery near you: https://orthodox-world.org/https://orthodoxyinamerica.org/_______St. Athanasios writes:In order for evil to be somehow restrained, it must certainly be countered by a fear of punishment from those in political authority. We read in Leviticus the command that anyone who blasphemes the true God ought to be led out of the camp and stoned by the synagogue (cf. Leviticus 24:16). It is of course absolutely true that the law of grace does not prescribe death today, although such measures may certainly be applied to their polluted writings, that is, they may be condemned, reviled, and burned, as the holy synods defined. Indeed, Holy Scripture affirms that both the impious individual and his impiety should be equally despised (cf. 2 Corinthians 6:14-18). But it does not seem that the writings of the godless Voltaire were dealt with in this way by the royal authority in France. Thus the aforementioned Don Clémence was right to complain in his introduction, pointing out that, if the severity of the royal laws had been applied to those works to the degree that they merit-ed, that is, if they had been consigned to the outer darkness, he would not have bothered to write against them. Certainly this ought to have been carried out by the king of France, since his title professes him to be "Most Christian." He should have sought out and destroyed the God-hating books of the godless Voltaire, which concern essentially no other subject, nor have any other purpose, than to prove the entirety of Holy Scripture to be a myth and a lie and our Lord Jesus Christ the Son of God to be a fraud._______Orthodox Wisdom is dedicated to sharing the writings and lives of the Saints of the Orthodox Church. Glory to Jesus Christ!