NOTE: — 55 —

is—according to Grigor the Theologian—God the Father Almighty. Unto this witnesseth the holy Evangelist Yovhannēs: “Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God... and he that loveth not knoweth not God” (I Yovh. iv. 7, 8). Secondly, if thou desirest to know the incomparable greatness of love—whereby, saith Yovhan Oskiberan, the virtue of brotherly love is fashioned and established—hearken unto the holy Apostle Pōghos, who showeth the supreme, lofty greatness of love above the greatness of its yoke-fellows, faith and hope; for without love, faith is lifeless, and hope is without reward and unfruitful. Wherefore he writeth: “And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity” (I Korn. xiii. 13). “Hast thou seen,” saith Sargis Shnorhali, our holy Doctor [vardapet], “the unendurable greatness of love, that it was found to be more excellent than faith and hope? And what say I of ‘more excellent,’ seeing that without it all things are in vain, all things are idle and to no purpose—whether it be faith, whether prophecy, whether doctrine, whether almsgiving, or whether philanthropy, which is the head of all?” (In the *Commentary on the Catholic [Epistles]*, p. 718). Moreover, the law of love hath a most glorious and wondrous greatness, for it is the chief and first of all divinely ordained laws, and the fulfiller, perfecter, and container of the laws; according to that [saying]: “Love is the fulfilling of the law” (Hṛovm. xiii. 10; I Timot‘. i. 5). In what a lamentable and wretched condition, then, are the souls of such men distressed, whose minds, prompted by the evil satanic influence, convert brotherly love into turbulent hatred, and the splendid vision of unity into the most vile and abominable guise of discord! Whereby, in truth, not only do they become debtors unto the whole divine law, according to the holy Apostle Yakovbos (I Cathol. ii. 8–10), but they also entirely extinguish both the inner influences and the efficacious radiant splendors of [the Spirit's] manifold graces, acting contrary to the laws. Unto this the blessed Pōghos admonisheth: “Quench not the Spirit; despise not prophesyings; prove all things; hold fast that which is good; abstain from all appearance of evil” (I T‘esagh. v. 19, 21–22).