St. Paul of Kolomna - Russian Grapes
Russian Grapes by Andrei Denisov is a venerable text describing Russian saints. The following is a brief excerpt about St. Paul of Kolomna. (Translation by myself)
The leader of Christ's holy army of the 17th century came from the common people of Bezhe, the lowest of the low, but was the holy shepherd of Christ's flock, the guard defending generosity, the golden pipe of piety, the vessel chosen to be the Archbishop of Kolomna. This treasure of zeal, this undefeatable hardness, this lamp on a hill brighter than all.
The Nikonian church created books of treachery on the pulpit, ostensibly ancient, but containing novelties condemned by the ancients. Nikon seeked to be a shepherd alone, the great sovereign and hierarch of the Church. One boldly dissented: Paul of Kolomna, supreme in holiness, seeing the cloak of a sheep shrouding the wolf, Nikon, and proudly stating the ancient piety of the Church. The other hierarchs submitted and signed the innovations on the new books, for fear of being harmed.
But in time immemorial the voice of the Church has proclaimed: “If anyone removes or adds on to the Holy Traditions of the Church, let them be anathema.” This clearly marked Nikon's innovations as anathema. This perturbed Nikon, and he could not hold hostage. Archbishop Paul said, “Do not be ashamed of the priesthood. Do not be ashamed of the holiness of the grey-haired ancients of the Church. You are afraid of the ancient apostolic canons, and you erupt, showing your jealousy and tormenting of those who do not accept the new dogmas. It is adamant that we stand in ancient Church piety.”
Many of the bishops continued to offer exhortations and flattering words to Nikon, bowing before him.
Nikon offered new books, full of false corruption. Paul of Kolomna offered the simple truth of the Gospel, the apostolic teachings. Paul opposed a rebel who seeked to split the Church, he opposed the church book innovations and the new “three-finger” sign of the cross, and the new blessing.
Paul maintained the ancient pious two alleluias, the bows in fasting, and the two-finger sign of the cross. Archbishop Paul taught the ancient tradition of the Holy Catholic Church, the voice of the Holy Church Fathers passed up through Greece to Russia,
Paul taught that the ancient canons must be followed, and that the ancient canons have not been abolished.
Nikon offered new Greek books, which Paul opposed. Paul cursed the books printed in Latin countries, containing the cursed and thrice-anathematized filioque and baptism by pouring. He opposed the strange new sign of the cross, providing the proof of the ancient icons painted by the holy Evangelist Luke, where Christ blesses with two fingers.
With Paul's divinely inspired mouth, the schismatic Nikon was utterly mute, shamed by the holy Archbishop. He turned to anger, beating Paul. Be sent him to the dungeons, chaining him and sending him to Olonets in the north.
St. Paul of Kolomna made his final sacrifice, burned by the Nikonians in a house made of wood. The holy Paul offered to the Lord his Martyrdom, and is a kindly shepherd for all.
The Nikonian church created books of treachery on the pulpit, ostensibly ancient, but containing novelties condemned by the ancients. Nikon seeked to be a shepherd alone, the great sovereign and hierarch of the Church. One boldly dissented: Paul of Kolomna, supreme in holiness, seeing the cloak of a sheep shrouding the wolf, Nikon, and proudly stating the ancient piety of the Church. The other hierarchs submitted and signed the innovations on the new books, for fear of being harmed.
But in time immemorial the voice of the Church has proclaimed: “If anyone removes or adds on to the Holy Traditions of the Church, let them be anathema.” This clearly marked Nikon's innovations as anathema. This perturbed Nikon, and he could not hold hostage. Archbishop Paul said, “Do not be ashamed of the priesthood. Do not be ashamed of the holiness of the grey-haired ancients of the Church. You are afraid of the ancient apostolic canons, and you erupt, showing your jealousy and tormenting of those who do not accept the new dogmas. It is adamant that we stand in ancient Church piety.”
Many of the bishops continued to offer exhortations and flattering words to Nikon, bowing before him.
Nikon offered new books, full of false corruption. Paul of Kolomna offered the simple truth of the Gospel, the apostolic teachings. Paul opposed a rebel who seeked to split the Church, he opposed the church book innovations and the new “three-finger” sign of the cross, and the new blessing.
Paul maintained the ancient pious two alleluias, the bows in fasting, and the two-finger sign of the cross. Archbishop Paul taught the ancient tradition of the Holy Catholic Church, the voice of the Holy Church Fathers passed up through Greece to Russia,
Paul taught that the ancient canons must be followed, and that the ancient canons have not been abolished.
Nikon offered new Greek books, which Paul opposed. Paul cursed the books printed in Latin countries, containing the cursed and thrice-anathematized filioque and baptism by pouring. He opposed the strange new sign of the cross, providing the proof of the ancient icons painted by the holy Evangelist Luke, where Christ blesses with two fingers.
With Paul's divinely inspired mouth, the schismatic Nikon was utterly mute, shamed by the holy Archbishop. He turned to anger, beating Paul. Be sent him to the dungeons, chaining him and sending him to Olonets in the north.
St. Paul of Kolomna made his final sacrifice, burned by the Nikonians in a house made of wood. The holy Paul offered to the Lord his Martyrdom, and is a kindly shepherd for all.
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