Kallistos I, Life of Theodosius of Tarnov, 21

Kallistos I, Life of Theodosius of Tarnov, 21

Written by Kallistos I, Patriarch of Constantinople, in the middle of the fourteenth century. Excerpt details Theodosius admonishing some Messalians (Bogomils? or some other dualists) Lazarus, Cyril & Stephen in some council in Tarnov. English translation made from the fifteenth-century Bulgarian version of Vladislav the Grammarian.

Source: Petkov, Kiril. The voices of medieval Bulgaria, seventh-fifteenth century: the records of a bygone culture. Brill, 2008. p. 300.

What demon taught you to trample on the holy icons, the lifegiving cross, and the other holy vessels, and even more daringly and without fear touch the holy misteries as if [these were] simple bread, and pollute the Christian food and drink and when admonished, swear without shame and fear with all kinds of oaths? This is why you are truly foes of the law, criminals against the Gospels, enemies of the faith, seducers, deceivers, oath-breakers, liars, and you swear without shame and take oaths. God said this: “I am telling you not to swear, etc.” But when you are denounced as heretics you are seized by fear; you condemn the Mesalian religion as evil and curse it, seeking to justify yourself with terrifying pledges and believe you are not in sin. Yet, at the slightest sign of respite you return to your blasphemous faith as dogs to their vomit!”