NOTE: - 20 -

... to carnal pleasures and the inclination of their own wills, contrary to the Council of the holy Apostles (Acts 15). And by this, they accepted one part of the writings of the Apostle Pōghos [Paul] to the church of the Kornt‘ats‘ik‘ [Corinthians], and one part they did not accept: "All things are lawful unto me," they accepted by a perverted interpretation; "but all things are not expedient" (1 Cor. 6:12), they did not accept, following their own stubborn errors. Whence they insolently said: "We are far removed from the church of the Kornt‘ats‘ik‘, for our religion differs from theirs." In like manner also these [men], prompted by that evil spirit, having become utterly foolish in their minds and in their thoughts, write: "Our orthodox religion differs in this from the Ējmiatsnakan [Etchmiadzin] Armenians." O, what madness of theirs! Could it be that these individuals—feigning to be Lusaworch‘akan [Illuminator-following/Armenian Apostolic] Armenians—blindly estranging the holy religion of the Christian faith from the limits of the divinely-inspired Holy Scriptures and from the paths of the sound doctrines of our God-bearing Holy Fathers, have philosophically subjected [it] to geographical examination, and physically comparing the accidental [properties] of one region of the world with the differences of another region of the world, have found similar differences within our Christian religion? As, for example, geographical examination knows [how] to define the Eastern climate as in every way incomparable and different from the climate of the West, and likewise the Northern from the Southern climate. It appears, then, that they have imagined some such difference in their delirious minds, by a most erroneous enterprise, defining religion according to this: "That our orthodox religion differs in this from the Ējmiatsnakan Armenians." If the irregular comparison of the authors of that same blameworthy writing be not after this manner, from whence then do they find and contrive that difference? It appears that they have not paid heed to the Holy Scriptures, wherein it is related that in the days of the holy Apostles, the believers were established in the true religion of the Christ-founded faith, as it is written in many places: "P‘ilippos [Philip] opened his mouth, and began at the same Scripture, and preached unto him Yisus K‘ristos [Jesus Christ]"; and that "These were more noble than those in T‘esaghonikē [Thessalonica], in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the Scriptures daily..."