"Andforwhatreasoncanthishavehappened," someofthemonkssaid, atfirstwithashowofregret; "hehadasmallframeandhisfleshwasdrieduponhisbones, whatwastheretodecay?"
"Itmustbeasignfromheaven," othershastenedtoadd, , too, thatifthedecompositionhadbeennatural, asinthecaseofeverydeadsinner, itwouldhavebeenapparentlater, afteralapseofatleasttwenty-fourhours, butthisprematurecorruption "wasinexcessofnature," .
GentleFatherIosif, thelibrarian, agreatfavoriteofthedeadman's, triedtoreplytosomeoftheevilspeakersthat "thisisnotheldeverywherealike," andthattheincorruptibilityofthebodiesofthejustwasnotadogmaoftheOrthodoxChurch, butonlyanopinion, andthateveninthemostOrthodoxregions, atAthosforinstance, theywerenotgreatlyconfoundedbythesmellofcorruption, andtherethechiefsignoftheglorificationofthesavedwasnotbodilyincorruptibility, butthecoloroftheboneswhenthebodieshavelainmanyyearsintheearthandhavedecayedinit."Andifthebonesareyellowaswax, thatisthegreatsignthattheLordhasglorifiedthedeadsaint, iftheyarenotyellowbutblack, itshowsthatGodhasnotdeemedhimworthyofsuchglory—thatisthebeliefinAthos, agreatplace, wheretheOrthodoxdoctrinehasbeenpreservedfromofold, unbrokenandinitsgreatestpurity," saidFatherIosifinconclusion.
ButthemeekFather'swordshadlittleeffectandevenprovokedamockingretort."That'sallpedantryandinnovation, nouselisteningtoit," themonksdecided."Westicktotheolddoctrine, thereareallsortsofinnovationsnowadays, arewetofollowthemall?" addedothers.
", ," themostsneeringadded.
