Letter 1139: Virtue must be practiced with all one's strength — not merely admired from a distance.
On reading, against the Greeks, and the grace of divinely inspired Scriptures, and how doctrine and teaching should be understood. Since, as you say, certain sources of controversy constantly agitate the soul with a whirlwind of false opinions, I have thought it necessary, O most learned man, to strengthen your resolve with the greatest care. Those who have been nurtured on secular and perennial rivers of learning should especially devote themselves to the study of the divinely inspired Scriptures, for these alone contain the pure and unadulterated truth. The Greek philosophers, for all their brilliance, groped in darkness, each constructing systems from his own reason and arriving at contradictory conclusions. But the Scriptures, being inspired by one Spirit, speak with one voice and lead to one truth. Read them therefore not as you would read philosophy — looking for clever arguments and rhetorical display — but as you would listen to God himself speaking, with humility and readiness to obey. For the purpose of Scripture is not to make you learned but to make you holy, not to satisfy your curiosity but to save your soul. And this is why I have written to you at such length, not because I take pleasure in admonition, but because the gravity of the situation demands nothing less than complete frankness. The physician who softens his diagnosis out of courtesy may please his patient for the moment, but he kills him in the end. I would rather offend you now with the truth than comfort you now with a lie that will destroy you later. For the wounds of a faithful friend are better than the kisses of an enemy, and the medicine that stings is better than the poison that soothes.
AI-assisted translation — This translation was produced with AI assistance and has not been peer-reviewed. See the 19th-century translation or original Latin/Greek below for scholarly use.
Latin / Greek Original
ε ἰδοιΐοπε, ἐοπίτα ὔτεος, σταίΐα αἰυϊπΐ εις ἰη- δρίταίαγιπι δογὶριμτγαγμπι, ἀοημα εἰ αἰδ ὁπ ἐ εαρὶίεπάα. Θυοηΐδπι, υἱ δἰοῦδ5, [ὉΠ168 5ΕΓΙΠΟΠ1Π 4υ : δηϊπηδπι ἱγγὶ ψαγὶ οὐυρίπίοη! ἰαθείδείυηι : [ ἰδὲ, Υἷν ογυἀ ἰδδί , δυδβοῦὶπὶ υἱ πιΑχὶ ΠΊ6 ΓΟΒΟΓΆΓΟ 5ῖι- ἀ615, 4υἱ οἰν ἰθὺ δὲ ρογοηηΐθυβ Ππυδηι8 ργα αὶ δυῃΐ ; ΠΟ δυίθηι 4υὶ ἰγγὶφαιϊΐοηα δἰ ἀ6 Δορογ- δ'1ἴα ἰπάϊμοηί. )ολη. χυ, , : Τί. , . ΣΚΙ'. --- ΑΛΥΜΗ͂ΙΩ () ΣΧΟΛΑΣΤΙΚΩ. Περὶ ἀγαγγώσεως, κατὰ ᾿Ἐ11λήνων, περὶ τῆς χάριτος τῶν θεοπνεύστων Γραφῶν, καὶ τῆς ἐξ αὑτῶν ὠφεκλείας. Ἐπειδὴ, ὡς ἔφης, πηγαὶ λόγων ἡσυχάζουσαι ψυχὴν ἐθέλουσαν ἀρδεύεσθαι μαραίνουσιν’ ἐχείνας, ἐλλογιμώτατε, μάλιστα ἀναμοχλεύειν σοι παραινῶ, τὰς πλουσίοις χαὶ ἀεννάοις νάμασι χομώσας, χαὶ μὴ τὰς ἀρδείας ἑτέρωθεν δεομένας. ΥΑΠΙΡ ΚΕΟΤΙΟΝΕΒ ΕΤ ΝΟΤΕ. () Ἰηϊοῦ ει σώφρων ἰάδη) ἰηδογὶ1 ὁ. ῬΟΒ5ΙΝ. () Καὶ ὑπὸ φθ. ὑπ. ἀδαγαπηὶ ἰμ δὰ. Ραγὶβ. οἱ αἱ- ἀυπίιν ὁχ οοὐΐςα γαιίοδπο. Εριτ. () Εἰρήνην κατὰ πάντων τῶν ἐπικαῖ. Ἀρπὰ Ρουΐϊυπὶ οὐνἰτ πάντων, Τίμν. νι. . Βδοία τ8- Ἰηθη βίο γῸ δι άϊμιγ, χυΐα ἱμ οἰ οἷ φαιΐμο!]εὶ θηϊγοΓϑΆΪ . Πιττ. () Τὴν εὐσέδειαν ἀσπάζειν... τὴν" σωξροσύγνην. ᾿υῶ Ὀγβεθάιηϊ σωφροσύνην, ποθη : ἰῃ π . : 5εἰὶ : ροϑιυ !δη6 56η51, υἱ ἰ δβϑοὶ Ὀγϑ οί γι ἸΙοουβ, φιὶ νἀθθδίιΡ δἷμδ ἰ"ἷ8 πηι . [. () ᾿Αἱλυμπίῳ. Ε΄. ᾿Αλυπίῳ, νεὶ ᾿ὑλυμπίω, δὰ αδ φιοᾳῦθ βεγὶ μὲ ς᾽ ἀογυ8. . --- ᾿τγ'- ΠΟ] δείυγδη ἰοτδὶ οοἀ. . 5ογ " ἢ ᾿Αλυ» πίῳ. ἔριτ. ἘΡΙΘΤΟΙΑΆΠΜ ΓΒ. Γ. -- ΕΡΙ͂ΘΤ. ΟΟΧΧΊΥ, ΣΚΡΒ,. Α - σχχιγ. ΜΗ. τὸ, ε« ᾿Εγὼ ὃ Θεὸς ᾿Αδραὰμ, καὶ Ἰσαὰχ, καὶ [ ἡ μώ4 : « Εσο δμιπι ἤεμδ Αὐταῆαπι, οἱ εαας, οἰ ᾿͵αχώδ" ν καὶ εἰς τό" ε Ὑπερασπιῶ τῆς πό- αοοῦ . ν Μὲ ἐπ ι4 ; « Ῥτοίέεσαηι πτϑοπι ἤαης δεως ταύτης διὰ Δαδὶδ, τοῦ σῶσαι αὑτήν. » Ῥτορίεν δϑαυϊάοηι, εἰ δογύόηι ὀαηι , Ὀινίπα φυδάδηι Γ68 Υἱγίι8, Ο θϑδίθ, οἱ ἂζν : Ἔ διϑία, οἱ (εἰΐχ, οἵ ἱπηηηογι8 , οἱ ἃ οηήνίοια ., . ὅ, , ᾿πβυρογαθῖ!. Νάπι οἱ δριιὰ ποπιίπος οϑἰθυγαιατ, εἰ . σός. Θεῖόν ἐστι χρῆμα ἡ ἀρετὴ, ὦ μαχάριε, καὶ θεοφι- λὲς, καὶ μαχάριον, καὶ ἀθάνατον, χαὶ ὑπὸ λήθης μὴ ἡττώμενον. ᾿Αοίδιμος μὲν γάρ ἐστι παρὰ ἀνθρώποις, "παρὰ δὲ Θεῷ ἀείμνηστος, τῷ ποτὲ μὲν φράζοντι" « Ἐτὼ ὁ Θεὸς ᾿Αδραὰμ,, καὶ Ἰσαὰχ, χαὶ Ἰαχώδ᾽" κοτὲ δὲ, « Ὑπερασπιῶ τῆς πόλεως ταύτης τοῦ σῶσαι αὐτὴν, διὰ Δαδὶδ τὸν παῖδά μου. » ἘῤΠΛς τοσοῦτον ἥχουσι τῷ Θεῷ φροντίδος τε χαὶ τιμῆς, χαὶ τελευ- τήσαντες, οἷς ἀρετὴ περισπούδαστον. Εἰ δὲ ἐνταῦθα οὕτως αὐτοὺς ἀναχηρύττει, ποίαις οὐχ ἀμείψεται αὑτοὺς ἐχεῖσε δωρεαῖς: ΣΚΓΙ’, --- ΠΡΩΝῚ ). Θυμὸς καὶ ὀργὴ δοχεῖ () μὲν ἕν τι εἶναι καὶ τὸ αὐτὸ τάχα " ἀλλ᾽ ὁ μὲν μηνύει τὴν ὀξεῖαν τοῦ πάθους χίνησιν, τὴν καὶ τὰς ἐννοίαφ᾽ χλέπτουσαν " ἧ δὲ τὴν χρονίαν ἐν τῷ πάθει διατριθήν. Διὸ χαὶ ὁ μὲν παρὰ τὴν ἀναθυμίασιν εἴρηται" ὁ δὲ παρὰ τὸ ὀργᾷν, καὶ ἀμύνης ἐρᾷν. δρυὰ Ὠουπὶ Πρ ἜΓπᾶ τῃοπιοῦΐα οοηβόγνδίυνγ, αυὶ ᾳυΐ δπιὶ αἷὶ : ε ἔφο δυ) θ6 ΑὈγαζιδη), οἱ ἴ5ς246, οἱ ; » γαγὸ : « Ῥγοίοφαπι ὉΓ ) 6Π) Ἰδης πἴ οΔπὶ βΒαῦνοπ), ργορίον αν θ πὶ ΒΟΓΨΏΠῚ θυ.» Τδηϊῶ ουτγῷ δυηΐ Ὠθο0, οἱ ἴῃ ἰΔη10 ΠΑ ΘηΙϊΌΓ ρα ἰρβυτὴ Ἰιοηοτα οἰΐδη νὴ Ππηοιἰ, 4υ νἱγίυ- εἰς 5ιιἀΐππὶ οοτγὰϊ . Οιοι] δὶ ἴδηι ργαςσοπίο ἴη ἰιᾶς νι ογηδῖ, ὺ8 ΠΟ ΠιΝΓΙ οοδύσηι ἴῃ ἴυϊυτα νἱῖα ργοβθαυοίυν ΟΟΧΧΊΙΠ. --- ΠΕΒΟΝΥ͂Ι. Θυμὸς (ος ὀχοδηἀθβοθη ) οἱ ὀργὴ ([ιο6 65ὶ ᾽γα) ν᾽ θδίιγ φυϊθθιη ΓΙΟγϑᾶῆ υηὰ διἠΘηΊη1: ΓΘ : ργὶυ ποιηθη ἰπάϊοδὶ οο᾽ροῖ οοιῃπιοι ἤδη δἴ- [6οἰ08, αυῷ οἱ οορίίατοποβ Ποπιΐηΐ Ππγαῖ δηϊουογι . ΑἸΙόγιν Ὑ6ΓῸ εὐ! γῆδπ ἰη 6ὸ ἀδδθαίιι ΘΟΠΙΠΟΓΔΙΪΟΠΘ ἢ δΣὺὸ ῥδγβού γα απ δἰψηῇοδῖ, Ουδηοῦγοη οἰΐδπὶ θυμὸς ἀϊσίυς αοιἱ ἀναθυμίασιν Δὐὐυποίδην ΠΑΡοΔΙ, ᾽ος οδὶ οδγυθβοθι [ ὁ ὀργὴ αὐυΐθαι ἃ Υ6γΓ00 ὀργᾷν, ηυοι! τυγρίϑι) , οἱ οὐ υἱη οί ουρ᾽ ἀΠ δῖοι. ΣΚΔ'. --- ΡΑΚΛΕΙ͂Ω (). Ἑὶς τό" ε Λύχοι καὶ ἄργες ἅμα βοσκηθήσονται. ν Λίαν θαυμάζω, πῶς τὸ μὲν χλέος τῶν συγγρα μ- μάτων, ὧν ἀπολέλοιπεν ὁ πάνσοφος Ἰωάννης (ὃ), σΟΧΧΙΥ. -- ΠΕΒΑΟΘΠΟ. 1η : « ρὶ εἰ ἀσπὶ δἰπιαί ραδοσηῖαν ", ν γεδοιηθηῖοῦ ΠῊΪΓΟΥ, 4υἱ [Δοίυηϊ , οὐπὶ φἰοΥία Βογίρίογιηη), 4υ: ]Π Φοδηηθὰ μοϑὶ κανταχόσε φοιτησάντων (), ἄχρι τῆς γῆς καὶ θαλάτ- Οἱ γε! χυΐ!, ραβδίπΊ ἰἀγγάγαπι εἰβρογβογυπι, υδαιο διὶ τῆς τερμάτων ἔφθασεν, τῆς δὲ σῆς () οὐ καθήψατο ἀμαθίας. Θαυμάζων δὲ οὐκ ἐχεῖνον αἰτιῶμαι, ἀλλὰ τὴν σὴν μέμφομαι ἀνυπέρδλητον ῥᾳθυμίαν, τ
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