Letter 1140: God's judgment is certain, and no amount of cleverness or delay can avoid it.
That those who shine by the correctness of their doctrines must also have a life that keeps pace with their teaching. If we conquer heretics, Greeks, and Jews through the correctness of our doctrines, we should justly conquer them also in our works, lest, being defeated in that arena, they suppose they conquer in this. For he who teaches rightly but lives wrongly provides his opponents with a powerful weapon. They will say: If your doctrine is true, why does it not produce better lives? And if your lives are no better than ours, what advantage does your doctrine give you? The teacher's life is therefore the strongest argument for the truth of his teaching, and the most persuasive refutation of error. Words persuade, but examples compel. A doctrine that is contradicted by the teacher's conduct is worse than no doctrine at all, for it brings the truth itself into disrepute. Let our lives therefore be our primary apologetic, and our works our most eloquent sermons, so that even those who reject our words may be won by the silent testimony of our conduct. Consider how the great men of Scripture handled similar situations. Moses, confronted with the rebellion of Korah, did not seek compromise but judgment. Elijah, faced with the priests of Baal, did not propose dialogue but a contest of truth. Paul, dealing with the Corinthian disorders, did not mince words but spoke with apostolic authority. These examples teach us that there are times when gentleness is cruelty and severity is the highest form of love. This is such a time, and I pray that you will receive my words in the spirit in which they are offered.
AI-assisted translation — This translation was produced with AI assistance and has not been peer-reviewed.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
“Ὅτι χρη τοὺς τῇ ὀρθότητι τῶν δογμάτων Δάμπον- τας, καὶ τὸν βίον ἔχειν τῷ 1όγῳ συγτρέ- χοντα (). Εἰ νιχῶμεν αἱρετιχοὺς, Ἕλληνάς τε καὶ Ἰουδαίους διὰ τὴν τῶν δογμάτων ὀρθότητα, δίκαιοι ἂν εἴημεν χαὶ ἐν τοῖς ἔργοις αὐτοὺς νιχῇσαι (), ἵνα μὴ ἧτ- τώμενοι ἐν ἐχείνῳ, ἐν τούτῳ νιχᾷν νομίσωσι, μηδὲ πιροφέρωσιν ἡμῖν τὸν βίον, οἱ τὴν πίστιν ἀρνησάμε- νοι" μηδὲ λέγειν ἔχοιεν, Οἱ περὶ τὰ δῆλα πταίοντες, πῶς ἀξιοῦτε πιστεύεσθαι () περὶ τῶν ἀδήλων ; Ἐὶ γὰρ καὶ προηγούμενόν ἐστι χαὶ χεφαλαιωδέστερον ἢ εὐσόδεια, ἀλλ᾽ οὖν γε χρείαν ἔχει χαὶ τῆς ὀρθῆς πολιτείας, ἵνα τελειοτάτη χαὶ ἀχροτάτη ἡ εὐδοχίμη- σις ἀποφανθείη. Καὶ τούτοις ἐπιψηφίζεται ἡ θεία ἘΡΙΘΤΟΙΑΆΓΜΝ .. 1Υ]΄ -- ἘΡΙΞΤ. ΟΟΧΧΥΠΙ. ΟΟΧΧΥ͂Ι. --- ΡΑΌΠΟ. Ορογνίογε οος, σιιὶ τοοία βά6 ἀοηπιαίιηι [μἰδθηΐ, υἱίαηι φιοηιιο υετῦο εὐπδοπίαποαπι ᾿αθογε. νἱποίην5 γι , 6ἱ ρδβδηοβ, οἱ δυάδροθ ἀοβπιλίιπι γϑοιτυἀη6, δαύυνν (ἀδγὶ1 Θοβϑάθιη αἰἰαπὶ Θρογίθιυ5 νἰποογο, π6 ἴῃ ἴ υἱοιΐ, ἰῇ ἤο ΥἱΠΟΟΓΟ δυδιγοπίαρ, ποαυ6 υἱίλπὶ πουῖς ρτοίογαηι, 4ιΐ Πάδιν δυηοξαγυηΐῖ, πόαιο ΟὨ] οδγα ροβδὶπὶ αυδά!πι : γο08 4υἱ οἰγα 4υ: πιληϊίδϑια σπηὶ ἢ) υοἱ ηδηιἰ ηΐ, ηι ἃ ἴγοηῖθ ροϑἔιαι 4αυζῷ οὐοια δί4υθ υδδουτὰ διηῖ, τοῦΐθ Πάοπι Παδοτὶ; .. Ουδη- 8Π ΘΠΪΠῚ ὈΥΪΠΟΘΡ5 Δί406 ργροίρυδ ρἰαί88, ἰἃ- θη Ορυϑβ αἱ δἰἰδῆ) Γθοία ρΓΟ νἱία, υἱ - ᾿ἰατ85᾽ πὴἃ δυπηπι8 5ἰζ αι ϊβ ροτγίθοιο. ΑΙ4ι6 ἢἷβ Γραφὴ, φάσχουσα" ε« Ἡ πίστις χωρὶς τῶν ἔργων Β χυξ ἀϊχὶ δ8ι] ρυ]λίυν αυσηῃα οἰνίηα ϑεγίρίυγα, οὐπὶ γεχρά ἔστι. » Παντὶ τοίνυν σθένει εἰς τὴν τῆς πολι- «εἰας ἀχρίδειαν ἑαυτοὺς συνελάσωμεν, ἵνα χατὰ φάντα νιχῶντες, χαὶ σιγῶντες τοὺς ἀντιπάληυς λέ- γεῖν () τολμῶντας ἐπιστομίσωμεν. ΣΚΖ'. --- ΕΡΜΙΝΩ ΚΟΜΗΤΙ (). Εἰς τὸ, « Προσέχετε τὴν ἐλεημοσύνην ὑμῶν μὴ ποιεῖν ἔμπροσθεν τῶν ἀγθρώπων εἰς τὸ θεαθῆ- Ἐπειδῇ γέγραφας, Πῶς οἷόν τε μὴ φανῆναι τὸν ἐλεήμονα ; φημὶ, ὅτι τὴν γνώμην νυνὶ ἐξετάζει τοῦ ἐλεοῦντος. Ἐπειδὴ γὰρ οἷς τις ἀρέσχειν θέλει, παρὰ τούτων θηρᾶται τὸν ἔπαινον " ὁ δὲ Θεῷ ἀρέσαι βου- λόμενος, παρ᾽ αὐτοῦ κομίσασθαι βούλεται τὸν ἔπαι- νον, τοῦτ᾽ ἔφη. Οὐ γὰρ ὁ θεαθεὶς πάντως πρὸς τὸ θεαθῆναι ποιεῖ, ἀλλ᾽ ὁ θεωρεῖσθαι βουλόμενος, χαὶ διὰ τοῦτο δημοσιεύων τὸ μυστήριον. Εἰ γὰρ χαὶ τὸ πρᾶγμα οὖκ ἀνέχεται χρύπτεσθαι, ἀλλ᾽ ὁ ἐλεῶν οὐχ ὀφείλει ἐπιδείχνυσθαι" ὁ γὰρ τοῦτο δρῶν, χαὶ τοὺς λαμδάνοντας ἐκπομπεύει, καὶ ἑαυτοῦ τὸν μισθὸν χαὶ τὸν ἔπαινον κηρύττει. πῃ ἀοδοῖ ο4πι Οπἰοηῖλγο. Νὴ αἰ ἢοα λοι, οἱ πιοτοοιίίοσι οἱ ἰδυάθπι ἐθυσοϊηδί. ΣΚΗ’. --- ΠΑΛΛΑΔΙῺ ἈΝΑΓΝΩΣΤΗ. Περὶ τῶν παραδειγμάτων, δι᾽ ὧν ὁ σοφὸς πολυει- δῶς προσωποποιδὶ τὴν σορίαν. Ἐπειδὴ ἔφης, Δι᾽ ἣν αἰτίαν τὰ παραδείγματα οὐχ ὅπαντα () λαμθάνεται ; φαίην, ἵνα ἢ παραδείγματα, χαὶ μὴ ταντότης εἴη. Καὶ ἀφέμενος τὸ λεγόμενον . )λς. νι, . Μδιι . τι, . δἷϊ : « ΕἸά68 δῦβ4ι. Ορουϊθυ8 πιογίυϑ , » Ουδγο οπιηΐ Υἱ δά δοειγαῖδπὶ Γοοῖθ υἱνϑηἋϊ Γαι οη πὴ Π05- ΤΠ : [Δ οἰ ΑΠΊ08, υἱ ( Ρ6Υ Οππηΐᾶ νἱησοη6 , φυοᾷυς δάνουθαγίο8β οὈοαυῦὶΐ πορὶβ αἰ4υθ ) - Βίγορεια διιάδηῖαβ γοίυ π Γαι ππἀδπιυβ. σΟΧΧΥ͂ΙΙ. --- ΠΕΆΜΙΝΟ ΟΟΝΙΤΤΙ. . ἡ ππι4, « Αἰοπαΐίε, πὸ εἰοθηϊιοδῃπαπι υοϑίταηι [ἀ- εἰπιὶς οογαηιὶ ἐοπιϊπὶθμας, αὐ ἦος, πὶ σοπϑρὶτὶα- Ουσοηΐδπὶ ΡΘΓ ᾿ἰπ6γᾺ5 αὐυϑοοὶ ν δι! : Ουΐ Πατγὶ ρΟΒΒΊ1, οἰ ] ΘἰΘΟΙΠΟΞΥΠ8η) ὀσθγοθῖ, Π0ὴ ΘΟ ϑρ οἰΔίυΓ, , (γί βίαπι πὶ πὶ πὶ ργοροβίιαπι Ἔχϑπηΐπαῦα οἦυδ φυὶ Του σογΐἷα υἱἱίυγ. Νδηι αὐἷλ . , φυΐθυϑ 4υ - ρίδοογα δἰυάοῖ, ἰἸλυάδπη γὙϑηδίυ : γ τὺ θ]- ΟΟΥῸ σΟΠΔΙΙΓ Ὠδ6Ο, 'ρ80 ΓΟροΓίϑΓα τοῦ! ἰδυάοτῃ, ἰάεἶγοο μος ἀΐχ!ί, Νοη δηΐ) οπηπίπο 4υΐ οοηδρὶ- εἶταν, ἰά60 πη βου οογ ορυβ [Δεῖ υἱ σοηβρί οἰ (, ἰφ ἀδπηυηη, 4υἱ Δά ἰὰ ὁρογϑ ἀδί, υἱ νἱάδϑιιγ, δὲ οὗ πος ἰρϑυπὶ ΟΥ̓ ΔΓΟΆΠΠΠπι, ΤΟᾺ ροίΐυ5 ἰΟζ6Γα δίᾳυδ οσου! γα ἀθθοθαῖ. υἱ Θηἶπὶ Γ65 ἰρ84 ποραὶ οσουατί, ἰϑίηθη 'ρ56 πιἰϑογ οὐγαΔη] ὀχογοσί, δοασϊρίοηιοβ οἰθοηηϑγηδπὶ ἰγαιϊαο! , οἱ ϑυδηη ἰρβ8ἰ03 ΘσΟΧΧΥ͂ΠΙ. --- ΡΑΠΓΑΌΙΌ ΓΨΕΟΤΟΗΙ. ἴε επεηιρίϊ6 φιείΐϑειδ ξαρίεης υατὶα αὐ πιμἐἰ [ΟΥΉλ γεργαεεηιαὶ δαρὶεπιϊαπι. Ουοπίδπι ροΓ δορί β(ο᾽ πὶ αὐ 8ἰ νἱϑι , ΔΘ Ἔχοπιρία Ὁ ποη Ρ6Γ οπιπΐα οϑρίδηιΓ οἱ . ΓΟΠ) ΠΓΟρΟΒὶ (Δ Π “ οσπιηπιοιίδηϊιγ, ΓΟΒροπθο, υἱ 'πὶ Ἵχοηρὶδ, οἱ ποη ΥΑΒΙΑΣ ΠΕΟΤΙΌΝΕΒ ΕἸ ΝΟΊ Ὁ. () Οοηἴοῦ ορίϑι. οἱ βιιργα ἢν :, Π10 Ὁ] π6 ποι! αρίϑοι. . ἴλτττ. () Οοἠ. λι. νιχῆσαι πηδιὶ ἴῃ νιχᾷν. ῬΟΘΞΙΝ.
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