Letter 141: Just as it is not his cloak and staff that show a man to be a philosopher, but his boldness of speech and his way of...

To Paulidus. On why the Law ordered that lepers, or others suffering from involuntary diseases, be kept outside the sacred precincts. It is likely that the bad constitution of bodies and the loathsome diseases come to many from the incontinence of their parents; not, however, that incontinence comes in every case from a bad constitution. For whether lepers beget lepers, and a man with a discharge begets one with a discharge, I cannot say with precision; but that a man afflicted with gout begets one afflicted with gout, all would agree. To the Lawgiver, then, as I think (for one ought not to make pronouncements about things that are unclear, but to leave the judgment to those who will hear), the concern was about incontinence -- that they should not come together at every season, since the harm would be transmitted to the offspring born of them. And that this is not wide of the mark, here is the proof: that the gouty were not barred from the sacred precincts. For those who suffered this affliction from the beginning got it not from a bad constitution but from a wicked manner of living -- from luxury, softness, and idleness -- on account of which they were also punished through the very affliction; whereas those born from them were not prevented from sharing in the sacred assemblies. For they became, of necessity, heirs of the bad constitution, but not of the incontinence, of their parents. But those who had wiped off upon their bodies the licentiousness of their parents were not indeed put to death (for he did not command that they be stoned, since the affliction was involuntary), yet they were dishonored, for the chastening of those who begot them. And if anyone supposes that this was not reasonably laid down as law, what would he say about death -- that, when one woman sinned (I mean Eve), the whole race was condemned to death, even though many proved themselves of good repute and did not follow the failings of their forebears? But if there, when the root had died, the branches too necessarily shared in the affliction (as the sentence must be understood), what wonder is it if here too the branch was dishonored on account of the root, necessarily passing the affliction back to the root as well? For when the branch is dishonored, the pain to the root is no less. For the mother who prays to see her branch excellent, when she perceives that from the very same licentiousness the affliction has passed over to him, will here be tormented by her own reckonings, and there also at the Judgment. And whether God, foreknowing that they would prove wicked, restrained them beforehand with these bonds and bridled them with these afflictions, I cannot say with precision; but that these diseases have also been to many an occasion of crowns, I would confidently maintain. And if the Law had a shadow of the good things to come, I think that under the figure of the leper he willed the man who is variable, mischievous, and a worker of evil; under the figure of the man with a discharge, the fornicator and the licentious; under the figure of the one unclean through a human soul -- that is, through one who has touched a dead body -- the man who acts together with and assists a sinning soul; and under the figure of the mourner, the man who is grieving and given to lamentation over his misfortunes -- [each of these] he willed to be cast out from the sacred assembly of the blameless and from the Church. [At this point the manuscript repeats the foregoing in a Latin-letter transliteration, which renders the same argument: "... to bring upon these evils; concerning this I have nothing certain. Yet that these diseases have been to many the causes or occasions of crowns [I would maintain]. And if the Law (as Paul testifies) had a shadow of the good things to come, and not the very image of the things themselves, I think that under the person of the leper is signified the man who is variable, crafty, and a worker of evil; through the man with a seminal discharge, the whoremonger and the impure; through the man unclean in respect of a human soul -- that is, through him who has touched a dead body -- the man who aids and abets a sinning soul with his help and assistance; and finally through the mourner, the man who is anxious and tearful over his own calamities -- [each of these] he commanded to be banished from the holy assembly of the blameless and to be driven out from the Church."] [The following manuscript notes record textual variants: for tekmerion ("proof") the same Vatican codex writes te-kepriori (Possinus). For etimothe ("was dishonored") the same writer alters it to etimorethe ("was punished"). For pollois ("to many") he again puts pollakis ("often"), and three lines further down inserts ten before auten.] [An appended passage on the generation of the Word:] The timeless and everlasting and unmediated procession of Christ from the Father -- a procession higher than all speech and mind -- the Scriptures call a "begetting," not in order to sketch any passion [in God], but in order to establish the consubstantiality. For things begotten are in truth consubstantial with those who beget them. But that no later origin might be supposed, they say, "In the beginning was the Word." Then they also proclaim his relation to the Father: "and the Word was with God." Then also his dignity: "and the Word was God." From the title "Son" comes the consubstantiality; from the title "Word" comes impassibility; from his being "in the beginning" comes his co-eternity; from his being "with God" comes his intimacy with the Father; and through his being "God" we learn fully his dignity -- and, dismissing from each name the unfitting notion that attaches to it (as, from "Son," the notion of being later; from "Word," the notion of being without subsistence), let us know and worship him as God everlasting, consubstantial, who proceeded from the Father without passion and without time.

Διὰ τί ὁ νόμος τοὺς λεπρῶντας ἢ ἑτέρους νοσήματα ἀκούσια νοσοῦντας ἔξω εἶναι τῶν ἱερῶν περιβόλων προσέταξεν. Τὴν μὲν δυσκρασίαν τῶν σωμάτων, καὶ τὰ εἰδεχθῆ νοσήματα ἀπὸ ἀκρασίας τῶν γονέων πολλοῖς (51) συμβαίνειν εἰκός· οὐ μὴν τὴν ἀκρασίαν πάντως ἀπὸ δυσκρασίας (εἰ μὲν γὰρ λεπροὺς λεπρῶν τίκτει, καὶ γονορρύης γονορρύην, ἀκριβῶς οὐκ ἔχω λέγειν· ὅτι δὲ ποδαλγὸς ποδαλγὸν τίκτει πάντες ἂν συμφήσαιεν)· τῷ μὲν οὖν νομοθέτῃ, ὡς οἶμαι (οὐ γὰρ χρὴ ἀποφαί- νεοθαι περὶ τῶν ἀδήλων, ἀλλὰ τοῖς ἀκουσομένοις ἐπιτρέπειν τὴν κρίσιν). περὶ τῆς ἀκρασίας ἦν ὁ λόγος, ὅπως μὴ ἐν παντὶ καιρῷ συνέρχοιντο, ὡς τῆς βλάβης εἰς τὰ ἐξ αὐτῶν τεχθησόμενα διαδησομένης. Ὅτι δὲ οὐκ ἔστι τοῦτο ἀπὸ σκοποῦ, τεκμήριον (52), τὸ τοὺς ποδαγροὺς ἱερῶν περιβολων μὴ εἰρχθῆναι. Οἱ μὲν γὰρ ἐξ ἀρχῆς τοῦτο νοσήσαντες τὸ πάθος, οὐκ ἀπὸ δυσκρασίας, ἀλλ᾽ ἀπὸ πονηρᾶς διαίτης, καὶ τρυφῆς, καὶ βλακείας, καὶ ἀργίας τοῦτ᾽ ἐσχήκασι· δι᾽ ἃ καὶ δι᾽ αὐτοῦ ἐκολάσθησαν· οἱ δ᾽ ἐξ αὐτῶν τεχθέντες, οὐκ ἐκωλύθησαν ἱερῶν κοινωνῆσαι συνόδων. Τῆς γὰρ δυσκρασίας, ἀλλ᾽ οὐ τῆς ἀκρασίας τῶν γονέων γεγόνασιν ἀναγκαίως κληρονόμοι· οἱ δὲ τὴν ἀκολασίαν τῶν γονέων ἐν τοῖς σώμασιν ἀπομαξάμενοι, οὐκ ἐκοπάσθησαν μὲν (οὐ γὰρ ἐκέλευσεν αὐτοὺς καταλεύεσθαι· ἀβούλητον γὰρ ἦν τὸ πάθος), ἠτιμώθησαν (53) δὲ, πρὸς σωφρονισμὸν τῶν τεκόντων. Εἰ δέ τις οἴεται, τοῦτο μὴ εὐλόγως νενομοθετῆσθαι, τι φαίη περὶ τοῦ θανάτου, ὅτι μιᾶς ἁμαρτησάσης (φημὶ δὴ τῆς Εὔας), ὅλον τὸ γένος θανάτῳ κατεκρίθη, καίτοι πολλῶν εὐδοκημησάντων, καὶ τοῖς πταίσμασι τοῖς προγονικοῖς μὴ ἀκολουθησάντων; Εἰ δ᾽ ἐκεῖ τῆς ρίζης τεθνεώσης ἀναγκαίως καὶ οἱ κλάδοι, ὡς ληπτέα ἡ ἀποφάσεως, συναπήλαυσαν τοῦ πάθους· τί θαυμαστόν, εἰ κἀνταῦθα διὰ τὴν ρίζαν ὁ κλάδος ἠτιμώθη, παραπέμπων ἀναγκαίως καὶ εἰς τὴν ρίζαν τὸ πάθος; Τοῦ γὰρ ἀτιμωθέντος κλάδου τὴν ρίζαν οὐκ ἐλάττων ἡ ὀδύνη. Ἡ γὰρ εὐχομένη τὸν κλάδον ἄριστον ἰδεῖν, ὅταν αἴσθηται, ὅτι ἐκ τῆς αὐτῆς ἀκολασίας τὸ πάθος εἰς ἐκεῖνον διέβη, ἐνταῦθα μὲν τοῖς οἰκείοις λογισμοῖς καταικισθήσεται· ἐκεῖσε δὲ καὶ τῇ κρίσει. Εἰ δὲ καὶ προγινώσκων αὐτοὺς ὁ Θεὸς πονηροὺς ἐσομένους προκατέσχε τούτοις τοῖς δεσμοῖς, καὶ ἐχαλίνωσε τοῖς πάθεσιν, ἀκριβῶς οὐκ ἔχω λέγειν· ὅτι δὲ καὶ στεφάνων πολλοῖς (54) αἰτία γέγονε ταῦτα τὰ νοσήματα, θαῤῥούντως δισχυρισαίμην. Εἰ δὲ σκιὰν εἶχεν ὁ νόμος τῶν μελλόντων ἀγαθῶν, οἴμαι, ὅτι μὲν διὰ τοῦ λεπροῦ τὸν ποικίλον καὶ κακοῦργον, διὰ δὲ τοῦ γονοῤῥοῦς, τὸν πόρνον καὶ τὸν ἀσελγῆ· διὰ δὲ τοῦ ἀκαθάρτου ἐπὶ ψυχῇ ἀνθρώπου, τουτέστι διὰ τοῦ ἁπτομένου νεκροῦ σώματος, τὸν ψυχῇ ἁμαρτανούσης συμπράττοντα καὶ συναϊρόμενον· διὰ δὲ τοῦ πενθοῦντος, τὸν ἐπὶ ταῖς συμφοραῖς πενθήρη καὶ θρηνώδη, τῆς τῶν ἀμώμων ἱερᾶς συνόδου καὶ Ἐκκλησίας ἐξοστρακισθῆναι ἐθέλησεν, ἀρεφρενάριτ χισ μαλισ, δε ἐο νιηιλ σερτι ηαβεο μερτις μυλτις ετιαμ κοροναρμ καυσας αυτ οκκασιονεσ εξατιστισε. Κυοδ σι λεχ (Παυλο τεστε) υμβραμ ηαβυιτ φυτυρορυμ βονορυμ, ετ νον ιπσαμ ιμαγινεμ ρερυμ, πυτο, κυοδ συβ περσονα λεγρεσι δεσιγνατυμ ηομινεμ βαριυμ ετ βαφρυμ ατque μαλεφικυμ, περ σεμινιφλυυμ, σκορτατορεμ ετ ιμρυρυμ; περ ιμ-μυνδυμ ιν ανιμα ηομινισ, 492 ηοε εστ περ ευμ κυι τετιγιτ κορπυσ μορτυυμ, ευμ κυι ανιμαμ πεκ-κατρικεμ οπε ετ αυξιλιυ αδζυβατ; δενικυε περ λυγεντεμ, ευμ κυι δε καλαμιτατιβυσ συισ κερυλυσ ετ λακρυμοσυς εστ, εχ σακρο κοετυ ινκυλπατορυμ ηομινυμ, ετ αβ Εκκλεσια εχτερμιναι πρεκεπεριτ. ---LETTER 52--- (52) Pro τεκμήριον idem cod. Vat. scribit τε- κηπριοι.Possin. ---LETTER 53--- (53) Ἠτιμώθη idem mutat in ἐτιμωρήθη. Id. ---LETTER 54--- (54) Pro πολλοῖς iteram ponit πολλάκις, et vers. inde 3 inter αὐτὴν inserit τήν. Τὴν ἄχρονον καὶ ἀΐδιον καὶ ἀμεσίτευτον, καὶ παντὸς λόγου καὶ νοῦ κρείττονα πρόοδον τοῦ Χριστοῦ ἀπὸ Πατρός, γέννησιν καλοῦσιν αἱ Γραφαί, οὐχ ἵνα πάθος ὑπογράψωσιν, ἀλλ’ ἵνα τὸ ὁμοούσιον στήσωσιν. Ὁμοούσια γὰρ τῷ ὄντι τὰ τικτόμενα τοῖς τίκτουσιν. Ἵνα δὲ μὴ νεώτερον ἐπινοηθείη, «Ἐν ἀρχῇ ἦν ὁ Λόγος,» φασίν. Εἶτα καὶ τὴν σχέσιν κηρύττουσι τὴν πρὸς τὸν Πατέρα· «καὶ ὁ Λόγος ἦν πρὸς τὸν Θεόν.» Εἶτα καὶ τὴν ἀξίαν· «Καὶ Θεὸς ἦν ὁ Λόγος.» Ἐκ μὲν τοῦ Υἱοῦ τὸ ὁμοούσιον· ἐκ δὲ τοῦ Λόγου τὸ ἀπαθές· ἐκ δὲ τοῦ ἐν ἀρχῇ εἶναι, τὸ συναΐδιον· ἐκ δὲ τοῦ πρὸς τὸν Θεὸν εἶναι, τὴν πρὸς τὸν Πατέρα οἰκειότητα· διὰ δὲ τοῦ Θεὸν εἶναι, τὴν ἀξίαν αὐτοῦ καταμανθόντες· καὶ ἐξ ἑκάστου ὀνόματος τὸ ἐφορμοῦν ἀπρεπὲς ἀποπεμψάμενοι· οἷον, ἀπὸ μὲν τοῦ Υἱοῦ τὸ νεώτερον, ἀπὸ δὲ τοῦ Λόγου τὸ ἀνυπόστατον, Θεὸν ἀΐδιον, ὁμοούσιον, ἀπαθῶς καὶ ἀχρόνως ἐκ τοῦ Πατρὸς προελθόντα εἰδείημέν τε καὶ προσκυνήσαιμεν.