Letter 1532: Let us hold only to those possessions of which we will have need after departing this life.
Eternal things must be clung to, while perishable things must be despised. Let us hold fast to the possession of those things alone which, after our departure from this life, we shall need. The rest must be despised — not because they are evil in themselves, but because they are temporary and cannot accompany us beyond the grave. The one who builds his house on the sand of material wealth will see it swept away by the flood of death; but the one who builds on the rock of virtue and faith will find his house standing firm when all else has been destroyed. We brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out. The only luggage we take with us into eternity is our character — the virtues we have cultivated, the love we have shown, the mercy we have exercised, and the faith we have kept. Let us therefore invest in the only currency that has value beyond the grave, and leave the fool's gold of this world to those who know no better. I urge you therefore, by the mercies of God and by the judgment that is to come, to take these words to heart and act upon them without delay. For the time is short, the stakes are eternal, and the opportunity for repentance, though still available, will not remain so forever. The sun is setting, the shadows are lengthening, and the night in which no man can work draws ever nearer. Let us therefore cast off the works of darkness and put on the armor of light, walking honestly as in the day, and preparing ourselves for the coming of the Lord, who will reward every person according to his works.
AI-assisted translation — This translation was produced with AI assistance and has not been peer-reviewed.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
“Εἰετηὶς εἰ τιαπειτὶδ αὐϊατεπάμιν ; ρετίἐιγα αμίόπι σοπίεπιποηάα. Ηδχις ροβδθϑϑιομίθιβ [ θδίφυδ, αυΐθυ8 οὑπὶ οτἷι πιογίθηθιπι, ορυβ 6εἰῖ. Ἀοϊΐᾳυδ ν ΓοῸ οοηιθηϊπᾶ- ΟΧΣΧΙΥ. --- ΠΑΒΡΟΘΒΦ( ΒΟΡΗ͂Ι5ΤΖ. Μόνης τῆς χτήσεως ἐχείνων ἐχώμεθα, ὧν μετὰ τὴν ἀπαλλαγὴν τοῦδε τοῦ βίου δεηθητόμεθα " τῶν δὲ ὃ λοιπῶν χαταφρονήδσωμεν. ῬΚΓ". --- ΔΡΠΟΚΡᾺ ΣΟΦΙΣΤΗ. (οἰιϑοπάα εοαἰμπεπὶα. Ολ]υπιπίδηιοπὶ [ἐγ ὑπίνογβος γοίγοῃδ σΡΑΥΪΟΓΟ ΘΟ] Δ , Βυρρ !εἷο ροδίθα ἰῃάϊΐᾳοαι. ΟΧΧΥ. -- ΕἸΡΕΜ. Τὸν διαδάλλοντα σχεδὸν πᾶσι πάντας, ἐμόριθε- στέρᾳ ἀπειλῇ σωφρόνισον " ἵνα μὴ τιμωρίας ὕστερον δεηθείη. ΡΚΕ'. --- Τῇ ΑΥ̓ΤΩ. Αα τεφιεπίες ἰἱεγας ἱπυὶίαί. Θυοιίεδ [ δοοίρίο ᾿᾿Π6Γ85 ἀΐθογίδα , οἱ ἨΜ8 ἀΐδο0, δἰ Ὠδϑηληι ἰπἀ6 οΔρίο υἱἱ!δῖο πη). δὶ Θηΐπ) ἰῃ ἰΐβ οἱ αἴϊδοιυδ, οἱ υδγθογηπι υἱβ. δὶ δυϊδιη Ἡνίχα γράμματα δεχοίμην τῆς σῆς λογιότητος, χαὶ παιδεύσεως πληροῦμαι, χαὶ σφόδρα γέγηθα. Ἔστι γὰρ ἐν αὐτοῖς χαὶ διαθέσεως, χαὶ λόγων ἐπί- ΒογθοΓο δὰ π ΔΙ 4ᾳυ πο , ἀϊδογυςίοῦ θΘ4υ - δειξις. Εἰ δὲ πρὸς βραχὺ ὑπέρθοιο τὸ γράφειν, λίαν ΥΑΒΙΔ ΠΕΟΤΙΟΝΕΚ ΕΤ ΝΟΤΕ. () 1μδοοῃίδι!ο οἰΐδι" οἰοβᾶπ8 ἀγοφουὶὶ Νοζίδηζοηὶ Ἔχϑίαι δὰ Νιοοθυίαιη ερ᾿ , ϑοηοττ. ἘΡΙΘΤΟΙΑΆΌΜ . Υ. -- ΕΡΙ͂Β]. ΟΧΧΥΤΙΙ. ἀθυμῶ, καὶ τὴν γλῶτταν ἀμδλύνομαι, οὔτε τῆς εὐ- Αὶ ἀθι πἰτΐυα. φυλιίυπι, οἱ ἤΠηφσυὰ ἰοτραί, πθηυ0 :- φροσύνης μοι προσγινομένης, οὔτε τῆς ἀπὸ τῶν λό- γῶν ὠφελείας, Μὴ τοίνυν ἀδίχει τὸν τῆς φιλίας θε- σμὸν (), ἀλλὰ συχνῶς γράφε. Οὕὔτω γὰρ ἔσῃ μοι πλέον χεχαρισμένος. ᾿ ΡΚα'. --- ΦΙΛΗΤΡΙΩ. ἴυηι αυϊὰ δεοίαϊι, ἤθ4υδ πὶ ρόΓοϊρὶο ἃ 56Γ- τ0η6 ἰυο. ΝΟΙΪ ᾿ἰἰΔᾳὰ6 «πιὶοἰκϊ28 (υ5 νἱοίδγο, βεά [τοαυθιον βδογῖὶθθ. βίας ηιϊεἱ Ιοηρα Β66 οἰ δεῖογ.. ΟΧΧΥ͂Ι. --- ΡΗΠΙΕΤΆΙΟ. δε Βεείφεϊα υμἱποτίϑις εἴδη ας ρετδαπαπαϊε, ἀμγοα ἐρὶδιοία. (ΟΉ[ἐγ. ορὶε!. εἰ .) Ἐγὼ, ὅτι μὲν πρώην ἡ τοῦ Χριστοῦ Ἐχχλησία χαὶ τοὺς διδασχάλους εἶχε λαμπροὺς, καὶ τοὺς φοι- τητὰς εὐδοχίμους, μάλα ἀχριδῶς οἶδα " καὶ ἐπ᾽ ἐμοῦ γὰρ, οὐχὶ πάλαι μόνον, γέγονε ταῦτα ἀμφότερα " ὅτι δὲ χαὶ νῦν τοῦτο οὐχ ἔστιν ἀδύνατον γενέσθαι, ὡς φὴς, ἀλλὰ δυνατὸν, οὐχ ἔστιν ἀμφίδολον. Ἑὰν γὰρ παρὰ τῶν ὑφηγητῶν βεδαίως ὑπάρξῃ, χαὶ παυσάμε- νοι τῆς τυραννίδος πατριχὴν χηδεμονίαν ἐπιδείξων- ται, τότε χαὶ περὶ τοῦ τίνα τρόπον σωθήσονται οἱ ὑπήχοοι, ἐξέσται σχοπεῖν" πρὶν δὲ τὴν χρηπίδα ὀρθῶς ὑποθέσθαι, λίαν περιττὸν ἡγοῦμαι, τὸν περὶ τῆς χορωνίδος ποιεῖσθαι λόγον. Οὐ γὰρ ἐθελήσωσιν ἔχεῖνοι, χἂὰν μυριάχις ἀχούσωσι, πείθεσθαι, ἂν μὴ διὰ πραγμάτων μάθοιεν. Ὁ μὲν οὖν παρὼν χαιρὸς χαὶ βονλῆῇς χαὶ προνοίας δεῖται πολλῆς " ἐγὼ δὲ οὐχ ὃ τι χρὴ παραινέσαι, δυσχολώτατον ἡγοῦμαι. ᾿Αλλ᾽ ἐκεῖνο ἀπορῶ, τίνα χρὴ τρόπον πρὸς αὐτοὺς εἰπεῖν. Πείθομαι γὰρ ἀκριδῶς, ἐξ ὧν χαὶ παρὼν καὶ πυν- θανόμενος σύνοιδα, τὰ πλείω τῶν θείων θεσπισμάτων αὑτοὺς ἐκφυγεῖν, τῷ μὴ θέλειν τὰ δέοντα πράττειν, Ῥιοῦθ φυϊάθιῃ ποΥΐ ἰη αἸιγῖϑι! ρει πὶ ΕΟ οἴ ἀοοίογοβ οαγοφίοβ οἰδγυΐδδα, ἰδ αυ ργουδίοδ εἰΪ86]- Ρυϊοῦ : οἱ π 4αυϊάἐπι ἰοπροῦο, ποη Οἰΐπὶ ἰδηίυ), αἰγυμηᾳι6 ἤογυπὶ [Δοίυτ . [ἃ δυΐθη) Ὠοάΐδ ἰρο5- δ[ , αὐ τ αυϊάδηι Υἱ ἷ8, ΠΟ , ἤοΡΐ ρ0586, ποιηΐηΐ ἀυθίυπι . δὶ δηΐη) το8 ἰδία Δ ἴΐ8, αυἱὶ ρΓαβπηΐ, ] .ἀ0 ἰηϊιϊυπὴ βυπιαὶ, οἱ , τὙγδηηϊά8 ροβίί8, ο τυ θη) 8Ππ ουγϑλη4υ6 ΓΖ ρδ.Γ[ΔΠ) οδίδηάστγίηϊ, ἰυης οιἰἰαπὶ ΓΑιίθη0 δαϊγψατὶ Βυθ . , [ἰοοθὲι νἱάοτο. Ῥυγίυ5 δηἷπι 4υλπ) γοοῖο [ δἰηΐ [υηἀΔπιθηῖ8, ἀ6 σοτγοηΐά6 [ πἰο406 ϑογπιοποαὶ ἰηδι ἢ Γ6, γ8 δυρογυλοδηθι ἀθςο. Νοαυθ οηΐπὶ γοϊσηιϊ ΠΠ , διϑὶ τὶ δυάδίοτίηί, ογούδγο, πἰδὶ οσρο- εἰπιθηῖο ἀϊάϊδατῖηι. Ῥγθβθὴ8 ἰΐίδ4υθ (ΘΙΩρι8 πα ἱπαϊσοί οοηϑὶ!ο οἱ ργυάδηιϊία. Εφο νϑγοὸ αἰ ΠΠ πα ηὶ ΔΡΌΪΓΟΓ, πΠῸη αυορὰ οροτίοδι δαθηοπογο; δὶ ἀθ . ἀνθ ῖιο, φυθηδπὶ πιοάο οοιῃραίϊαγα ομρογίοδί, ὅδγιο δηΐῃ τηἰ πὶ ρογβυϑίθο ἂχ , οἱ ΠΟΓ8Π εἴ βοἰβοϊίδηάο οοφοονΐ, ἔιζογο ροἰθγααυς αἰ ν ποι ογδουϊογυπι ; αιιοά πο] πὶ, 4υξ8 Ορουτίρι, (ΔΟΘΓΘ, Π6- οὕτω μὴ συνιέναι. Παραινῶ τοίνυν αὐτοῖς, ἐὰν μετ αι δάἀάίθοογα. Ουδπιοῆγεπι Ἔχ ΒΟΥΙΟΡ (αἱ Π Θὰ, παῤῥησίας εἴποιμι, φέρειν τοῦτο, θεωμένους εἰ τά- ληθῇ λέξαιμι χαὶ διὰ τοῦτο, ἵνα βελτίους γένωνταε. Ἐχ γὰρ τοῦ χολαχεύειν ἐνίους, εἰς τοιαύτην ταρα- χὴν ἐψέπεσε τὰ τῶν Χριστιανῶν πράγματα. Τί οὖν χρὴ ποιεῖν; Συντόμως ἐρῶ, καὶ οὐχ ἀποχρύψομαι. Εἰ μὲν μύθους ἡγοῦνται τὰς θείας Γραφὰς, σιγὴν ἀσχ
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