Letter 1534: What you ask about, I could tell you — but I cannot, obedient as I am to the divine oracle that commands, 'Do not...
On the Lord's saying: "Do not give what is holy to the dogs," and the response it deserves. To what was said by the Savior — "Do not give what is holy to the dogs, nor cast your pearls before swine" — I say this: if you grasp the meaning, you will understand that both the wisdom and the mercy of God are displayed in this commandment. It is not that the holy things are too good for sinners — for Christ came to save sinners — but that sinners who have not yet reached the disposition to receive holy things will only trample them underfoot and turn to attack the giver. The physician does not withhold medicine from malice but from prudence, knowing that the wrong medicine at the wrong time can kill rather than cure. So also the teacher of divine truth must exercise discernment, offering the deeper mysteries only to those who are prepared to receive them, and beginning with the simpler truths for those who are still learning. This is not elitism but compassion, for to burden a weak soul with a weight it cannot bear is cruelty, not generosity.
AI-assisted translation — This translation was produced with AI assistance and has not been peer-reviewed.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
δε ἱμἰο εοπεμίίμε : ϑαπεῖα κε εαπῖδπε, οἰς., Μαιια. γιι, ὃ, ἱνάΐσηπο πόθαὶ τειροπεδι. Αἀ ἰὼ φυοά 5ενῖ Βα θ60 αιοΐ ἀΐεδην, π Β δυϊεπι ιὲ, Ὠεὶ ἀϊεῖο δυύΐεηα, ἰυνοηιϊΐ, « ϑ5ποι8 σϑηϊδει8 πο οδὴεϊεπάδ, » Θυοά 5ἱ ἐδησπι Γγλ ει ὀδρι!εγβ, εἰ μυπιδηῖ ἰηόο ἰδ ἃς Νοπί χη : δροείπηθη δχὶ- μυστεὶς, οἰἰλ Βοη ἰηἰογγοξϑηιὶ γεδροιόύσδθο, πυϊδιϊοθα δ0ὴ ἰδῆ [ΟΓΒΗΣ α68π ΠΠογυδ) ἀοἰοοίδιυς. ΟΧΧΧΠ. --- ΟΡΗΕΪΙΟ ΘΚΑΜΜΑΤΙΟΟ. Περὶ οὗ γέγραφας, ἔχω μὲν εἰπεῖν - σοὶ δ᾽ εἰπεῖν οὖχ ἔχω, θεέῳ πειθόμενος χρησμῷ παραχελενομένῳ, « Μὴ δῶτε τὰ ἅγια τοῖς χυσίν. » Εἰ δὲ τῶν χυνῶν τὴν λύσσαν ἀποτρίψαιο, καὶ τῆς ἀνθρωπίνης εὐγε- νείας τὴν πραότητα ἐπιδείξαιο, χαὶ μὴ ἐρωτῶντι φράσω, τῇ μεταδολῇ οὐ τῆς μορφῆς, ἀλλὰ τῶν τρό- πων ἡσθείς. ῬΛΙΝ. --- ΟΦΕΛΙΩ ΓΡΑΜΜΑΤΙΚΩ. δε εἰυίο ερὶεἰοἰατὶ. Ερίβιοία5 δογθεηδὲ οὐλγδοῖοῦ ποῆ οπιϊηο δἰὶ δτρεῖς οἰοχϑηιία δΔί4ᾳυ6 οτηδίι5, ποαυς ηἰπιὶς ὑἱοδηάΐ ἐμοἰ "εἶα δὲ ἐδ ]οἷ δβϑογυδίιβ. ΠΠυἀ δαηΐηιϊ δἰ πηερίος Φ ἰσῆμ6 : ΠΟα Υ6 ἱπορίυπη , : δὶ πιοείογαία ογηδτῖί, εἰ δύ υὑδβύυπ), ἰυπὶ δ γνοηιϑ(Δίθπι 530ΠΠ . ΟΧΧΧΙΥ. --- ΜΕΝΑ ῬΙΆΘΟΝΟ. Ὁ ἐπιστολιμαζος χαραχτὴρ (), μήτε παντάπασιν ἀχόσμητος; ἔστω, μήτε μὴν εἰς θρύψιν χεχοσμημένος ἣ τρυφήν. Τὸ μὲν γὰρ εὐτελὲς, τὸ δὲ ἀπειρόχαλον᾽ τὸ δὲ μετρίως χεχοσμῆσθαι, καὶ πρὸς χρείαν, ᾿ χαὶ πρὸς χάλλος ἀρχεῖΐς ῬΑΔ'. -- ΜΗ͂ΝΑ ΜΙΑΚΟΝΏ. ΑΠᾶεοιῖθμὲ πιαίϊε υἱποέτε, εἰ υἱποὶ, εἰ ποχία ἐα υἱείοτια ἐεῖ. (ΥἹ᾽αά6 ἱπ[γ. ἐρῖδι. .) Ουΐ ἴῃ ἀυιαυϑ Πβεα δἰδοιοηΐυι8 ἵγαα ηἰπιῖγαπι οἱ ὦ Οἱ ἐν τοῖς χαλεποῖς πάθεσι, θυμῷ λέγω χαὶ πλεον- δΔυλτγ τα νἱποογα νἱάθηίυτ, πο . 65ὶ υἱοϊογίϑ, ΄ηλπι υἱειὶβ ᾽. Ἐπὶ δηΐηι οὐπὶ Υἱποὶ 4ι12π Υἱποογα γγθιίοῖ, πο4υ6 ἴῃ νἱοίογίϑ πηϑγίιο εἰἰ ραυάἀοηυη), δἱ ἰη]πδῖ6 οδγδηΐαι. θυθ οπἶπι γ0 1ρ145 ΘΑΡΙ ΠΡ, φὰ ὕγανα ἀδίοοῖδὶ (ΘΠ101 , ἀδάδουβ γοϑγοὸ, ἰαπιρογῖϑ8 ἀμείυ, ραγὶὶ δορὶ ΓΘ ΓΗ). ΟΧΧΧΥ͂. --- ΗΙΕΒΑΟΙ ὈΙΑΔΟΟΝΟ. εξίᾳ, νιχᾷν δοχοῦντες, ἥττης ἀπάσης γαλεπωτέραν νιχῶσι νέχην. “ἔστι γὰρ ὅπου νίχη χείρων ἥττης ἐστὶ, χαὶ οὐ δεῖ χαίρειν ἐπὶ τῇ τοιαύτῃ νίχῃ, ὅταν ἀδίχως συμθαίνῃ. Ἢ γὰρ ἐχ ταύτης ἡδονὴ ἐπὶ ὀλί- γον χρόνον εὐφραίνουσα, αἰωνίαν αἰσχύνην προϊόντος; εἰχτει τοῦ χρόνου.
Related Letters
The other philosophers defined philosophy as the art of arts and the science of sciences.
Look at what people actually do, and consider how far short it falls of what they later claim they intended.
Patience in bearing injuries benefits the soul more than any revenge could benefit the pride.
A teacher must live what he teaches.
What appears elegant is not necessarily elegant, and what appears just is not necessarily just.