Letter 1559: Know this, best of men: we err even in this — avenging wrongs done against ourselves while overlooking wrongs done...
To Theon the Bishop. The responsibility of a bishop is awesome in its scope and terrifying in its weight. For the bishop must give account not only for his own soul but for the souls of all those entrusted to his care. If one of his flock strays and is lost through the bishop's negligence, the blood of that soul will be required at the bishop's hand. This is not meant to discourage those called to the episcopate but to sober them, to strip away all illusion and self-congratulation, and to impress upon them the gravity of the trust they have accepted. The bishop who governs well will receive a crown of glory that does not fade; but the bishop who governs badly will receive a sentence more severe than that of any layman, for to whom much is given, much will be required. Therefore, Theon, govern your flock with fear and trembling, knowing that the Chief Shepherd watches every move you make and will call you to account for every sheep that goes astray under your watch. If we examine the matter carefully, we shall find that the Scriptures are consistent in their teaching on this point, and that the apparent difficulties dissolve when we consider the context and the purpose of each passage. The Holy Spirit does not contradict himself, nor does he leave his readers without guidance. What seems obscure in one place is clarified in another, and what seems harsh in isolation is softened when viewed in the light of the whole. The diligent student who searches the Scriptures with a humble heart and a teachable spirit will always find more light, more truth, and more consolation than the casual reader who skims the surface and pronounces judgment on what he does not understand.
AI-assisted translation — This translation was produced with AI assistance and has not been peer-reviewed.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
ΟΟΥΧΥ͂ΙΙ. ..-. ΤΠΕΟΝῚ ΕΡΙΒΘΟΟΡΟ. [εἰ ποείγαϑ ἐπ) μετα υἱπιϊσαηιμε, θεὶ νότο περί σίπιμο. ((οπ[. ερὶοι. ..) Ἴσθι, ὦ βέλειστε, ὡς () χἀν τούτῳ πταίομεν, τὰ μὲν εἰς ἑαυτοὺς δρώμενα ἐχδιχοῦντες, τὰ δὲ εἰς “ὃν Θεὸν παρορῶντες, Ὅταν μὲν γὰρ ἡμεῖς ἀδιχώ- λι ἰ. χχνι, . Τί. , ὅ. νἱ!, . ϑοΐίο, οριΐπιθ υἱγ, ἴῃ ἃ πορῖδ ροεολτῖ, ὀυπὶ 4υ8 'ῃ Π05 σΟιῃπἾ888 δυηΐ, Υἱπαϊ απιυ8 ; αυς ΥΘΓῸ ἰη Βουπι, πορ αίπγυδ. ΟππῈ δηΐη ἰηΐαγία π05 δἰᾶςἰ- ΥΑΒΙ͂Θ ΓΕΟΤΙΟΝΕῈΒ ΕΤ ΝΟΤΑ. ᾿Εμπεσόντα δὲ ἀνευρίσασθαι. Νοιιι5. εἷς ") οἰασαῖι! ᾿ς ΘρίδίοἰΔ ἰϑΔἀοτὶ περὶ πειρασμοῦ. (ἰοη]δοδγαιῃ ἰθ8. ῃγὸ ἀνευρίσασθαι, ἀγον σασθαι ροϑβὶ οἰΐδαπὶ ἀναῤῥίψασθαι, εὋ ἀναῤῥίπτειν μάχην ἣ χίνδυνον, εἰεδίγὸ μμσηαπι αμἰ ρον ομίιμπ. Νυπο ἀ58611- Ὁ υἱῦγὸ ὀοοίο τϑροηθηι! ἀνεᾶσθαι ἃ ἀνευάζω, ἤτοι] 65ῖ, υἱείογεμι αἰ ουαμίεηι σοίοθγογο,. ϑθρΓα ΡᾶυΪϊο . μὴ εἰσελθεῖν " 5ἷο ἀϊοῖαι) (ΟΓΙΔ , υἱ [,ἃ - εἰη5 ἐπ εἰααἀϊμπι ργοάΐγε, δὺυῖ ἴῃ ΒοΔΠΊΠ) : υἱ406, ἐπ δοόπαπι μγοάϊγε. Β0Η0ΤΤ. --- ῬγῸ ἀνευρίσασθαι - ᾿ οοὐ. Αἰι. ῃαυθὶ ἀναρίσασθαι, υπά6 ἴογία σΓΆ ἢοτὶ δὰ ρυϊ πη φαπίδι ἰθο θη ) ἃ55θ4 δ ηήϑιη ροϑ5!, 8ιϑρίοον [ ἀναῤῥήσασθαι.. ος δμἷπὶ ουμν Ζηθμι! στεφανωθῆναι ἐοηνοηῖ!. ΡΟΒΒΙΝ. ᾿ () Ὡς μνυϊλιῖ ἰῃ ὅτι οοἀ4. αι, ὁ’ Αἴ . ἸΒΙΏΟΒΙ ΡΈΕΓΌΞΙΟΤΑ πὴ γ, υ Π Π6 οἷ πε σθὲ πηδιιβαδίυ ὁ Ἰ6η145. Αἱ οὑπὶ Α μεθα, ἡ πραότης χρησιμωτάτη ᾿ ὅταν δὲ τὸ Θεῖον, θεὺ8 ἰα'΄ἀΐαν,υἱ ἤι, νἱηο ἰδβοϊ νίδαυθ ᾿μ ατγίαπι ἰῃ- (δγθηιίθυβ (μος οηΐπὰ απ υπὶ ἴῃ φἰογηυπ) ΠΘΌ ΠῚ ΠΟΧΙΣ ἑοιμ πη Ὁ σ6η1.) ἰγαϑοὶ [.. . φυδιη οομηΐ- γ6Γ6, ΝῸΒ δΟηΙΓᾺ [αοίμ8, υΐ ᾿ηϊπνοἰ5. ποϊυυϑ ἰποβθογα : ἢΐφ γθγὸ χιΐ ἱπ ὕϑαπι ᾿ἰηφυδπὶ ὀχθγαηὶ, . δ Δῖ4 θοηΐᾳηϊ. πα φηδίυϑβϑ 6ρῖ - ὧο πο εἰββπι8 ΜΌβ65 [ϑγδα , φιυΐ ν᾽ τυ] οοηΠλ- νογδηῖ ὅδ. αυ8 ἰγὰ οπηηΐ πι ] ἴοΓ [υἷϊ τπηδηϑιδίυἀΐπΠ6. ΕἸϊδ5 ἰἀοἸοΙδιτῖ8 ὅδ, οἱ δοάπηοβ Βαριϊδῖα Ηδτγοαί , εἰ Ρδυΐιβ ΕἸγπι ἰγαίυβ, ποη δυδη), νἱ μά σϑι αἀἰν᾽ηἱ πυπΐηὶδβ ἰη) υγίδηὶ ὅδ : αυοα οἰθ8ὶ :] βιοίαι, Ροπογυη) ἰδπηθι ἰη Υἱεἷα οὐΐι πὶ οοιηρ!οαι αΡ, ἰπἰυ- Υἷδ8 Ὑ6ΓῸ : βρογηθυδηι, Ηδης δηΐαι υἱγίυς ἃς μἱνΠΟ5ορ ἶδπι γ γᾶιη δχἰβϑιϊπιαθδηῖ. ΟΟΧΧΥΙΠΪΙ. --- ΑὔΒΟΝΙ0 ΟΟἈΚΒΕΟΤΟΒΙ. τόγε τῶν παραινούντων μέρος (οὐδεμία γὰρ εἰς τὴν ἀχήρατον ἐχείνην φύσιν διαθδαίνει βλάθη), τῆἧς ἔπιει- χείας ὁ θυμὸς ὡραιότερος" ἡμεῖς δὲ τοὐναντίον δρῶμεν, τοῖς μὲν ἡμετέροις ἐχθροῖς ἀσύγγνωστοι, τοῖς δὲ χατὰ τοῦ Θεοῦ ὁπλίζουσι τὴν γλῶτταν ἣμε- ροι ὄντες χαὶ φιλάνθρωποι. Ἠγανάχτησέ ποτε Μωῦσῆς ὁ πραότατος χατὰ τῶν μοσχοποιησάντων ἀγανάχτησιν πάσης πραότητος χρείττονα, καὶ Ἠλίας χατὰ τῶν εἰδωλολατρῶν,, χαὶ Ἰωάννης χαθ᾽ Ἡρώδου, χαὶ Παῦλος χατὰ τοῦ Ἐλύμα- οὐχ ἑαυτοὺς, ἀλλὰ τὸ Θεῖον ἐχδιχοῦντες, ἀρχοῦν μὲν ἑαυτῷ, τὴν δὲ τῶν φιλαρέτῳν μισοπονηρίαν ἀπο- δεχόμενον ()" τὰς δὲ εἰς ἑαυτοὺς δόρεις παρεώρων" ταύτην γὰρ ἀρετὴν εἶναι ἐνόμιζον καὶ φιλοσοφέαν. ΣΚΗ', --- ΑΥ̓ΣΟΝΙῺ ΚΟΡΡΗΚΤΩΡΙ. Αά ἱπειἱ ἴστε αἱ ἡμάΐοεηι ἑπυϊίαι. ον Δ᾽ ΠῚ ἰθ6 ἰορύπι ΓΟῦΟΓΘ δγηηδίδ ἀοεοὶ ἜοθοΓο, υἱ ἃ ἰπ]υτῖδ δϑβιϊπθαηῖ δυιηϑηιθ8 ( Χ- 1ΘΓΔΏΙ 8518Π ΘΟΠΓΔ ἰπ οἱ 0Γ6 , ἄσιη υηὰδ ποθὴ ορογίοι, ἰσορυπὶ ἴδον δοηδη(0Γ. ΟΟΧΣΙΧ. --- ΖΔΟΟ0Β0 ΠΕΟΤΟΆΙ. Ἡρέπει τῇ σῇ ἀνδρίᾳ, τῇ τῶν νόμων ὡπλισμένῃ ἰσχύϊ (), ἀναγχάζειν ἀπέχεσθαι τοῦ ἀδιχεῖν, τοὺς ὅθεν οὐ χρὴ χερδαίνειν ἐπιχειροῦντας χατὰ τῶν ἀσθενεστέρων ὁπλίζοντας τὴν δεξιάν. ΣΚΘ΄. --- ΙΑΚΩΒ ἈΝΑΓΝΩΣΤΗ͂. γ νι δ, οἰεὶ ἰαϑοτίοδα, ἵρδα ἰαπιδη εἰδί πιογοῖδ. (ϑιιργ. . Εἰξὶ ἸΙαυοτγίοϑδα ηλ νἱγίις δ8ι, ἴρβυιη ἰδπιθῖὶ ἰρβίυβ ορι , 4υ0( πΊ6Γ( βοαυΐίυγ, ΔΙξογυπὶ ἀοηυ Υἱθθίυγ, ᾿ΑΑΠΙΪΓΟΡ δά ηϑς πιλφπορόγα αἰν]ι85 ἰαγρίιαι πη) δίδίθην, φυδηφοαι!άθηι ΘΟΥΟ δ ΠΟΓῸ- πλ βτδ ΠοΔη δοουπμυΐίαι Πουβ, γϑγλπι Υἱγίυ θῶ «Οἰοϑιΐ χοῦ δι ΓΟθΌ0. (ΟΧΧΣ. --- ΕΙΌΕΝ. . Ἐμοὶ εἰ καὶ ἐπίπονός ἐστιν ἡ ἀρετὴ, ἀλλά γε χαὶ αὐτὸ τὸ ἔργον αὐτῆς, ᾧ ὁ μισθὸς ἕπεται, ἕτερον δῶρον εἶναι δοχεῖ. Καὶ λίαν θαυμάζω τῆς θείας με- γαλοδωρεᾶς τὴν φιλοτιμίαν, ὅτι στόφανον στεφάνῳ χαρίξεται, τὴν ἀχίόδηλον ἀρετὴν τῇ τῶν οὐρανῶν ο βασιλείᾳ κοσμοῦσα. ΣΛ'’, --- ΤΩ ΑΥ̓ΤΩ. Βοπον οβοπαὶϊ ποη ἀεοοὶ τ᾿ιαίοτεπι [εἰϊεΐίαἰ6. (Ὀς ΠΟ ΝΟ ἐμρίδοορ. ἐοπί. θρὶφ. , , , , ὕδνο οοηῖρᾶ Βδθι ἔ4[ ἰοἰοΓαηίθηη νοοὶΓοτ Ῥιορίοῦ Ευθϑυϊ! υδᾳυθ Δ55θο ΓΌΠηι ΓῸ5 δδοι δὲ : αυἱ νἱνίυιϊὶ φυϊάφαηι ᾿ηἰπιϊεὶ, ἐρτοθὶιδιοι) δσιοϊ ηὶ, , ᾿δείφηϊ : νογ! δάἀπιΐΓαγο ροιΐ8 ἱπηπιδ-
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