Letter 1587: Those who imagine that contradicting things rightly said is a form of wisdom are only attaching infamy to themselves...
To Isidore the Bishop. The bishop who does not teach is like a watchman who does not watch, a shepherd who does not feed, and a physician who does not heal. He occupies the office but does not perform the function; he wears the vestments but does not bear the burdens; he receives the honor but does not discharge the responsibility. Teaching is the primary duty of the bishop, for the Lord himself was first and foremost a teacher, and the apostles whom he appointed were sent not merely to govern but to preach. A silent bishop is a contradiction in terms, for the very word episcopos implies oversight, and oversight implies instruction. Therefore, Isidore, open your mouth and speak the words of life to your flock, for they hunger for the truth, and if you do not feed them, their blood will be on your head.
AI-assisted translation — This translation was produced with AI assistance and has not been peer-reviewed.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
γεν αἰὶ6 ἰαμιά αἰδο, πιοηἀαεὶξ μγρὲϊμάο. ] Ὠοίϊϑη) ἱρηοι ]ηΐ88, Ο δαρίθη8, ἰηυγυηὶ, 6ἱ ἃ γθοῖδ οχθϊ ἀθγθ Γαιίοηθ υἱάδηίυγ, αυἱΐ βαρ ηἰΐ8 Πορΐἷ8. ἀυθι τορυφῆδγο , "6η6 ΥΘΡΓΟΘαυ ἀϊοίδ βυηῖ. Αἰ΄ιὶ δβυπιμὰ δὰρίθη , ὙΘγΪ οϑὶ, ] οὐ Ὁ ταν δ γαυθ ργοϊδῖα. Μοη δου) οοπΓ8, , Ἑαυτοῖς, ὦ σοφὲ, ἀδοξίαν προστρίδονται, χαὶ τὸ ἐξεστηχέναι τῶν ὀρθῶν λογισμῶν ὑποφαίνουσιν, οἱ χαὶ τὸ τοῖς ὀρθῶς λεγομένοις ἀντιλέγειν σοφίαν εἶναι οἰόμενοι " σοφὸν γὰρ τἀληθὲς, μάλιστα ὅταν ἁπλοῦν ἢ χαὶ σύντομον" δεινὸν χαὶ () τὸ ψεύδοί, ΥΑΒΙΑΣ ΓΕΟΤΙΟΝΕΒ ΕἸ ΝΟΤΑ͂. () Ρτο δεινὸν καὶ ΐάοιῃ οοαμ. συν μωρὸν δέ. ῬΟΒΞΙΝ. ; χἂν δεινότητι χαὶ χαλλιεπείᾳ δοχῇ χεχοσμῇσθαι. ΤΙΘ'. --- ΒΡΩΝῚ ΠΡΕΣΒΥΤΈΡΩ. ἘΡΙΒΤΟΙΑΆΌΜ . Υ. -- ΕΡΙΒΤ. ΟΟΟΧΧΗΙΙ. Α πιαῖυπι ᾳυϊὰ δάἀμπιοάν), οἰδὶ ατανιβοι θὰ ἀἰδο γι δ8ὲ- [ οοπηϑίυ ΟΓΔΊΪΟΠ6, ΘΟΣΧδίδί . ΟΟΟΧΙΣ ..-- ΠΕΒΟΝῚ ΡΒΕΒΒΥΤΕΡΈΟ. Αερεεῖας πεμίϊεγμμε ρενϊεμίοεὰδ. ((οπί. ορίει. θδ, , .) Ἴσθω σου τοῦτο ἡ φρόνησις, εἰ ἀγέρωχος γυνὴ χαλλωπιζομένη χαλοίη πρὸς ἑαντὴν τοὺς ὁρῶντας, κἂν μὴ ἕλῃ τὴν () ἀπαντῶντα, δίχην δίδωσιν ἡ ἑλοῦσα. Τὸ γὰρ χώνειον χατεσχεύασε, χαὶ τὸν χυ- κΞῶνα ἐχέρασε, χαὶ τὴν χύλικα προσήγαγεν, εἰ καὶ μὴ ϑὑρέθη ὁ πίνων. Οὐ γὰρ ἀπὸ τῶν ἀποτελεσμά- τῶν, ἀλλ᾽ ἀπὸ τῶν ἐπιχειρημάτων τὰ πράγματα ὡς τὰ πολλὰ χρίνετα. ὙΚ', --- ΕΥ̓ΤΟΝΙΩ ΔΙΑΚΟΝΩ. Νοὴ ἰσβούδξ ἅ0 ὑγηυάοπιίδ ργϑάϊΐ υ5, [ΟΡ Ρυ!ομυι υάΐοθ ἰυπιοϑίθην πυ Γαπὶ ] βροοίδηϊ65 δὰ [ οἷαι, ἰδΔμοιδὶ ἤθη ολρὶαὶ ΟὈνἶοβ, ἀδίυγδπι ἴᾶ- ΏΘἢ Ῥῶηδ88 4υδϑὶ οδρἶββοῖ : Τοποηθπη ΘηΪπι Ὀγορὶ- ΠΑΥΪ,, πιϊδουϊίᾳυο ροουΐυπ), ολ] σου ῥτγοίοίι, οἰδὶ ποὴ γαρογὶι φαΐ ὑυἱθεγοῖ. Νοὴ επὶπι ἱπρ οἰἃ τηοάο, δὰ οἱ ἰθηϊδίλ ἤλφίιϊα υἱ ρῥυγίνυπι [υἀ οἷ δχρθηάυπίυγ.
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