Letter 1591: Virtue must be practiced with all one's strength — not merely admired from a distance.
To Herminus the Count. The authority of the secular ruler is ordained by God for the maintenance of order and the punishment of evildoers, and the ruler who exercises this authority justly is a minister of God no less than the priest who offers the sacrifice. But authority misused becomes tyranny, and the ruler who oppresses his subjects instead of protecting them will answer to a higher Judge than any earthly tribunal. The Count must therefore govern with the consciousness that he is accountable not only to the emperor but to God, and that every act of injustice, every instance of corruption, every case of favoritism will be weighed in the divine balance. Power is not a privilege but a responsibility, and the greater the power, the greater the responsibility. Use your authority therefore to defend the widow and the orphan, to protect the weak from the strong, and to ensure that justice is available to all, not merely to those who can afford to purchase it. The Church in our time stands in need of men who combine learning with humility, eloquence with sincerity, authority with gentleness, and zeal with patience. Such men are rare, but they are not impossible, for the grace of God can produce in any willing soul the combination of qualities that nature alone could never achieve. What we cannot do by our own strength, God can do through us, if we place ourselves unreservedly at his disposal and submit our wills entirely to his guidance. Let us therefore pray without ceasing for the renewal of the Church and the reform of its ministry, knowing that prayer is the most powerful instrument of change available to us.
AI-assisted translation — This translation was produced with AI assistance and has not been peer-reviewed.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
Θιις δηΐπὶ ἔδοογθ ποη ἰΐοαὶ, ἀΐθοσα ποὴ ἰΐςεὶ, Θυἱὰ ἰκίίυν [Δοῖο ορυϑβ δ᾽ δηΐην ργδυϊίογ υϊὰ ἀΐο85, ἢ05 ροϊογίβ οἵπὶ ηυἱΐ ΤΕῸΒ δὶ, αἰςι! ΕΓΒ ΓΙ ΏΘΟΓΘ. δὶ γΟΠ ΘΠ ΘηΟΡ ἰπΡΌΓΟΓα Ὑοϊυθγ8, ἰηδίπυδιίοῃα Θδὶ ΟΡ5., δἱ υρίδπιθιϊο υἱοπάυπι. μϑυάδιωῃγ ἰΐδην6 γυϊϑᾳυΐβ ἀϊχί( : ε« Υ̓ΘΓΘΟΓ η6, σοηνοηίυπί ἀ6 ( ἀΐχαγο, πὸ ἰπάϊφῃα ἀΐεααι "΄. » ψ[οαΐα ἰφίιυν ἐτγϑαϊοπάσαι) οδὶ υἱᾶ, πὸ 4υΐδ ρυάογο δἰὲιίδιυγ, ἀϊεεμαο ᾳυξ πο οροῦίοί, πεᾷυᾶ ἰίοτὶ ἰοῦ δϑυπΠ Δὶ. (ΟΟΧΙ!. --- ΠΕΒΜΙΝΟ ΟΟΜΙΤΙ. Βοπὶ ἱπυϊαΐᾳ οὐποαϊ!. ((οη[. ερῖει. δι .) Εἰώθασι πολλοὶ τῷ ἐχ τῆς ἄγαν ἀρετῆς λαμπρυ- νομένῳ φθονεῖν, ἐπαχθῆ γὰρ χαὶ φορτικὸν ἡγούμε- νοι τὸν μὴ τὰ αὐτὰ τοῖς αὐτοῖς δρῶντα, ἀλλ᾽ ἀπὸ τῶν καλλίστων προνομίων ἐναδρυνόμενον, ἅτε τὸν σφῶν βίον ἐλέγχοντα, ναῖς χαχηγορίαις χαὶ ταῖς ἐπιδουλαῖς βάλλουσιν, ὅν χαὶ ζηλουν χαὶ στεφανοῦν ὥφειλον. ἹὙΜΒ'. -- ΑΝΔΡΟΜΆΑΧΩ ΚΟΜΗΤΙ. δο δι ρίογίφυθ οἱ ἰηνίάογο, φαΐ νἱγίυια εἰδγυξ, Ὁ γδιΐ πγοϊδδίιπη οἱ ἰηιο γα ίθιη δυπὶ 4υἱ Ποη ὁλάδπι ἱρ8ὶ ἃραὶ, 56ἀ οριϊπιοτυην ργφγοβαιῖνα ᾿ ἰονγίδηίοηι, φαδ5ὶ Ποτὰπὶ υἱδπὶ γεργο θη αϊ, πι8 - ἴοι δίᾳφυς ἰπ58 ρμϑίαηι,, φυσπὶ ἱπη τὶ ροιυ8 ἃς ςοΟἰἸυάδγὸ οροτίο)) αι. ΟΟΟΧΙ,Π1. --- ΔΝΟΒΟΜΑΘΗΟ ΟΟΜΙΤΙ. Πείϊφίο ποπ εοπίοπιπέπάα δα ρεγυοτεῖς ὑτοβίοπίϊιπι πιογῖδιιδ. Δίαν τῆς σῆς χαταψηφίζομαι ἀδελτηρίας, ὅτι οὐχ αὐτὴν καθ᾽ ἑαρςὴν χρίνει τὴν θείαν θρησχείαν, δέ ἤδη, χνιῖ, Ἷ. ορίϑι. , Αὐ ἴδιν. Ὁ (ρῃ. " , , δ'΄ Ρραὶ, χχι, . Ποπ). Υἱ!, . Βαυϊάδαι ἰυϑιἢ ΠΙΑΠΟΡΟΓ ἀΔΠΠΠη0 ΥΘΒΆΠΙΔΠ, αυοά ἰρβᾶπι πο δσ ῥυάίοοι τοὶ ρίοηοπι, οχ ΡΠΠρΡ ἢ, θ. Οἷςοῦ. [ἰἰ. 1χ, ΥΑΒΙ ΓΨΕΟΤΊΟΝΕΚ ΕΤ ΝΟΤΕ. () ἢ τορίοιιο ἐμπεσεῖν Διο σοι, ᾿ῃ τῃαγσίηθ δουϊθυηι ἐμπίπτειν, ΡΟΒ5ΙΝ, αυρτυϊράδπ ποαυϊϊΐϊα δᾶπὶ πιαίὶα δεοὶρίαὶ. Ουϊά αμΐμι ἰη͵πδια οαὶ!, κδἱ Ζοβίπιυβ οἱ Μᾶγοη, υἱ , ϑί4ιι Ευβίαιΐυβ ποη δυάοπάα διάδηίο5, οἱ ἰδοίδηιδβ ἀδ ἰ158, φυογυπ) ρυάδγα ρᾶΓ 6586ὶ, οΠΊη68- βαφίεἰ5 ποθ οὐδουγδηίθδ, δί αυΐ η6 πῖον Ἰδΐοοβ φυϊάοπι ἀδθεγοηΐ, ἰπ εἴεγο υἱάθαπιυτν ᾽ Ουγ ποη οὗ τϑεῖ ἔλδλοίδ οἴθγυμι ργαϊοδθ, . οὔ ἀοἰϊοια ἰγαύυς βγῇ νἱἀοτγίβαυθ βροοίοδβαπι σοΠΒ6 υϊείθη), φυοά ρτγορίογ ἱ δὰ ἀϊν᾽ , πηϑην Ὁ] - δορ ἶδπιὶ οοη απ ἄδγο ποηυ ϑ8᾽ οΣ ἰἶα αυ ᾿ἰἰχυθδαί, δοη θη ἴ8π (ονγα μοη ἢἶθοὶ, ποφοί πὶ ροῦ δὲ Ἔχ ρθηάθ. δῖ! ΘΧΡΊΟΓα,, υἱάο] δαυς ἰαθάθ ἀΐβηυ, υἱ οἱ ἀΪ- δορί βοΐ πὶ ογαίογοβϑ, ὧδ ᾿Π νϑεῦα (δοῖυγὶ ὙΘΓΘΆΠ Ὁ οἰΐδη ᾿αθάθη ͵υ8 ὁθηίοχοῦθ, : πιαοῦ , 4υϑπὶ " ΒΟΝΏΟΩΘ 4υδαὶ οχρ ϊοδτί. Ουοά δ] πεφῦο ἰρβυπὶ ΕἰεγυθὴΒ οοη808 οκρίογϑηάυπι, ποῆ] ἐδ Ροηΐδ ΒΡ ΘΠ ) ΡμτῸ μ80 πἰοτὶα, βαεὰ οὐ αυογιιπιάδπηι Ρεοοδίδ, δῃάθοϑδ ἀδηιηδγο, ποῦ ἰυϑία ἰθοογὶδ, " φἸ ΘΓ. δὲ νερὸ ἰἰϊωὰ δάμη! θη5 ἐπαϊμηογίδ αυὶ " ἀουΐίο πιοάο υἱδρίυγ, δϑρίθηι8. ἃς ργυ- ἀθηι5 υἱγὶ ᾿ἰδυάδπὶ δυίεγδοδβ, ἀεὶ παυδηλῖυπι ΘΓΡΟΡῸΒ “, ποροιίαῃ αὐνίηυπι, δὲ ἰυδίυδι) ποη νϑρίθο, οἱ αἱ τἰοποπὶ σομϑοαυοθάο μβορίον διγϑηϊίδηι ἰΠογυαι υΐ ΠΠἸορ ἶ δια ΕΠ. ἀαργεάϊπηιϊυν. ΘΟΟΧΙΙ. --- ΤΗΒΟΌΟΒΟ Β560Η01.Α5Τ1 . Βοπὶς δῶρε οὩ πιαίς 8ἰϊ Υἱείαϊοβ. δοραπὶ 4υΐ ἰῃ οδιαπιδίο ἰπείάθγυμὶ δΠδοιυ8 8οΐθηι ΘΟ. ἀρ] γα. πάϊξηδ Θηΐα) 4υδ εἴη ἰδ φόδβόγυηιὶ ραιϊδηάο, δυάΐθη( οοπράγδηϊῖ, υἱ πιαχίπιο ἀοίογο ἱμρθϑηίυν, Ἠΐοο δἰ ἰτροάϊα σοι δθνλιϊοπθδι) οὐυϊδῖα οοηοίίληϊ, ἀυπὶ Ορ᾿ΪΠ) ᾿πιοϊοτγαη δ ρῥϑιϊθηϊθα ἱπάμυουηιϊ, δι ἰδί8 αυϊάξιη δϑρυὰ ἰΠ Π06 οοἰαυγθηίην, αυΐ μιδοίθηυβ πιούυ]ο, μυη)δη8 ηθροίἃ πιοιυηἰυγ. ἰφηονδηὶ δηΐηι Ὁ" θᾶ ἐοίογ, ργορίον φυς ἰφίατὶ ἀδοθαι, , Νος δίοιαι δὰ αἰϊμ νἱῖ258 ἐπειΠατὺπὶ πηθη ΟΟμ ᾿Πο γα αἰγί αι , ΟΘΕΓΙΟ. βοὶπιιιδ ργοῦθοβ, 8ὶ ηυϊὰ ξγανθ μαιϊϊδηῖιῦγ, δδυάαᾳυδαμδι ΟΟΙΙΠιἰβογαιίίοπθ, βοὰ [δυσὶ οἴἱπἰθι18 ἃς μεθοοηίο ἀἶβηο8 . ΠΠΠυδβίγὶο- τὸδ δηἷπὶ ἰρ88 δά νυἱγίυίθπ)ῃ δρρᾶγαηῖυῦς 0η88 δα ἰδ πηδίϊοη ΘΟΓΟΏ . ΟΟΟΧΙΩΥ͂. --- ΑΘΟΙΓΕΡΙΟ ΒΟΡΗΙΘ5ΤΑ4. . ΙΘΙ0ΟᾺΙ ῬΕΓΌΘΙΟΤΑ Α ἀλλ᾽ ὑπὸ τῆς ἐνίων πονηρίας αὑτὴν καχίζει. Τί γὰρ ἐχείνη ἠδίχησεν, εἰ Ζώσιμος, χαὶ Μάρων, ὡς φῆς, καὶ Εὐστάθιος ἀτόλμητα τολμῶντες, σεμνυνόμενοί τΞ ἐφ᾽ οἷς ἐπαισχύνεσθαι δίχαιον " πάντας τε ἀπο- χρύψαντες τοὺς () χαχίᾳ βεδοημένους, χαὶ μηδὲ ἐν τοῖς λαϊχοῖς εἶναι ὀφείλοντες εἰς χλῆρον δοχοῦσί τε; Διὰ τί δὲ μὴ ἀπὸ τῶν χατορθούντων αὐτὴν ἀναχηρύττεις, ἀλλ᾽ ἀπὸ τῶν πταιόννων διασύρεις; καὶ δοχεῖς εὐπρόσωπον ῥᾳθυμίαν τεθηρευχέναι τοῦ μὴ δύνασθαι δι᾽ αὐτοὺς τῇ θειοτάτῃ προσελθεῖν φιλοσοφίᾳ ; ε
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