Letter 466: A physician who only treats the healthy is not a physician — he is simply a companion to those who do not need him.
Since you have written that Bishop Eusebius does not acknowledge his faults by withdrawing from transgressions greater than pardon, but rather adds shamelessness to the appearance of self-defense, saying: "For what was I lacking that I should sell ordinations? For I enjoy all that anyone might pray for, or even beyond prayer -- both glory and honor" -- a certain friend of his, renowned for his hatred of wickedness, who was present, replied: That the ministry of the episcopate, which he obtained contrary to his worthiness, is the summit of all things men might pray for, I know and agree. But for those who incline toward wickedness and are overcome by greed, nothing is sufficient. Nor would certain rulers have become wicked and criminal, if they had been content with what they possessed and had known how to moderate their prosperity. Yet I think that more often it happens that more villains arise from among these eminent men than from the lesser sort. For the more they are exalted above others, the more they swell with vanity, and think themselves entitled to think above the common people, and consider it an insult to take counsel. And to the same degree, self-will, desire for more, and the boldness of thinking they will not pay the penalty even if caught, enter into them. Let him therefore acknowledge his fault, and let him not think he is making a plausible defense. For the charges are not thereby dismissed, but he also incurs ridicule.
To Strategios the Monk: Indeed, not nature nor substance compares to substance, but quality to quality -- which, according to the reasoning of the philosophers, is constituted so as to accrue and depart by its nature. For they define substance as the vehicle of quality, without which, they say, quality cannot exist. Scripture made the comparison saying: "If one might change..."
AI-assisted translation — This translation was produced with AI assistance and has not been peer-reviewed.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
Ἐπειδὴ γέγραφας ὅτι Εὐσέδιος ὁ ἐπίσχοπος, οὐ τῷ ἀποστῆναι τῶν συγγνώμης μειζόνων πταισμά- τῶν γνωσιμαχεῖ, ἀλλὰ τῷ δοχεῖν () ἀπολογεῖσθαι, ἀναισχυντεῖ φάσχων " Τίνος ὧν ἐνδεὴς ἐπίπρασχον τὰς χειροτονίας ; ὧν γὰρ εὔξαιτ᾽ ἂν ἕχαστος, εἰ μὴ χαὶ ὑπὲρ εὐχὴν, ἀπολαύω καὶ δόξης χαὶ τιμῆς παρών τις φίλων τῶν μισοπονηρίας ἕνεχεν δια δοήτων, ἔφη" Ὅτι μὲν τῆς ἐπισχοπῆς ἡ λειτουργία, ἧς παρὰ τὴν ἀξίαν ἀπέλαυσε, πάντων ἐστὶ τῶν ( ἀνθρώποις εὐχταίων ὅρος, οἶδα χαὶ σύμφημι. Τοῖς δὲ πρὸς χαχίαν ῥέπουσι, χαὶ λήμματος ἡττωμέ- γοις, οὐδέν ἐστιν αὔταρχες. Οὐδ᾽ ἂν ἐγίνοντο ἐχ «ὧν ἡγεμόνων τινὲς μοχθηροὶ χαὶ χαχοῦργοι, εἰ ΄ κοῖς ὑπάρχουσιν ἢρχοῦντο, χαὶ συμμετρεῖσθαι τὰς εὐημερίας ἥδεσαν. ᾿Αλλ᾽ οἶμαι πολλάχις γίνεσθαι χαὶ πλείους ἀπὸ τούτων, ἢ τῶν χαταδεεστέρων. “Ὅσῳ γὰρ καὶ ἐπηρμένοι παρὰ τοὺς ἄλλους εἰσὶ, χαὶ φλεγμαίνουσι τῷ τύφῳ, καὶ ὑπὲρ τοὺς πολλοὺς φρονεῖν ἀξιοῦσι, χαὶ τὸ συμόουλεύεσθαι ὕδριν ἡγοῦνται’ τοσούτῳ χαὶ αὐθάδεια, χαὶ ἐπιθυμία πλειόνων, χαὶ θάρσος τοῦ μηδ᾽ ἂν ἁλῶσι δίχην ὑφέξειν, αὐτοῖς εἰσέρχεται. Γνωσιμαχείτω τοιγαρ- οὖν, καὶ μὴ δοχείτω ἀπιθάνῳ ἀπολογεῖσθαι. Οὐ τοῦάᾶῖ, υἱυς , Γυγβιι) ρορυΐᾶΓΟ8 ἰπίο γ Γίχδῃιοβ δὰ διηὶο ιἶδπῇ σοπιρη δ, ἰάοῖγοο ἃ δοο, ΖΕ εΥριϊογιαι φυΐάθιη δσογυεσίδιον, ρορυϊατίυηι δυΐθηι ϑύογυπι οἰ ϑἰδίογ, ἱπδιϊιυ . ΧΧῚ. -- ΑΜΡΕΤΙΟ ΕΡΙΒΘΟΟΘΡΟ. Ουοηΐδ! ΟΧ [ἰἰογὶ8 (οἷ ἰηιο! οχὶ, Ευδβοδίυπι δρίβοορυηι), Ποὴ ἃ οΥἰἱ ἷθυ8 Οηπὶ γϑηΐὰ αγανίουὶ - θυ δὐροιϊηθηάο Γααιΐυ8 δ᾽ δὲ ΘΟ ΒΌΪ6Γα, τόγαιϊ, ΄υοι ἀείεῃβίοηοπι δ᾽ ᾳυδπὶ ΒΓΕ ρυϊοὶ, ᾿ππρυϊ δι! νου υἱἱ : Ουὐυδηδπι τοὶ ροηυγία ἰἀθο0Γο, υἱ - ΟΓ88 οτάηδιίοπ νοηδηι7 ΘηἾ πὶ ΟρίΔΓα ], Π6 ἀΐεδηι ᾳφυ8 γοίϑ 80ρ6Γϑηι, ἰἷδ ἔγαογ,, ἰο6 , φίοτγία οἱ βοποτὸ : δυὰϊ αυἱὰ ϑπιΐουδ 4ιϊ8πι, ο"» ππργοῦογυπι οὐΐυῦλ Οἰαγυθ οοἰθῦγὶ δ, φυΐ ἰυπὶ δύογαιὶ, ἰοουῖυβ : (υοὰ ηυΐίθπι ορίδοοραῖίυϑ πυηυ8, φυοά ἰμΐφηθ οοηβοουϊυι Θὐϊ, ΘΟΓ ΟΠ ἶυ πὶ πίον μοπιΐηθ5 ὁχορίδηϊυν, νοίυϊ Θχίγοπ) πηοίἃ δἰ1, βοΐ δἰυθ Ὁ. Αἱ ἰΐ8, αυΐ Υἱεΐυπι ρτο- ροηδβὶ φυφβιυΐᾳυο δι άϊΐειΐ δυηϊ, εἰ 84ι115 . Νουα ἐσ ρμγρίοειϊβ οἱ δηι δι! ἰὺ5 ᾿πργυῦΐ ἃς (Δοϊποτγοϑὶ υ οδ586ὶ, ] , αυ85 ργῴθδίο αθδθηΐϊ, ουπίοηϊ! Θββθηϊ, ΓΕῦυ8 δυΐϊδ δϑουηάΐβ πιοάογαγὶ βείγεηϊ. Ὑόγυη) νὶυγο5 εχ ἰβϑι18, 4υϑπὶ 6χ ἱπίογϊ ογί ποι) ΐπεπὶ φεδάι, ἱπηρτοῦοϑ ρόγβρα ἤδγὶ ρου. Νδη) 4α0Ὸ . Ιηΐογθδ οἱ δχοοίβίογαβ δβυηΐὶ, ἰδβίυᾳιι ἰηιυγαοβουῃί, Β ρΓἃ νυΐϊξιι5 δβαιιγο γοϊαπὶ, ΘιἾ8ι ) πη ἷ8 8Γ- Γοζϑηιία, 6ἱ ρ]υγίυπι Γογι τὴ ουρί , οἱ Δυοὶδ, 4υλ, π6 5Ϊ ἷπ βοοίδεο αὐυϊάθπι ἀσργοῃθηβὶ [υστίηϊ, γὰρ ἀπολύεται τὰ ἐγχλήματα, ἀλλὰ χαὶ γέλωτα ἢ). ρΡαδὰπι ἀλίυγοῦ Θὐηἤάσηιϊ, ἰδ δογαπὶ Δι - “Προσοφλισχάνει. πι05 ἱπρτγοάϊμιν. Βοδὶρίβοαὶ ἰσί(υν, π6ὲ ἰπδυ ευΐ- ἄδλη αἰϊφυϊἀ, φυοά δὰ ρυγεδούυπι [Δοῖαιὶ, αἴδγγο υἱάδδίυγ. Νϑῆμα διαὶ οὶ ηΐμα ἀἰ!Πυἱ! : γόγυῖὰ τί ἀϊευ- [0π ἱπϑΌροῦ δ6 ργῶροί. Ο0Β΄. -- ΣΤΡΑΤΗΓῚῸ ΜΟΝΑΖΟΝΤΙ. Μάλιστα μὲν οὐδὲ φύσιν, οὐδ᾽ οὐσίαν οὐσίᾳ, ἀλλὰ ΕΧΧΤῚ. --- 5ΤΆΑΤΕΟΙΟ ΜΟΝΑΟΘΗΟ. Μαχίπιδ αυΐϊάδι! πδς παίυτϑηι, ἢ60 δυ)δίδηικ.8πὶ ΥΑΒΙΒ ΓΕΟΤΙΟΝΕῈΒ ΕἸ ΝΟΤΑ͂. (δ5) Τὰ χαρίσματα τῶν δεχομένων. Ἐδύθπηι 0ὶ φυοηυὸ ἐδι ᾿δἰάογί δεμίοηιϊϊα, οἱ αγοξ. Ναζίμηξθη, οἱ ἉΠογυπ). δίς. Αϑίογίυ8 ἴῃ δχροϑὶ ἰοη6 ράγᾶῦο ( ΠΠΙο ργοάϊψο δρυὰ ΡΙ]οιίυπὶ ἰη Βίδίϊοίἠ.. ρᾷᾳ. : Ἴσον μὲν οὖν ἐστι τὸ ἐπιδάλλον ἑχάστῳ᾽ ἡ δὲ τῶν λαμδανόντων χατὰ τῆν σπουδὴν ἑχάστου διαφορὰ, ἐχείνη χαὶ μεῖζον γαὶ ἔλαττον αὐτὸ ποιεῖ, ἣ χαὶ ὅλως σπαθίζει καὶ ἐχδαπανᾷ, εἰς. Ἀιττ. () ΡΙὸ ἀλλὰ τῷ δοχεῖν οο4, αι. [ , ἀλλὰ τῶν δοχεῖν. ἵ6Γ5. ὁ ἐλυϑη τοῦ ἐνδεὴς : ΙῃΔΓζ. ουΔ. Αι. μοίδιὶ, ἐπιδεής, γοΓϑι! ροϑὶ , ρῖῸ εἰ μὴ εοι. ει. Ἰορὶι εἰμί, ΥοΓΒ. . ῥΓῸ τις φίλων “οὐ. ΑΙϊ. Ὠαῦθι τις φίλος, ΡΟΘΒΙΝ, . ΙΒΙ0ΟΆΙ ΡΕΠΌΘΙΟΤΕ δ1θ. βυϊκδίφηεία, 5οὰ φυδι! αἴθοπι ] (4υ , αἱ γ]!- Α ποιότητα ποιότητι (ἢπερ χατὰ τὸν τῶν φιλοσόφων δορθόγυπὶ υϑνῦδ υἱᾶτ, ἤδη Ὠδίιγαπν Νδ »6ῖ, υἱ ἃ8.- λόγον πέφυχε χαὶ συμθαίνειν χαὶ ἀποσυμθδαίνειν. εθάσδγο ἃς γϑοθάδγο ροβϑὶΐ : πᾶπὶ βιιυδίληι πὶ φυα! -ὀ ᾿Ὄχημα γὰρ εἶναι τὴν οὐσίαν τῆς ποιότητος ὁρίζον- (δι158 υϑϑίου!απι δἰδιαυηί : 4ις5 ηἶδὶ ἀχβίδιδι, ται, ἧς μὴ ὑπαρχούσης, ἀνύπαρχτον εἶναι τὴν ποιό- 4υα]ἰδίοπι πηἰηΐπ! Ἔχ βίϑίθγο ρο886 8Δ8βεγιιῃ!) οοπρᾶ-ὀ τητά φασι) παρέδαλεν ἡ Γραφὴ, λέγουσα". « Εἰ ἀλλά- γαΥΐ. ϑογίρίυγο, ] νουϑῖβ υἱδπδ :
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