Letter 471: Justice in ecclesiastical administration requires exactly what it requires in civil administration: impartiality.
If among the Jews — even though the devil led and drove them wherever he wished, and drove them into idolatry and roused them to murder — the devil spawned many heresies, let no one marvel that among Christians he has produced far more. For before the incarnate coming of Christ, seeing that all were drunk with wickedness and no one, so to speak, was truly sober, he sowed only a few seeds of contention. But when the saving Word came from heaven, bringing us the doctrines of a heavenly citizenship, and to the devil, through the threats He issued against sinners, foretelling the punishment that awaited him — for He said: 'Depart into the fire prepared for the devil and his angels' — then indeed the common enemy of all, seeing that our race was gradually and little by little shaking off wickedness and embracing virtue, rejecting impiety and welcoming piety, and having heard the decree of the sentence against himself, breathed more fiercely against us and spawned the heresies. Being no longer able to stand against piety directly, he uses its very name to lead many astray into impiety; and under the guise of reverence he strives to overturn the truth by every artifice, and often trips up by corrupted doctrines those who shine with the most excellent life. For this is his one work and single endeavor: to plunge all alike, whether by force or by spurious doctrines, into the sea of destruction with himself. Reflecting on these things, therefore, let the leaders of the heresies cease sowing seeds against the truth, remembering that they themselves above all are tossed about in the greatest danger. And let their listeners also cease, enslaved by prejudice alone and fighting valiantly against the truth, lest they render idle — as far as it lies within their power — the great and surpassing achievement of the Savior, which exceeds all speech and understanding.
AI-assisted translation — This translation was produced with AI assistance and has not been peer-reviewed.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
Εἰ ἀρυὰ φοη (χυλπινῖς οἰἶαπι 'π ροιαϑίαι ὁ ἔχων χαὶ ἄγων καὶ φέρων αὐτοὺς ὡς ἑδούλετο), χαὶ ἃ Ἐ0( . ἃς ἀϊιΐο" δύυὰ ΒΑΌ6Ώ5, Δ0 ρΓῸ ᾿ϊθέτυ δ00 : παρὰ Ἰουδαίοις (χαίτοι χαὶ εἰς εἰδωλολατρίαν αὐὖ- τοὺς ἐχμήνας, χαὶ εἰς ἀνδροφονία: ἐχλυττήσας), πολλὰς αἱρέσεις ἕἔτεχεν ὁ διάδολος. Εὲὶ δὲ χαὶ παρὰ Χριστιανοῖς πολλῷ πλείους, θαυμαζέτω μηδείς. Πρὸ μὲν γὰρ τῆς ἐνσάρχου τοῦ Χριστοῦ παρουσίας, ὁρῶν πάντας ὑπὸ τῆς χαχίας μεθύοντας, χαὶ οὐδένα, ὡς ἔπος εἰπεῖν, χαθαρῶς νήφοντα, ὀλίγα ἐνέδαλε φιλο- νειχίας σπέρματα. Ἐπειδὴ δὲ ἧχεν οὐρανόθεν ὁ σω- τήριος Λόγος, φέρων μὲν ἡμῖν οὐρανίου πολιτείας δόγματα, τῷ δὲ διαθόλῳ, δι᾽ ὧν τοῖς ἁμαρτάνουσιν Ἠπεΐλει, προμηνύων τὴν ἀναμένουσαν αὐτὸν δίχην (Βεγε γάρ" ε Πορεύεσθε εἰς τὸ πῦρ τὸ ἡτοιμασμένον τῷ διαδόλῳ καὶ τοῖς ἀγγέλοις αὐτοῦ " ») τότε δὴ ὁ χοι- γὸ: ἀπάντων ἐχθρὸς ὁρῶν χαὶ τὸ ἡμέτερον γένος ρέμα χαὶ χατὰ μιχρὸν τὴν μὲν χαχίαν ἀποσειόμε- γον, τὴν δ᾽ ἀρετὴν προσιέμενον, καὶ τὴν μὲν ἀσέ- ὄειαν ἐξοστραχίζον, τὴν δ᾽ εὐσέδειαν ἀσπαζόμενον " ἀχηύσας δὲ χαὶ τῆς χαθ᾽ ἑαυτοῦ ἀποφάσεως τὸν ὄρον, σφοδρότερον ἔπνευσε χαθ᾽ ἡμῶν, χαὶ τὰς αἱρέσεις τεχε. Τῇ γοῦν εὐσεδείᾳ ἀντιστῆναι μηχέτι δυνάμε- νος, τῷ ὀνόματι αὐτῆς εἰς ἀσέδειαν πολλοὺς χειρ- δι ΜῈ . χχν, . ἃς [6Γ6η8), οἱ δρυὰ δυύξοο8 ((Δπιειϑὶ οἰΪλπὶ νοῖ- αϊ ταῦ. φυοάδπι [ὕγογο ρογοΐιοβ δά ᾿ἀοϊογυηι οὐ] - υπὶ δίᾳυ6 διοιηϊοἰἀἶα ἱπηρυ ) πιυ ᾿ῶγοϑθδ ἀΐαθο μτγοσγοανὶὶ. Ουοἀ δὶ ἀρυύΐ (]ιεδι! Π08 - πιὰ ρὶυγαβ ραρογὶί, πουλί πὶ πιίγαιη ἰδίαι ν]- ἀοϑδιυγ. ΝΑπὶ οὐ δηῖ6 οαγηΔ ηὶ (Ομ γίδιὶ ἀὐνοηιυπηὶ ῬΓΩΒΘη Ἶ ΟΠ]Π68 Υἱ Εἰ ἰ6πιυ] πιὰ ἰαυογάξθ, υἱϊυπ), υἱὐ ἰϊὰ ἀΐόαπη, ρυγΓο δἰᾳυθ ἰηίοβνο δοῦγίιηι. οοπδρίοογοὶ, ἰάοῖγοο ράυοα οοηϊςδηιϊοι Β6ΙΪ ΠᾺ ἰη᾽ϊοἰοῦαι. Ροβιοδαυδιῃ δυίδη) βαϊ αἰ γ6 δγυυ οο- ᾿ϊιαδ νϑηΐϊὶ, πο φυϊάδπι σΟἰ .. υἱίβ φϑηθγὶβ ὅ0- ουπιοηΐδ (αΓ6η8, αἴ) δυί6π), ρ6Γ το ΐ)) 4υδὃ ἴῃ ραοοδίογοβ ἰπιαπάουαϊ, ροθδηι, αυα ἰρϑυι ᾿η8- αι, ργϑηπηϊδη8 (ἀϊοαῦυαι δηΐπ : ε [ ἴῃ ἰφιιθπα 4υΐ ραγδίυβ 68ἰ ἀϊλυοῖο οἱ δηᾳ6 ο͵ , τ Ὑ6 ΓῸ ΘΟ Πΐ8 ἰ οὐμηΐθην ἰοβιΪϊ8, ἰθπ ηθ06 "ΟΒι τ πὶ ἃς ριυ δια Ὑἱΐπὶ ὄχουιϊθγθ, ἂς Υἱγιυϊθπ) Δα πη Γ6, δία ἱπηρὶ οἰαίαπι δ ΐορᾶγθ, ὃς ὑἱδιδίθιη διηρίθοι! ραγϑρίςογοι, ἰυπὶ 4υ04 οοπιϊει!πὰ- «ἰοι δύ ἀδογοίυπι δυά 586ι, δοεῖυ8 δ νογβυ) ἤανῖι, δίᾳυο μῷγθϑθβ ἴῃ ἰποθιῃ ῃγοίι!, Ναιη οὐμι ΤΑΙ ΓΕΟΤΙΟΝΕΒ ΕΤ ΝΟΤΕ. () Κα.λή τε, μεγά.ἴη τε, καὶ ἀγλαὰ ἔργ᾽ εἰδυῖα. [Ποπνογίουϑ δἷς νϑῦβϑυβ, ρυ] οἰ Θγγί ἀἀ νἱγιυ- ἴδεν ἀοίογαυοῖ ἰδἰάογυβ, ὀχβίαὶ Οὐψες. Ὁ, γγοϊλίυδ δἰν Ευϊηθδο ( δυὰ τηδίΓα διὶ ὕ γ686Π, Ἔσχε δὲ πατρὸς ἐμοῖο γυγὴ Φοίγισσ' ἐνὶ οἵἴχω, Κα,.1ὴ τε, μι., οἷς. ΑἸττ, () Εππι., τί γὰρ χάλλιον. [μου δη) οχρίδηΐ οι ς γλιῖς. οἱ Αἴτϊ. Εριτ. ΡΑτα. . ΙΒΕΏΟΒΙ ΡΕΓΌΒΙΟΤῈ Ρἰεἰδιὶ Ἰϑη οἱ οίδεῖ πδαυδᾶί, ἰᾷ ἰὰ οπιηΐ δηΐπιΐ α γωγῆσαι φιλονεικεῖ: καὶ προσχήματι εὐλαδείας (), εοηϊοη ίαδα ἱπεμμεθὶ!, υἱ ΒΟΥ ἰμβεῖυβ "οπιθη ρμἰθγο8- ηαυς δὰ μηρὶθίδιοπ) ἀμοδὶ : δίηυ ρίοίΔιβ ἐροεὶ δι- αυὲ οὐθέν; νεγί(δίοιη ονθείθγα οαδαίῳν, ΘΟδᾷιι6, ηυἱ ορεϊπηῷ Υἱίφα ἰαμ Ῥφέδθρθ σχοθ! δρμηῖϊ, μ6ῦ οοεγψρίῃ ἀρ) οβίοεϊ!. ΕϊΟηΐ υπΐομπὶ μος ἱμὶ Ορυβ, υμ᾽ου διυὐΐιαι δβῖ, αἱ οὐθηθ8 δὲ υὑπυ μι, δῖ γᾳ ρ68 Υἱῷ, ὦν ροῖ αὐυ]ογίρα ἀοαρμδδίβ, ἰη οχὶ- Ηὶ ρ6 ίια βαομηϊ μγροοίμ ( ὅ884:, ἔς ἰφέϊυγ Ὠ:- ΟΦ με βοίροξ, ῥοείἰλυίεα,, δάνοῦουβ ναγὶ(αἰθα δοιιΐθα ἰφεογο ἀδείμδοϊ, ᾿ΠΠυ δοουιῃ τοριυίληι88, 4πο( ἰμδὶ Ῥγᾶὶ ςαἰῳν . ἰὴ δι π)η ρογί60] ὙΘΓΡΆΠ ΙΓ, Βαδίρδηι φιϊϑη ΠΟ τι μι ἀΠογθα δη ἰοεἰραιθ ἀν λ- Χαῖ Ορίηΐϊοηὶ δοῦνίγθ, δί4υ6 «ἀνογϑιιβ υργ δίθι “ Ῥθίμπι (200Γ6 : Π6 Δ᾽οαυΐ μραξηύυηλ οπηπΐ4ι ΔΟΓΙΠΟηΘ τὴν ἀλήθειαν ἀνατρέψαι πειρᾶται, καὶ τοὺς βίῳ πολ- λάχις ἀρίστῳ διαλάμποντας διεφθαρμένοις δόγμασιν ἐχτραχηλίζει. Ἕν γὰρ αὐτῷ ἔργον καὶ μία σπουδὴ, πάντας ὁμοῦ, εἴτε διὰ βίας (), εἴτε διὰ νόθων δογ- μάτων εἰς τὸ τῆς ἀπωλείας μεθ᾽ ἑἐχυτοῦ χαταπον- αἰσαν πέλαγος. Ταῦτα οὖν ἐννοοῦντες, πανέσθωσαν μὰν οἱ τῶν αἱρέσεων ἡγεμόνες τὰ χατὰ τῆς ἀληθείας σπείροντες σπέρματα, ἐννοοῦντες ὡς αὐτοὶ μάλιστα πάντων ἐν μεγίστῳ χινδύνῳ σαλούουσι. Πανέσθωσαν δὲ χαὶ οἱ τούτων ἀκροαταὶ, προλήψει μόνῃ δουλεύον- τες, χαὶ χατὰ τῆς ἀληθείας νεανιευόμενοι, ἵνα μὴ τὸ μέγα χαὶ λόγον χαὶ νοῦν ὑπερθαῖνον τοῦ Σκυτῆρος χατάρθωμα, τόγε ἦχον ἐφ' ἑαυτοῖς, ἀργὸν ἀποφήνωσι. Πα
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