Letter 852: The priesthood is a sacred trust, not a career.
A certain man, not only superior to shameful gains but also distributing his own possessions to those in need, upon learning that he had received a few fish from someone who had committed perjury, resolved to release him — at least so far as it was in his power — from the sin. For he understood that to profit from the proceeds of sin is to participate in the sin itself. Even a small gain tainted by injustice corrupts the soul more thoroughly than a great loss suffered for the sake of righteousness. The fish were few and of little value, but the perjury that procured them was a stain that no amount of water could wash away. This man's scrupulousness may seem excessive to the worldly-minded, who calculate their morality by the size of the transgression. But the truly righteous man does not ask, "How much evil can I tolerate?" but rather, "How much good can I accomplish?" He does not seek the boundary between permitted and forbidden, but flees from the boundary altogether, putting as much distance as possible between himself and sin. For the one who walks near the edge of the cliff may boast of his daring, but the one who walks on solid ground has chosen the path of wisdom. For the man who receives ill-gotten goods, even unknowingly, bears a share of the guilt until he renounces them. The righteous man examines not only his own actions but also the source of his possessions, not only his own words but also the company he keeps, not only his own thoughts but also the influences he allows to enter his mind. This is the standard of true righteousness — not merely to avoid evil, but to avoid the very appearance of evil; not merely to refuse to sin, but to refuse to profit from the sins of others. Such vigilance is demanding, but it is the vigilance that the Gospel requires, and the one who practices it will stand with confidence before the judgment seat of Christ.
AI-assisted translation — This translation was produced with AI assistance and has not been peer-reviewed.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
. ᾿Ανήρ τις οὐ μόνον αἰσχρῶν λημμάτων χρείττων, ἀλλὰ χαὶ τὰ οἰχεῖα τοῖς δεομένοις διανέμων, πυθό- μενος ὅτι ἰχθὺς ὀλίγους εἰληφὼς παρά τινος ἐπιορ- κήσαντος, ἀπολῦσαι αὐτὸν, τόγε ἐπὶ σοὶ, τοῦ ἁμαρ- . τήματος ἑτόλμησας, στενάξας μέγα, τὸ Δημοσθενιχὸν ἐχεῖνο ἀπεφρθέγξατο, ὡς ἔμοιγε δοχεῖ " καὶ γὰρ εἰ φορτιχώτερον εἶναι τὸ ῥηθησόμενον δόξει, λέξω, καὶ οὐχ ἀποχρύψομαι" χατὰ τοῦτό γε αὐτὸ ἄξιον αὐτὸν εἶναι θανάτῳ ζημιῶσαι, ἵνα ἐν δου θῇ τοῖς ἀσεδέσι τοῦτον τὸν νόμον. ᾿Αλλὰ τοῦτο μὲν ἐχεῖνος περιαλγὴς γενόμενος ἔφη " ἐμοὶ δ᾽ ἔδοξε χαὶ πᾶσι «οἷς παροῦσι μηδὲν ἀπειχὸς εἰρηχέναι. Οὐ γὰρ τὸ σὲ δώροις ἐξευμενισθῆναι, ἀπολύει ἐχεῖνον τοῦ ἐγχλή- ματος, ἀλλὰ τὸ ἀπολαδεῖν τὰ οἰχεῖα τὸν ἐχ τῆς ἐπιορχίας ἀδιχηθέντα. Μὴ τοίνυν χέρδους ἕνεχεν αἰσχροῦ ἣ παραποίει ἣ παρερμήνευε τοὺς θείους χρησμούς. Οὐ γὰρ ἀδικεῖν μὲν, προσφέρειν δὲ τοῖς ἱερωμένοις προστάττουσιν, ἀλλὰ τοῖς; ἀδιχηθεῖσιν ἀπολογεῖσθαι () διὰ τῶν πραγμάτων θεσπίζουσι. Τὸ γὰρ, « ᾿Εὰν δήσητε, » περὶ τῶν ἁμαρτανόντων εἴρηται" χαὶ τὸ, « Ἐδὰν λύσητε, » περὶ τῶν γνωθβι- μαχούντων. ᾿Απολύεται δὲ τοῦ ἐγχλήματος, οὐχ ὁ ΥΑΒΙΦ ΓΚΕΟΤΙΟΝῈΒ ΕΤ ΝΟΤΑ͂. ) Οοἀά. Υαὶ., μιαρός. ῬΟΒΒΗ͂Ν. Οοἀά. . παραχολουθήσει πριῖδὶ ἰη παραχο- λουθήσειε. ΑΙ) ος νόγ 0Ὸ δοαᾳυυπίυγ υδηὺυ6 δί οἱ γὰρ οὐσία οἐμ τ ᾽ οοάθη οοὐΐς6, [ν», () Ργὸ ἀπολογεῖσθαι οοἀ, 4ϊ. ἰοαἷ! ἐχλογήσα- σθαι. ϑοᾳιδη!! τόγδὺ ἰαυι ἀυδῖ6 δὐοι π.ὰ ο5ὶ οὐ υβάδιιι οο616 πη ΠΥ ἰδοὺ ἁμαρτανόντων ἴῃ ἀμε- πανοήτων πιυϊ4η18. . ἘΡΙΘΤΟΙΑΆΌΜ [18Β. ΠΠ . - ἘΡΙΞΤ. ΟΟΙΧ. τὸν ἱερέα ἐχμειλισσόμενος, ἀλλ᾽ ὁ τὸν ἀδιχηθέντα Α «ἰη6 ᾿ΠΠαἱἱ ἰϊδιη, « δ, Γ , » 1ΐ8, φυὶ μο"- ἐξευμενιζόμενος. Ἐξ γὰρ τοῖς ἱερωμένοις νομίζεις δεδόσθαι τὴν τοιαύτην ἐξουσίαν, τῶν πλημμελούντων μὴ σπουδαζόντων ἀποτρίψασθαι τὰ πταίσματα, τυ- ραννιχὸς μὲν εἶναι δόξει ὁ χρησμὸς, χαὶ πρὸς τὸ ἱερατιχὸν χέρδος μόνον ὁρᾷν () τῶν δὲ ἀδικη- θέντων οὐδένα ποιούμενος λόγον " ὠμότατοι δὲ ἀπαν- θρωπότατα οἱ τὴν τῆς ἱερωσύνης ἐστεμμένοι λει- «ουργίαν, μὴ πάντας ἀπολύοντες τῶν ἐγχλημάτων. ᾿Αλλ᾽ οὐχ ἔστι ταῦτα, οὐχ ἔστι. Μὴ σαυτὸν παρα- λογίσῃ, μᾶλλον δὲ μὴ σαυτὸν χαὶ τοὺς ἀχούοντάς σου (), εἰς βάραθρον ὥσῃς, μηδὲ τὰ τῶν Γραμ- ματέων χαὶ Φαρισαίων καχὰ ἀνανεώσῃς, τῶν παρα- υθίας τινὰς τοῖς ἐπιορχοῦσι δι᾽ αἰσχρὸν χέρδος ἐπι- νοησάντων, καὶ τοὺς παῖδας χατὰ τῶν γονέων ὁπλι» πἰιοη ἀπουμίυν. Ογἰἷπα δυίαπὶ βοϊνίυτγ, ποι υΐ δαοογοίοι (οἰϊηϊ!, ᾳυΐ ουη, ουΐ ἰη τα ᾿Π .ὰ 68ι, ρἰασδί. Νδιῃ δἱ δδοθγάοι θιι5 μι) υϑιηθ ροϊδ- βίδίοι ΘΟ 888Π ΓΙ ΓΑΓΪ8, ἰΪ8, 4υΐ ρϑοσδιΐ, ἀεϊϊο(ἃ δυἃ ργοροιογΘ δίαυθ Δυβίογροτγα πἰηΐπ6 βίυ- ἀοεῖθυβ, ἴθ ἰγγδηηΐουι) . ΟΥΓΔΟΌΪ απ Υἱ - υἱλαγ, δἴᾳφιθ βδοογίοίυηι ἀυηΐεχαὶ οομημμοάσπι 5ρ6- Εἰδη8 : θοίυπὶ δυίθη), 4υΐϊθδυ8 ἰεὐυτία ἰΔοίλ οβί, Ὠ0Π 8πὶ γαιϊοηθπὶ ὨΔΡΘΠΒ : ΟΓὨ 9581π ] ἰέδηι οἱ ἰη - ἰυτηδι πὶ , δδοογοιϊ πη ΓῈ [υηφσυπίυγ, ᾳυοὰ Οπηθ5 ΟΥἰ πη δι. ᾿βοίγϑηί. Αἱ πο ἰϊὰ οὐΐ, Π0ηὴ ἰη4υδη) ἰ8 : Π6 ἰεἶρδαπι οἰγουϊμηδογ ), τοὶ, υἱ γοοι] ἸΟ4υ , Π6 8ἰπ δἱ ἰδίρβιπ),, οἱ , 4υἱΐ δυάΐϊυηι, ῃ νογαρκίμθην ἔπ ρ6 , πος ϑογὶθδ- σάντων, καὶ τὰς θείας παρερμηνευσάντων, χαὶ ἀνα- ἃ Γυπὶ οἱ Ρ)ιαγ βοτυιη ( ᾳυὶ 5οἰαιἰα φυφάδιη ρα͵ογϑη- τρεψάντων ἐντολάς" ἀλλ᾽ εὐαγῶς χαὶ εἰλικρινῶς; τοῖς διὰ τῶν χρησμῶν θεσμοθετηθεῖσιν ἕπου" οἷς καὶ ὁ ἱερὸς ᾿Απόστολος ἀχολούθως () ἔλεγεν «ε Οὐ γὰρ δυνάμεθά τι κατὰ τῆς ἀληθείας, ἀλλ᾽ ὑπὲρ τῆς ἀλη- θείας. » Ἢ ἂν μὲν πλούσιος ἧἦ ὁ ἐπιορχήσας, χαὶ φιροσενέγχῃ τῷ ἱερεῖ, ἀπολύεται" ἐὰν δὲ πένης χαὶ μὴ προσενέγχῃ, εὐθύνεται, ᾿Αλλὰ ταῦτα οὔ φημι πράττειν, ἀλλ᾽ οὐδ᾽ ἐννοςῖν θέμις. Ἐρεῖ γάρ σοι ὃ κριτής" ε δΥπέλαδες ἄν μὲ (), ὅτι ἔσομαί σοι ὅμοιος ; » Καὶ πῶς οἷόν τε; Ὁ γὰρ προστάξας τοῖς ὑπηχόοις δῶρα ἐπ᾽ ἀθώοις μὴ δέχεσθαι, οὐχ ἂν δὴ που τοὺς ἱερωμένους τούτοις χαταῤῥυπαίνεσθαι τοῖς αἰσχροῖς χέρδεσι προσέταττεν. ᾿Αλλὰ τοῦτο ἔφη, ἵνα μετὰ τὴν ἀπολογίαν τῶν ἀποστερηθέντων () συν- εἰδυδ οὉ ἰυγρὸπὶ αυδδϑίυ ἀχοορίίϑγυηί, οἱ ἢ] ΐος᾿ δΔάνογδυβ ρβᾶγθηίθ8 ϑυιθάγυηιὶ, οἱ αἰνίπα πιδηάδιδ Βἰηἰβί τ ἱπιογργαίδιίοης ἀδιογβογαηΐ, ἃς δνθγίογυηι) ΓΘΠΟΥ͂ΘΒ : ΘΓ , . ἀν] η ΟΥ̓Δ Οι - εἰ δυηϊ, ρὶΘ ἃ6 δίῃοασθ δθήυδγθ, αφυΐθυβ οΟι86η- ἴδη66 8ΔοΙΟβδηοῖι8 οἰἶϑηη ΑΡοΒίοϊ ἀϊοοῦάὶ : « Νοη δηΐπι ροβϑυιηῦβ Δ᾿αυΐὰ δόνογδυδ νου ἴθ), ὑγοὸ γογ
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