Letter 863: Virtue must be practiced with all one's strength — not merely admired from a distance.
Not the power alone of the proclamation, O admirable one, but also the life of those who proclaim it, being in agreement with the proclamation, won over the people. For who would have been persuaded by men who said one thing and did another? The world has seen enough of those who preach virtue while practicing vice, who commend poverty while hoarding wealth, who extol humility while scrambling for position. Such men do not advance the Gospel; they retard it. They provide ammunition to the enemies of the faith, who point to their hypocrisy as evidence that religion itself is a fraud. But the early preachers — Peter, Paul, James, John — these men lived what they taught. They owned nothing, they feared nothing, they desired nothing that this world could offer. They endured hunger, imprisonment, beatings, and death with a serenity that astonished their persecutors. And it was this consistency between word and deed, between doctrine and life, that gave their preaching its irresistible force. For the word spoken by a mouth that has been purified by suffering carries a weight that no rhetoric can match. Therefore, O preacher, attend first to your life and then to your sermon. Make your existence a commentary on your text, and your congregation will need no other persuasion.
AI-assisted translation — This translation was produced with AI assistance and has not been peer-reviewed.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
Οὐχ ἡ δύναμις μόνον, ὦ θαυμάσιε, τοῦ κηρύγμα- το;, ἀλλὰ χκαὶ ὁ βίος τῶν χηρυττόντων συμδαίνων τῷ χηρύγματε, τοὺς ἀνθρώπους ἐπηγάγετο. Τίς γὰρ ἂν ἐπείσθη ἀνθρώποις, ἄλλα μὲν φράζουσιν, ἕτερα δὲ πράττουσιν; Εἰ γὰρ νῦν πολλοὶ ῥιζωθέντες ἐν τῇ πίστει, ἐχ τοῦ βίου τῶν ὑφηγητῶν, οὐ μόνον ἐσαλεύ- θησαν, ἀλλὰ χαὶ αὐτόπρεμνοι ἀνεσπάσθησαν" τίς ἂν παρὰ τὴν ἀρχὴν μὴ ὁρῶν πολιτείαν τοῖς λεγομέ- νοις συμδαΐνουσαν ἐπείσθη; χαὶ ταῦτα, χελευόμενος τῶν πατρῴων θεῶν τε χαὶ ἐθῶν ἀποστῆναι, καὶ πλοῦ- τὸν μὲν χαὶ τρυφὴν χαὶ ἡδονὴν μισῆσαι, ἀσπάσασθαι δὲ ἀκτημοσύνην καὶ νηστείαν, χαὶ ἁγνείαν, χαὶ πρὸς χαθημερινοὺς παρασχευάσασθαι θανάτους. ΤΙΗΙ. ---- ἸΣΙΔΩΡΩ ΔΙΆΑΚΟΝΩ. Οὐδὲν δυνατώτερον ἀρετῆς, ὦ ὁμώνυμς, οὐδὲ τυ- ραννιχώτερον. Αὕτη γὰρ ἐλέγχουσα τὰς τῶν πραγ- μάτων μεταθολὰς, ὑπ᾽ αὐτῶν ἐλέγχεσθα: οὐχ ἀνέχε- ται" ἀλλὰ πάσας τὰς ἡνίας τοῦ πρέποντος ἐπιθάλ- ληυσα,, ἡνιοχεῖ χαὶ ἄγει πρὸς ὅπερ βούλεται. ΤΙΘ΄. --- ΑΣΚΛΗΠΙῸ ΕἸΠΣΚΟΠΩ. ΕἸ καὶ ἐπὶ τῆς Εὐσεδίου, ὡς γέγραφας, ἀναρχίας (τὴν γὰρ ἀρχὴν αὐτοῦ ἀναρχίαν εἰχότως χέχληχας) τῶν ἐγχλημάτων τιμωρία προηγεῖται, καὶ αἱ χολάσεις «τοὺς ἐλέγχους φθάνουσι, μὴ θαύμαζε. ᾿Αλογίας γὰρ ὧν θρέμμα, καὶ πάσης διχαιοσύνης ἀμύητος, ταράτ- τειν τὸ δίχαιον οὐχ ὀχνεῖ, Χρὴ () δὲ οὐχ οὕτως" ἀλλὰ τοῖς ἐγχλήμασι τὴν χρίσιν συμπεφυχέναι, χαὶ Ὁ μετὰ τοὺς ἐλέγχους τὴν πίστιν ἕπεσθαι" χαὶ τελευ- ταίαν τὴν ψῆφον φέρεσθαι, τὴν τοῦ πταίσματος φύ- σιν, μέτρον τῆς δίχης ὁρίζουσαν. (ΟΟΧΥΙΪ. -- ΤΗΒΟΝΙῚ. Νοῆ ργϑαϊοδιϊοηΐβ ἀυηίαχαὶ νυἱγίυδ., δχὶ δια Υἷγ, βϑὰ οἱΐαπι ργωδϊοδοιυπι νἱῖα ργεαϊοδιϊοηῖ σον βοΐ ΟΠ 8ηἾ1Π08 Δ οθαι. ()υ - Ππ81 δηΐηπιὶ δΔοαυΐ ἰιοιηΐπἰ δἰἰυἀἁ ἰοχιαηπιίθυ8, οἱ δἰυὰ δροηιϊ θυ ἤάθαθ δαὶ υϊβδϑει ᾽ Νάιη ουνη πυπς ΡΟΓΠΪΐ, δοιἰ8 πὶ ἰῃ γδαϊεὶθυ5, Οὗ "Πα βιγογυ πη ἰδπιθ ΥἱΔΠῈ Ποη πιούο γδοὶ ϊατίηϊ,, τϑγυ οἰἰδη) γδάϊο νυ δὶ ϑἰηϊ, φυϊόπᾶϊη, αυδ5νυ0Ὸ, ἰη εἰ απὶ Υἱίᾶπὶ οὐπὶ βογιηθηΐ σΟηφΡυθη πὰ τη πι6 ρογθρί οἶδ δὰ οὁγοάθηάυπι δα υσίυβ [υ8- 86ι Ιάψφυς οὐπ] ραίογηΐβ εἰΪΐ5 ἃς τἰ Δ᾽ 5οο ΓΘ Ἰυθογεοίαγ, δίψυ Ορο8 αυΐάδηι οἱ εἰν! , 6ἱ τοὶ υ- Ῥίαϊοϑ υὐΐο ργοβθαιΐ, ραυρθρίδίοπι δυΐδ οἱ ἷΠ6- ἀΐλπι οἱ οδϑιϊδίθιη δι ρίθοι!, δίᾳυο ᾳφυοιἰΔη85 ΠΊΟΓΙ65 ΘΟΙΏΠΡΆΓΔΑΓΟ. ΟΟΘΟΧΥ͂ΙΠ. -- ΙΒΙΘΟΆΛΟ ὈΙΑΘΟΝΟ. ΝΙΝ νίγίυια [Ογι]ὺ5 6δ8ὶ, τἷνῦ πΐῃΐ σοφηοηἑηΐ8, Π6 Υυἱοϊθηκίυ5. ρ88 δηΐπὶ γογυπὶ πιυϊδιϊοι Υἱῆς688,. ἃ ἰρϑῖς υἱποὶ τηϊηΐπιθ βυδίϊηθὶ : ὙΘΡυ πὶ ΟΠ Π65 [- η68ι1 δ ἀδοογὶ ἢδιθηδ8 ἱπηπι , αυγῖὶ ΠμΙΏΘΓΘ- [υηρίτυν, ἀυοίί4υ6 φυο [ἴθ6ι. ΟΟΟΧΙΧ. .-- ΑΘΟΓΡΕΡΙΟ ΕΡΙΘΟΟΡΟ. Εἰ εἰ νίφοιία Εὐδ6 , υἱ βογί ρϑίβιΐ, δηδγοίη δ. (ἱρβίυ δηΐπὶ ἰιηρογίυπι ΓΙ 8π ἢαυ Γ6 ἃρ- ν6 ογ ἃ δυρρ ἰοίϊυπιη δι. ἢ , ἀἰᾳφυο ογυ- οἰδίυϑ ρῥγοθειῖοπθ8 δηιθυθγίιηί : Π6 ἴΔ1 ) [ ἰδὲ ποϊγαηάυπ) δοείάαὶ. Ναιν οὐπὶ ἰρ56 ἰδιπογὶἰαι οἱ δηιθηιἰ5 Δ υἱηι15. δἰῖ, ἃς [υ5 : ΟἸπἷ5 τα οἱ μηραογίτι5, ἰἀοἶγοο ρΟΓι ΓθᾶγΘ πλληΐπι6 ΥΘΓΘΊΝΓ. Δι πο ἰϊᾶ (δοϊδη αι! : νϑγυπι σαγαπάππι υἱ Ἰαμϊοίαιν οτιπἰηἶυυ8 δἀπαβοδίυῦ, ἃ. ροϑί ργουδιϊο- πὸ ἢάἀ698 δΒ6ημδῖι : ροϑίγθι"! Ὁ δθῃϊθηι [ Γᾶ - υγ, αυ ῥγὸ ουὐἱρῷ πᾶΐυγ ρθη ἡἰοάσπι) ἐοηδιίίυαί. Ργργ, , . ΥΔΆΙΣ ΒΕΟΤΙΟΝΕΒ ΕΤ ΝΟΤΑ͂. () Ιάδπι οοἀ. ρον! φοδουμένο:ις διέ! αὐτὸν, οἱ ψογα, ᾿πἰ6 ἰογι]Ο ὑΓῸ χατατρέχουσιν 5ογί᾽ χατα- φεύνουσιν. ῬΟΒΒΙΝ. () ΡιῸ χρὴ ἰἕδπ 6οἀ. ἰοφὶ! χρῆν, οἱ γ᾽. Ρ6-. ἢυ , τὴν τοῦ Δ ποός. [. ΟΟΟΥΧ. -- ΠΙΏΕΥ. Φυοπιδαο εἰϊ ἱπιοι ἰφεπάμηι, « ΝΟ! πιυιίιπι - ξίαε . Ν. Θυληδοαυΐϊάσπι π51 ΠΠπ ἀϊεία δἷῖ, ε Νοί! ἰυϑῖυ5 πη] υδϑ,.» ἃ τη6 Πῦ[ ὀχροδί ουρΐ5, ἀὰ- φιϊοοπ ποτυτι γογυθΓαπὶ ἰΘΥΓρΓΘιΑἸΟἢ ) ὯΓ- ὈΐΓΟΥ πορα αἱ να] ος 5δἰφηϊδεοηῖϊ : ΝοΙΪ ἢ Β6Υ͂ΘΡΟ τρί ρογβααυΐ, νόγα πὶ ρ6Γ "οηΪΐ(- ) ἰά ἀχβυρογᾶ. δυκίυπι δ πὶ δὺ ποη .] : φΠΠοβορῃίουσπι δυϊθπη, δοσὸόρίαιη ἰπἰυγαπ) Φαυὸ Δηΐη ἔεγγο. οὶ Ἰιος : ε Μιααίθηι Υἱγυ ( Ὁ [ . » δίᾳφυΐἀδη) ἰρδὶιι5 Θχοθδβϑιβ οἱ ἀδίδοι!β ἃ γοοίδ υἱᾶ δἰάυσοι! , ἰῃ ροοοδία ἀδδίηυπι, Ουοά Δυϊεπιὶ ᾿γυ0 ΒρθΟοίοΙ 8δρίθῃ Π ] ἰος ρΓαΟριυΠΊ,) ΟΣ , «ποἀ ἀδίποεορβ β6αυΐυγ, σοηϑία δ, Νὸο βυρθγνδοᾶ- βϑρίθη8 δ᾽, υἱ " Οὐδίιροδοα8. Θυο αυΐϊάθπηι, τ Ορίποῦ, 4υϊάδηι 6χ οοἰ ον γγί πλΐθ Β6ρί - Ρἱοηιυ8 Πἰγαῖυδβ, δύ. σοί δϑηΐθηϊΐα ΟΟἸ (Γἀτίυτι δηἷπὶ ]]Θηόγιιηλ [ἡ ΓθΟγαπι δυ θγΘριΐο : οΟἸἸρδίο αὐΐδ) [(ογίυϊ ἃ τόγι! δ᾽ Π ) ᾿Πυὰ Ῥγοηυηιΐαν]! : ε« Μούι5 ορίΐ . » ΑἸΓ8 αὐϊοῖη ΠΟ6 ἐγ
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