Letter 878: Anger is a fire: useful when controlled, devastating when unleashed.
Since small causes often kindle great wars, I counsel you not to cast sparks of contention. For when quarrels are fanned into flame, they uproot all good things from the souls of those who are at odds with one another. A small spark, if left unattended, can consume an entire forest; and a small quarrel, if left unresolved, can destroy an entire community. The history of the Church is scarred with divisions that began as minor disagreements over trivial matters. Two men quarreled over a point of ceremonial, and their quarrel grew until it split a congregation. A bishop took offense at a perceived slight, and his resentment festered until it divided a diocese. A theologian insisted on a subtle distinction, and his insistence hardened until it fractured the universal Church. In every case, the original cause was small, but the consequences were immense. Therefore I beg you: do not contend over trifles. Do not allow your pride to magnify a minor offense into a major grievance. Do not let the sun go down upon your anger, for anger that is nursed overnight grows into hatred by morning. Seek peace and pursue it; be quick to forgive, slow to take offense, and reluctant to escalate. For blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called the children of God.
A certain learned man of upright character wrote to me concerning matters of doctrine, and I found in his letter both the precision of a scholar and the humility of a disciple. Such a combination is rare indeed, for learning often breeds arrogance, and humility sometimes shelters ignorance. But when the two are united in a single soul, the result is a wisdom that both illuminates and warms — illuminates like the sun and warms like a fire. I therefore urge all who pursue learning to pursue humility with equal diligence, knowing that knowledge without humility is like a sword without a scabbard: it wounds the one who wields it even more than the one against whom it is directed.
AI-assisted translation — This translation was produced with AI assistance and has not been peer-reviewed.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 μιχραὶ Γαϊτίαι μεγάλους πολλάχις ἀν- άπτουσι πολέμους, παραινῶ σοι μὴ σπινθῆρας φιλο- νειχιῶν ἐμδάλλειν. ᾿Αναῤῥιπιζόμεναι γὰρ αἱ μάχαι, πάντα τὰ χαλὰ ἐχ τῆς τῶν διαφερομένων ἐχριζοῦσι ψυχῆς. ΥΕ,. --- ΠΑΛΛΑΔΙ͂ ΔΙΆΚΟΝΩ. Εἰς τὸ, ε Δὲ ὑμᾶς βλασφημεῖται τὸ ὄνομά μου ἐν τοῖς ἔθνεσιν. Ἐπειδὴ γέγραφας τί ἔστι, ε Τὸ ὄνομά μου δι᾽ ὑμᾶς βλασφημεῖται" » φημὶ, ὅτι ἐπειδὴ Ἰουδαῖοι μὲν ἁμαρ- τάνοντες, αἰχμαλωσίαις παρεδίδοντο " οἱ δ᾽ αἰχμα- ἄδπι, οὐπὶ ραούαυϑηι, ἰῃ σορε ν᾽ δά ἀπο δηΐου, Β λωτεύοντες, οὐ τῇ τοῦ Θεοῦ ὀργῇ,ἀλλὰ τῇ τῶν οἰχείων αυΐ δυΐδιη σδριΐνο8 δράυοουϑηῖ, ποη ἀν η88 'Γῶ, βοὰ οἰπιυϊδογογυπι βύογαπι ροίοηιϊα5 ν᾽ εἰογίπὶ δβογὶ- Β6η , ΓΟΓα πὶ οἰπμπΐαπι ρπιοροίδηίειη ἀὀχίγαπι ἱπιθ6- ΕἰἢΠΠπαι8 ἀαπιπαῦδπι : δᾶπι Οὐ δϑυβᾶπὶ δ ὙΘΓ . Αἰοίυγοβ δηΐπ) αγδηΐ, ἀσ1 ροοολγθηί, δ[- π6 μοβιθυδ ἀθάἀδγοηίαν, ᾿υλυδηνοι! ορίπίομἶβ ἃς Ἰ αβρ!οπιῖοο. ΕὈτί8586 οἰΐδαι αὐ ρυρηδηιία αυοαυὸ οὑπὶ Πἷδ, φυα 246γ ᾿υθευδηίυν, εἰδοίεμθδηι. [ αυοά οἰἴδοι δρᾷ ποὸ5 πῦρς πὰ γεηΐγο νἱάοιυγ. Νὰπιὶ οὑπὶ " ἱπιραγδίιπι δῖ αἱ ᾿ηΐ ἀπ 6Π , ἰΔΠΊ6 ἢ Π6 ϑιηἶο05 4υϊἀδηγ Δη)ΔΠ118 ; οὐ. ρϑυραογίδίθιη οοἾεΓα, " ὁΟη Γᾶ πόὸη π [ 4υ: ἰιαθαπιυ8 οοπίθηί ΠΟΠ βυμπηυ8, αἰΐδπι οχ η ΟΔ] απιϊ[ . ΟΡῸ6 ποϑίγδ8 Δυ ρα Π); οὐπὶ ΠΟὺΪ5 ἰηἀποίυπι , υἱ 4ι16- Πἢ ἀζδθυυβδ., Π08 ΟΟηΐγα ποροΟιΟΓυΠπὶ Δ η165 [Ἶ5 οἰἰδιη, 4υΐ φυΐϊοίοια ἀφυηὶ, πιο] οϑιΐδπι Οχ! θ6Π108. Νες βοίυπι [ιο [μεϊη8, οἰΐαηὶ ἀροο Γὸ Δεεγδαϊπηυγ, 4υις ἱροὶ (!Δσ6τΘ ποϊυηιυβ. Ἀεἰΐφυα οηἷπὶ ρτριδγηίο,, εἰ δυΐη, φυοὰ δηΐπιο5 οδπάαι, ἀΐ- τοῦ οιρίο. ἢξιςε ἰφί αν ουτὴ ΠΙοΟπΠ6 δυάϊυηί, ἃς ΠΟΒ «αἰἰὰ φυΐάδπι ἀοίοῦα ὁοματῦὶ, διιίθιη δζθγα ὁ0ῃ- ξοάνων δυνάμει τὴν νίχην ἐπιγράφοντες τῆς παγχρᾶ- τούσης δεξιᾶς ἀσθένειαν χατεψηφίζοντο᾽ διὰ τοῦτο, τοῦτο ἔφη. Αἴτιοι γάρ τε ἐγίνοντο ἁμαρτάνοντες χαὶ παραδιδόμενοι τῆς τοιαύτης ὑπονοίας τε χαὶ βλασφη- μίας. Ἴσως δὲ ἐπειδὴ χαὶ τἀναντία ὧν προσετάττοντο ποιεῖν ἔπραττον, ὅπερ χαὶ ἐφ᾽ ἡμῶν νυνὶ χινδυνεύει συμθαίνειν “ χελευσθέντες γὰρ τοὺς ἐχθροὺς ἀγα- πᾷν, οὐδὲ τοὺς φίλους ἀγαπῶμεν " χαὶ ἀχτημοσύνυν ἀσχεῖν, οὐ μόνον οἷς ἔχομεν οὐχ ἀρχούμεθα, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἐχ τῶν ἀλλοτρίων χρηματιζόμεθα συμφορῶν " καὶ ἠρεμεῖν προσταχθέντες, φιλοπραγμονοῦντες χαὶ τοῖς ἡσυχάζουσι παρενοχλοῦμεν. Καὶ οὐ μόνον ταῦτα δρῶ- μεν, ἀλλὰ χαὶ διδάτχειν ἄλλους ἐπιχειροῦμεν, ἃ ποιξῖν οὐχ ἐθέλομεν" τὰ γὰρ ἄλλα παρίημι " οὐδὲν γὰρ βούλομαι δυσχερὲς εἰπεῖν. Ταῦτ᾽ οὖν ἀχούοντες οἱ ἄνθρωποι, καὶ ὁρῶντες, ἄλλα μὲν ὑμᾶς διδάσχειν ἐπιχειροῦντας, ἄλλα δὲ δρῶντας, ὥσπερ εἰρωνεύε- σθαι ἡμᾶς καὶ παίζειν ἐν οὐ παιχτοῖς ἡγούμενοι, κατὰ τῆς θείας προνοίας ἀχονῶσι τὰς γλώττας ᾿ ἥτις καὶ αὐτοὺς μὲν, ἡμᾶς δὲ πλέον ἀμυνεῖται, τοὺς αἰτίους τῆς τοιαύτης βλασφημίας γινομένους. δρίοἰυνί, Π08 ἰΔΠ64ι8Π ὶ δ, πη] υπ6 υἱἱ, Δίφιθ ἰη Γϑθι8 πη πη ᾿υάΐογ8 ᾿ἀθγα οχ δι πηδηῖδβ αὐἰνάγευς αἰ νίπδπι ργονί ἀθηιπὶ ᾿ἰἰηρυλ8 δοῦυυπὶ : δἰίδπι αυΐάδπι ἰῃ ἶρ805, γαγυπὶ ἴῃ ΠΟ, ΡΠ ΘΠ εαυϑδπ) ΡΓαθΟΠπΊυ8, σΓΔΥΪ Δη ΠπΔνογίοί. ΟΡΥ͂Ι!. --- ΖΟΘΙΝΟ ἜΤ ΜΑΒΟΝΙ. δ᾽ , α0ὦ Ποϑίγαγαπ) ραΓιΪ.Π δυπὶ, βὶπα αυΐ ἰιυὐυδαιοάϊ Ὁ].- Υζ'. --- ΖΩΣΙΜΩ ΚΑΙ͂ ΜΑΡΩΝΙ. Εἰ μὲν τὰ παρ ἡμῶν ἀπαραλείπτως, καὶ μετὰ ΡΓΘιἐγιηἰβδίοηθ οὐπὶ ΟΙΝΪ διυάΐο εἰ ἀφο ηιΐα ἢ) πάσης σπουδῆς γίγνοιτο, τότε καὶ τὴν θείαν ῥοπὴν ἤδηϊ, ἰυπὸ ἀδηηυμ ἀϊνὶἱ ΄συοφυθ δυχὶ ΐ πηοπηθιῖι πὴ Πρ] ογδηύυτ 6δ6ι. Υοηΐθὶ Θηΐ Οπληΐἷπο, Υἱοίογίδπὶ οὐπ 18η8. δ᾽ ἀυΐοῖν πἰ ὁογαπι, 4φυῷ οἴβοὶ ποειεὶ ., θαι, τδῖγὰ ἱρβίιϑ δαλί! υπὶ ἱπιρ!ογϑίυγ. Νὰ- ΄τι6 δηἶπὶ δἰ πη] οηθη) ρογίεγαϊ, ΠΟ δὰ Δοοδάθι, απ ἰῃ ργοίυπάυπι οχὶ εἶ ροίϑφυβ ᾿ἰθοηκϊὶ ΔηΐΠ10 Ργοϊείυμ. ἅ10 ΟΥΥἹ!. --- ΒΠΙΟΘΟΕΝΙ ΡΙΑΘΟΝΟ. Ρεσοδίυπι γοιΐδ φγανίυβ δάιη , νἷν οριίπιο, ἀσπὶ Εὐδου ἡ ἰγγαπηΐθπι. πηλρίβ φυϑῖη φυϊ(Δία πα) (Ο κλητέον εἰς συμμαχίαν" ἥξει γὰρ παντὶ τρόπῳ τὴν νίχην πρυτανεύουσα. Εἰ δὲ μηδὲν τῶν δεόντων παρ' ἡμῶν γίγνοιτο, περιττὴ χαὶ ἡ χλῇσις " εἰρωνείας γὰρ οὐχ ἀνέξεται, οὐδ᾽ ἐπιφοιτήσει τοῖς ἑαντοὺς εἰς τὸ ἀχανὲς τῆς ἀπωλείας ἀσμένως ῥίπτουσι πέλαγος. Ὑ7’ --- ΔΙΌΓΕΝΕΙ ΔΙΑΚΟΝΩ. Συγγνώμης μείζονα, ὦ βέλτιστε, ἁμαρτάνεις, τὴν Εὐσεδίου τυραννίδα πρὸ τοῦ διχαίου θεοαπεύων. Ἢ ΝΑΒΙἙ ΚΕΟΤΙΟΝῈΒ ΕΤ ΝΟΤΕ. () Ὕεγβ. ρθηυ!. ὁρ. Ῥγὸ ἀναφαίνεται θπι φοά.ν γαι. παῦοὶ ἀναφανεῖται, ῬΟΒΞΙΝ. ΕΡΙΘΤΟΙΑΒΟῸΜ . 1Π.. -
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