Letter 492

To Teucer the Candidatus. [candidatus: a member of the imperial bodyguard] Having consulted Scripture, we would not be surprised to see you abhorring the righteous so greatly, and sneering at and deriding their pious instruction. For it is written, "To the sinner, the worship of God is an abomination." [Sirach 1:25 LXX] And again it says, "A foolish and senseless man heard a divine word, and cast it behind his back." And again it has been said, "Every living creature loves its like." [Sirach 13:15 LXX] For an evil man cherishes and embraces another evil man.

Τῇ Γραφῇ ἐντυχόντες οὐκ ἂν ξενισθείημεν βλέποντές σε λίαν βδελυσσόμενον τοὺς δικαίους, καὶ μυκτηρίζοντά τε καὶ διαγελώζοντα τὴν τούτων εὐσεβῆ κατήχησιν. Γέγραπται γάρ, ὅτι «Τῷ ἁμαρτωλῷ βδελυγμά ἐστιν ἡ θεοσέβεια.» Καὶ πάλιν φησίν, ὅτι «Ἤκουσε θεῖον λόγον μωρὸς καὶ ἀκάρδιος, καὶ ἀπέῤῥιψεν αὐτὸν ὀπίσω τοῦ νώτου αὐτοῦ.» Καὶ πάλιν εἴρηται, ὅτι «Πᾶν ζῶον τὸ ὅμοιον ἀγαπᾷ.» Πονηρὸς γὰρ ἄνθρωπος, ἄλλον πονηρὸν στέργει καὶ ἀσπάζεται.