Letter 13: Just as until now I kept a time of silence with proper humility, so now I have recognized the time for speaking with...
XIII. To his most beloved brother, deservedly worthy of praise and most venerable, Pammachius, from Paulinus.
As until now I have kept the time for silence with fitting humility, so now with the love that is owed I have recognized the time for speaking, brother in Christ the Lord, venerable and most beloved. For from the writings of the holy man, our brother Olympius, our common friend of one heart, I lately received word of your grief, as unexpected by me as it was unwished for. In that grief the fellowship of my sorrow with you and the service of my voice would thereafter have failed you, were it that the affections of private love kept silent; but the charity of Christ our Lord and God did not allow it, since in him and through him we are joined together as members of one body. For the Lord our God himself, our master alike in life and in piety, taught us through that heavenly vessel of his election to rejoice with those who rejoice, to weep with those who weep, and in turn to suffer together and to bear one another's burdens, so that by mutual consolations we might strengthen our common faith and cherish wearied hearts. To this office God gave so much that he promised that the man who discharges it should be magnified like a great city, declaring through the prophet that a brother who helps a brother shall be exalted like a great city; namely, that fraternal compassion may carry a bulwark to the soul that fights, and like a wall stand against the various blows of the afflicted mind.
But if perhaps this very thing be judged a fault rather than a grace, that I perform too late the office of charity, I would have you believe that I wrote at once, as soon as I learned of it. Nor let me seem to have heard late of your loss, since both the remoteness of my place and the nature of my purpose defend me; for living apart and silent here, I can neither see any but a few of those passing by, nor make inquiry about the holy brethren unless I want dear ones near. Yet always, even in my silence, I am mindful of you; now, as charity has seemed to demand, I have unlocked the affection hidden in my breast and brought it forth to you in this letter, by which I have set out toward your holy oneness of heart with me by what road I could, since I could not confine my body and my soul within the same bounds. For the flesh, weak as ever, refused to be moved farther through the winter, while the spirit, which is always readier, flew out to you with ardent longings, so that I might embrace in mind him whom I did not hold in body. I ran therefore in the thirst of my longings to you, my brother in Christ of one mind and venerable, and if you in turn behold me in your soul, you will see and feel that I am wholly with you. For if it is true that we see and hear rather by perception, surely I am present to you, and present in my better part, who have come to you in mind; and unless we are present in that part, we do not prove our presence even where we are present in body, our absence being an empty image of our mind. For this reason I have spent and made fitting, by our faith, the sealed gift of friendship, that I might visit you by a spiritual approach. This grace in turn I beg I may deserve from you: that you too, seeing me with your inner eyes, may receive and look upon me in this discourse as standing close by and speaking face to face and breathing together with you, sharing your anxiety out of our common need, or congratulating you on your patience out of the hope of faith. For a man's speech is the mirror of his mind. For God's own word also confirms it, that out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks, and the treasure of the breast is published by speech. For this reason, in the truth in which we stand in Christ, receive my mind set forth for you in this letter; and I would not have you measure our friendship by time. For it is not such as worldly friendship, which is more often born of hope than of faith, but that spiritual one which is begotten with God as its author and grows together by the hidden kinship of spirits. Whence it comes that it does not grow toward love by long use, nor hang upon the awaiting of proof, but, as is worthy of a daughter of truth, is born at once firm and great, because, sprung through Christ, it begins from fullness.
With this charity therefore I have embraced you, and so revere you as a member of Christ, so love you as a member shared with my own. For how should there not be one mind in those who have one faith? How not one soul in those who have one God? And through this, how should there be a different heart in the affection of enduring, in those whose body is one in the bond of believing? Truly I say, I do not lie: while I think upon the stirrings of your mind, I feel my own inward parts also drawn by your sighs and, as truly fellow members, pierced by the pain of your wound; although the consideration of your prudence and faith refreshes me no less than the care of your grief afflicts me. In short, I confess I was in doubt whether to offer you words of mourning for my affection, or rather words of congratulation for your faith. For just as I heard of the summoning to God of my holy sister, so likewise I heard of the devotion of your piety in Christ, this same father of a household, through whom I write, declaring the prudence and holiness of your true charity toward your wife; which you accompanied not, as the greatest part of mortals do, with idle weeping, nor with the vain honor of empty pomps, as those without share in our hope are wont, but you followed it with saving remedies and living works, that is, with alms; first paying, in due order, the just rites to the dear corpse, drenched with pious tears and the abundant dew of charity, you more religiously honored the funeral.
And so this work of your piety toward her I will praise first; for the divine Scripture shows that this too is pleasing to God, when it says: "Son, shed tears over the dead, and as one who has suffered grievous things begin to weep, and do not despise his burial." Indeed our patriarchs too are an example of this religious observance. For the father of faith wept for his own Sarah, the mother of our calling, not out of distrust that she would be received again, but out of longing for her who had gone before. For how should the father of faith and the first hearer of the blessed promise distrust the resurrection? Yet the same man, mindful of humanity, did not despise care for the body on account of the security of the soul, but, having bought a field for a tomb, laid his dead in a precious resting place, teaching alike what men ought there to provide for themselves; since he who at the word of God had gone out from the land of his fatherland and kindred, and had acquired nothing further from the wanderings of a foreign nation, a stranger to all the land, yet bought only the field for a tomb, that is, not a temporal but an eternal possession, and a land not of greed but of rest. Jacob too honored that beloved and longed-for Rachel both with a celebrated tomb and with a monument, that he might both pay a religious duty to present grief and bear witness of his service to posterity. Although he marked that place with the monument of his wife's death by a prophetic mind, foreseeing that the law would be lulled to sleep at the birth of the Gospel. By which mystery the patriarch's spouse, who in many places lived as an image of the Church, yet, as I think, dies as a type of the synagogue, and having brought forth in childbirth the son of sorrow there, where the end of the law was to be brought forth by a virgin's childbearing; for the end of the law is Christ. But Tobit teaches a holy and sanctified hope by his care for burial, justified by the Lord by the prerogative of this office especially, and praised by the voice of the archangel, because he had preferred a poor man's burial to his own meal. For, neglecting his belly because caring for his soul, he chose to hunger in body rather than in spirit, that he might be to us also an example, by which we should choose to fast from the food of the flesh, that we may bring fullness to the soul. Wherefore good is the religious duty of burial. Good are the tears of charity, by which father Abraham led forth the mother of the promise. Good are the tears of piety, which just Joseph paid to his father. Good too are the tears of prayer, by which David watered his bed each night. But why should I proclaim the weeping of holy mortals? Jesus also wept for his friend, deigning to take this suffering too from our wretchedness, that he might pour out tears for the dead, and that one whom he was about to raise up by divine power he might mourn in human weakness; though in that one man the merciful and compassionate Lord God lamented at once the whole condition of the human race, and with those tears, by which he wept our sins, he also washed them away.
Therefore your tears too, brother, are holy and pious, because they flowed from a like affection and wept for the worthy partner of your chaste bed, not from distrust of the resurrection, but from the longing of charity. For a pleasing wife raises up glory for her husband while she is held, and so also raises up longing when she is sent on ahead. But she, as she always was, so also shall be a perpetual crown to her husband, and her lamp shall not be extinguished; for she stretched out, as it is written, her arms to useful works, opened her mouth prudently, wrought good things for her husband. He crowned you with glory and honor, that he might be made glad with you in the last days; and on this account she is more worthy of tears than of mourning, and rather to be longed for steadfastly than to be lamented. For the very recollection of her merits, just as it commands a bitter grief upon the survivor, because the just man dying leaves repentance behind, so it also affords abundant consolation to the faithful, because there is immortality in the memory of the just; nor, holy brother, let a sharper goad of pain be thrust upon you from this, that she departed in her early years, since for this very case the divine word offers solace: "the just man, if he be overtaken by death, shall be in refreshment."
But lest she seem to you to have come to her end untimely, the same Wisdom proves to you by the words that follow that she too was aged: "venerable old age," it says, "is not the long-lived, nor reckoned by the number of years. For gray hairs are the understanding of men, and the age of old age is an unspotted life." Wherefore let us congratulate ourselves on the just summoning of her and her timely end, who, even though she was still green in the flower of years, yet had grown gray in holiness of character and adorned the age of a girl with the wages of old age. Whence even those very causes that embitter the wound of your spirit can bring you the greater solace, that, though you do not have so holy a woman, yet you have had her. For it is common to you with all to have lost a mortal, but granted to few to have deserved with you the best of women; wherefore I wonder the less that she did not tarry in this world and was the more swiftly summoned to Christ; for her soul was pleasing to God, and therefore, as it is written, he hastened to lead her out of the midst of iniquity, lest our wickedness should change our understanding; because this whole world, as it is written, lies in malignity, and evil conversations for the most part corrupt good morals, and he who touches pitch shall be defiled by it. For which fear a certain holy man, dreading delay and anxious about his slow old age, prays God that he may make known to him his end and the number of his days; and since, by the revealing Spirit by which he prophesied, he learned that his times were prolonged, he groans, saying: "Alas for me, that my sojourning is prolonged." And he testifies that the cause of his groaning and of his fear is this, that he dwelt with the tents of Kedar, that is, in the darkness of this world. For Kedar is in Hebrew the same as what is called in the Roman tongue darkness.
In short, David himself, in two sons lost to him with differing merit, exercised the mystery of this truth; for his most beloved son, whom he had wept while sick, he did not weep when lost, certain that the infant had been carried over to the blessed dwellings of eternal peace; but that same David lamented Absalom, whom he had had for an enemy, when dead, because, conscious as a prophet of the divine justice, he despaired of rest for the impious one and knew that the good of resurrection was not owed to a parricide. But yet the same David, as I said, had paid tears to that little child of his while sick, and, his royal garb changed for black raiment, supported by sackcloth, ashes, and fasting, had sent prayers to God. But after the end of his life released the child from sickness, then, as though the material of his cares was failing, he made for himself this end of mourning which the little one had received of living. And so, as the son was released from the body, so the father was released from grief; and laying aside at once his sorrowful heart and his garments, he both took food and resumed his attire, and anointed with ointment his head squalid with dust; and when his servants asked him, whom such an unusual order of fatherly piety had astonished, that he who before bereavement had mourned should rejoice when bereaved, he answered: "I shall go to him, but he shall not return to me."
The prophet-king taught well enough, as I think, what solicitude we ought to put on after our dead, namely, that we should labor rather over our own journey, we who follow, than over theirs who have already gone ahead and arrived. It is pious to be saddened at the parting from dear ones, but it is holy to be made glad by the hope and faith of God's promises, and to say to the laboring soul: "Why art thou sad, and why dost thou trouble me? Shall not he who sleeps add, that he may rise again?" And a pleasing gladness is more acceptable to God than a long, as it were querulous, sadness. For by that example of David we are taught not to pour out idle tears, which assuredly are given superfluously to the dead, conferring nothing on him who is received and burdening him who is left. Therefore David wept while the son lived, and gave thanks when he died, because while the child was still breathing he could obtain reprieve by prayers and tears; but when he was summoned by God, he ought now to give thanks, as he did, because there is no doubting that what is pleasing to God is better than our prayers.
Therefore, with faith preserved, let us pay the offices of piety, and with piety preserved, let us set forward the joys of faith. Be it so, let piety weep for a time, but it is fitting that faith rejoice perpetually; let us long for those sent on ahead, but let us not despair of receiving them back. For our God is the God of the living, not of the dead, and the apostle says that the dead sleep in Christ, that from sleep you may understand death to be temporal. For it follows for one who sleeps that he be roused and rise. And since this is so, let us bear in charity the longing of our familiar intercourse with our dear ones, but let us have from our faith solace in the confidence of the resurrection.
With these authorities, therefore, most beloved brother, both of heavenly words and of examples, just as you have used tears unto piety, so also use them according to their measure. For it is written: "For everything there is a time." And when the time of weeping has flowed away, now is the time of giving thanks, because the Lord is near; and the divine Scripture, which permits us to bring forth tears, as though evaporating grief, also prescribes their limits by an appointed time, when it says that the bitterness of mourning is to be borne for one day. O riches of the goodness of God! With how pious a solicitude he guards us in this very thing! Not envious of inclined piety, but conscious of our weakness and the moderator of all excess, he bids tears be brought forth over the dead, but shuts up the bitterness of mourning within one day only, allowing that to be extended by which grief is relaxed and the soul takes breath, but cutting short the other, which by immoderate and unreasonable torment wears out our mind, and which our frailty is not able to endure for long. But the piety of God explains this more fully in its own word; for it added: "And comfort thyself in good time on account of sadness. For from sadness death hastens and overwhelms strength;" because that sadness alone is saving which is according to God; but the other, as the apostle says, which is according to man, that is, of carnal weakness, sadness works death. And though by different authors, yet the Scripture sings in harmony through both by one Spirit and word of God's holy ones; for death is the true overwhelming of strength. For if the strength of God and our life is Christ, you see it truly said that death hastens by this grief, by which strength is overwhelmed and the whole man, as it were by a certain whirlpool of hell, is swallowed up by the heavier sadness, as the apostle says. But thanks be to God, that the consciousness of your strength and prudence makes a saving of this toil and fear in you for me, whose light is more abundant in you than that it could be overwhelmed by the darkness of sadness; nay rather, your strength covers sadness and swallows up death itself and the force of harmful grief. I do not bestow this on you by my words, nor do I speak by conjecture of your strength; your works attest this of you and compel me to speak of things I have learned.
For now I will come to the proclamation of your works and pass from the holiness of tears to your pious acts. For you have paid to each part its due, pouring out tears for the body, pouring in alms for the soul. Truly conscious of the truth and a son of light, where you knew death to be, you wept; where you believe life to be, you wrought, paying empty things for empty, living things for the living. And so you gathered in the hall of the apostle a multitude of the poor, the patrons of our souls, who earn their alms throughout all Rome. Truly I am fed by the fair spectacle of so great a work of yours. For I seem to see all those companies of the pitiable common folk, those nurslings of divine piety, flowing inward in such great throngs into the most spacious and glorious basilica of Peter, through that venerable portal, smiling from afar with its azure front, so that all the spaces are crowded, both within the basilica and before the doors of the court and before the steps of the open square. I see them gathered and arranged in distinct rows of couches, and all of them filled with abundant food, so that before my eyes there moves the richness of the gospel blessing and the image of those peoples whom the very true bread and the fish of living water, Christ, satisfied with five loaves and two fishes; the food not growing in the accustomed manner of men's food, but, by a new gift, begetting food already prepared for men; when the hidden hand by divine prompting ministered visible feasts and flowed forth by spiritual fruitfulness into bodily nourishment, satisfying carnally and watering spiritually the hungering peoples by the ineffable springs of bread and flesh in the hope of nations yet fasting; supplying by undetected increase what was eaten, furnishing what was to be eaten, and bringing forth fragments of leftovers for the bites of the eaters, so that among the hands or in the mouths of those receiving, the food growing, they should rather feel the abundance of their viands than see it, as what was consumed returned and what was to be taken stole in upon their teeth.
For, bearing the example of the Lord himself in his work, you bade the crowd settle on the ground; for so Jesus also commanded, as we read, that they should recline on the ground. For in you the Lord himself also was present, as he is, since no one does the works of Christ without Christ, by whose gift and blessing, as you received the loaves made plentiful for you in his name, just as the disciples had received them blessed by him to be distributed, you measured out among the countless mouths of the poor; and they ate and were filled, and all carried off what abounded of the loaves, each his own baskets full. But you gathered all the abundance of the spiritual fragments, the apostolic faith of the twelve baskets, the spiritual grace of the seven hampers, Christ working no less wondrously in your loaves, who in that banquet of yours transformed your carnal bread into heavenly food and prepared for you an eternal fullness. For you shall by right recline with the fathers Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob at the banquet of Christ, clothed in the nuptial garment, because there Christ reclines with you in his poor, and the Son of man has in you where to lay his head.
It is pleasing even now to linger in the spectacle and proclamation of so great a work. For we praise not a man's works, but divine works through a man. What a glad spectacle, full as it is wont to be said, did you, the sacred giver of the show, present to God and to his holy angels! With how great joy you lifted up the apostle himself, when you had packed his whole basilica with dense gatherings of the needy, whether where, under the height of its summit, it stretches broad and long amid the central panels and, gleaming from afar with the apostolic throne, dazzles the eyes of those entering and gladdens their hearts; or where, under the same mass of roofs, it spreads its sides with twin porticoes on either hand; or where, with a forecourt set before it, the gleaming court is poured out into a vestibule, where, raised aloft, a vault of solid bronze adorns and overshadows the fountain that belches forth waters to our hands and mouths, encircling with four columns the leaping waters, not without a mystical appearance. For such adornment befits the entrance of a church, that what is performed within by a saving mystery may be signified before the doors by a visible work. For the temple of our body too the one faith of the gospel sustains by a fourfold support; and since from it flows the grace by which we are reborn, and in it Christ, by whom we live, is revealed, surely for us there springs up, in the four columns of life, that fountain of water leaping into eternal life, and waters us from within and grows hot within us, if only we can say, or deserve to feel, that we have a heart burning on the way, which is kindled while Christ walks with us.
How glad a spectacle, then, did you offer to God and to the angels of peace and to all the spirits of the saints! First, out of veneration for the apostle, whose faith and memory you celebrated with so multiplied a devotion of wealth, first offering to God the sacred victims, the chaste libations, with the most acceptable commemoration of him; then, by the munificence that followed, offering yourself in a clean heart and a humbled spirit as a most acceptable sacrifice to Christ, in whose tabernacles you immolated the victims of true jubilation, refreshing and feeding those who with manifold blessing should sacrifice to God the victim of praise. With how good a tumult our city then resounded, when you, pouring out the bowels of mercy to refresh and clothe the poor, reformed the pale bodies of the hungry, watered the dry throats of the thirsty, clothed the trembling limbs of the cold, and unbarred the mouths of all in harmonious blessing of God! But warming the needy bodies, by works that returned to your better part with divine recompense, you rather fattened your own spirit and refreshed the soul of your blessed wife, the hand of Christ transferring to her what was given of yours to the poor, when in the twinkling of an eye the carnal food, transformed, passed over into heavenly food. And as much money as, with generous right hand into the doubled palms of those receiving it, you, the cheerful giver and tireless distributor, had poured out, just so much was straightway, with angels flying between, carried into the bosom of the rejoicing Lord and laid up to be reckoned to you in thirtyfold fruits and returns. Nor were riches only, but also the graces of blessings added to your rewards. For that acclamation and joint prayer of the poor was reckoned to you for righteousness, by which through your gifts God was blessed. For by an easy road the voices of the needy are directed to the ear of God, because the prayer of the poor, as it is written, pierces the clouds.
You could, O Rome, not fear those threats leveled in the Apocalypse, if your senators always gave forth such gifts. Truly then that nobility of yours would be noble to you, which the sacred fathers Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob would receive into their fatherly bosoms, which the prophets, apostles, and martyrs, that is the senate of heaven, would acknowledge, which after the toga, defiled by no gore of unclean blood, Christ would clothe with the royal robe of the promised light, and would enroll in the white book, that is, in the book of eternal life. Truly those riches would be rich, by which not the cruel savagery of the ancient dragon, but the immense goodness of God the Savior would be fed; if what is wickedly squandered on beasts or on procuring and feeding gladiators were given to one's own salvation, and it were dearer to us to live than to perish. But both by avarice and by perverse liberality we are prodigal against ourselves toward the devil, while God acts on our behalf for the needy. We reckon loss as gain and gain as loss, and we do not care to redeem our life even at small cost, who at lavish expense buy death in place of life. Blessed would be our condition, if we feared equally to displease God as men, or cared to please him, if we revered the precepts of Christ as much as the hissings of the people, and if the praise which is from God were as much sought as that applause from the crowd.
Blessed are you, who did not go into such counsel nor into the chair of pestilence, but in the apostle's seat and in the assembly of the church, that is, the theater of Christ, are praised, not by seditious but by blessing throngs, with God himself as spectator; a benefactor of the church, an aspirant not after the arena nor after empty glory, but after eternal praise. You do not buy gladiators or wild beasts, but rather you act by means by which you may slay true gladiators, that is, the princes of these darknesses, and by which you may overcome true beasts, that is, all the power of the devil, and with foot pressed down unhurt may trample the lion and the dragon. Blessed are you, in whom the name of the Lord shall be blessed, and who have offspring in Zion and household in Jerusalem, who may in turn receive you into the eternal tabernacles. For you shall not fear the place of that rich man who, in Tartarus, that is, in the lower hell and the outer darkness, deservedly encompassed by fire, begged to be sprinkled even by the extreme finger of the poor man whom he despised in this life; to whom father Abraham rightly answered: "Remember, son, that thou hast received good things in thy life, and Lazarus evil things; but now here he is comforted, and thou art tormented."
On this account, I judge, let those rich men dread this alternation either of punishments or of delights, who here, abounding only for themselves and for their vices, brood over hidden wealth and have laid up no portion for the poor, or, evilly prodigal, are deservedly needy, and to be punished with eternal want, who have been so cheap to themselves through love of luxury that one day's table is shown to have been more precious to them than the life of all their time. Here, then, they shall not share forever in the heavenly goods of the poor, whose earthly goods the poor did not know there. And the tongue of those shall be more grievously scorched who now either shudder at or mock the infirmities of the poor, fastidious in a deadly way and witty, who pass by and leave the sores of their neighbors to be licked by dogs, since by nature every man is neighbor to man. Are not these, I ask you, more truly to be called dogs, who have not even imitated dogs in tending and soothing men, and who bid the brethren, that is, brothers by nature their mother, desiring to be satisfied with even the crumbs falling from their table, not only to be shut out by barred doors, but even to be driven off with savage blows? Whence I believe that rich man of Tartarus in the gospel, when, wholly wretched as he cries out, he was tormented in that flame of the fiery gulf, yet asked only the cooling of his tongue, by which without doubt he was burned the more vehemently for this reason, that he had often sinned with proud and greedy mouth against Lazarus laid before his door and left to the dogs. On this account also we are forewarned elsewhere to set a guard before our mouth, Wisdom teaching through Solomon that in the power of the tongue are life and death; and elsewhere it says: "By thy words thou shalt be justified, or by thy words thou shalt be condemned."
To you, therefore, brother of one mind in Christ, who under this penalty have fear, and with that dwelling have fellowship; whose mouth is full of blessing, whose riches are the bellies of the poor, whose house is Christ's, who do not endure the beggar to lie before your door while you feast, but on the contrary gladly bring him into your dwellings, either to feast with you or even, while you fast, to be filled: to you a poverty free of sins and blessed wealth in virtues belong. You shall both be rightly numbered among those poor, whose is the kingdom of heaven, and among those rich, whose possession is the firm city, because in the spirit of God you are rich and in your own you are poor. For such rich men, together with their poor, God loves and celebrates in the sacred letters and ennobles by the authority of the everlasting pages.
For this very thing I wish you to consider concerning those rich men whose either crimes or punishments are marked in the Scriptures: that their names are not signified, because without doubt they were unworthy to be named by the divine word, men whom either the impiety of their life blotted out or avarice erased. Therefore the Lord had foretold through the prophet concerning them: "Nor will I be mindful of their names through my lips," that is, through the two testaments of immortal words, which are well called the lips of the divine mouth, because they both cohere with one another and are opened by the one word of God, and through them God kisses us with the kisses of his mouth. These lips, then, the divine justice would not have polluted with the names of the impious; and therefore neither does the name of that rich man exist whose vanity and avarice are marked, to whom, as his life was now consumed and he was planning the equipment of his risen estate, it was said: "Fool, this night thy soul is demanded; whose shall be the things thou hast prepared?" Nor is the name of that rich man of Tartarus notable, which we understand was not omitted by chance, the poor man's name being given. Of that rich man too, who, glorying in the law fulfilled, turned away from the condition of attaining perfection out of love of his riches, we read of his blindness, but we have no name for him. For he was, it says, one having many possessions; and therefore there followed that sentence which had almost closed the kingdom of heaven to every rich man, had not God, as alone good, by his omnipotence excepted this gift, that he might enrich the rich by the goodwill of the poor. These rich men, then, hateful to God and blotted from memory, who set perishable things before eternal ones and who preferred to trust earth rather than God, heaping up food for moths and prey for thieves and, as it is written, not knowing for whom they store up treasure, because they will not understand for whom they ought to keep their treasures, are worthy not to know to what heir they leave them, because they do not know by what bestower they possess them. For what have you, O man, that you have not received? And since you received it, why do you glory as if you had not received, and grow proud over God of his own gifts? Of such rich men, my brother, the names are not written in the gospel, because they are not held in the book of life either.
Finally, that you may know that not riches but men, for the uses of riches, are blameworthy or accepted by God, read of the holy fathers Abraham and Job made friends of God out of their wealth. For in the gospel in which that infernal despiser of Lazarus, the rich man, is passed over, we see that rich man Joseph of Arimathea named. For blessed is he who has specially understood concerning the needy and the poor, gifted with pious service to the body of Christ, neither afraid to appeal to the judge for the wrong done to the Lord's body, and rich in the pious expenditure of a precious shroud and a new tomb, in the burial of the Lord. By these names the holy page shall enroll you, and you shall be numbered in the lot of such rich men, who held their wealth equal in their mind also. For they did not have it as their own, but no one called anything his own, and counted nothing human alien to themselves, like that multitude once foremost in faith, to whom there was one heart and one soul and all things common. And mark the reasoning; you will easily judge that the poor are despised, with a parricidal crime, at our own choosing, whom we see set apart from us by no work of God. For how do we exclude from our small dwellings those whom God has enclosed together with us in the house of this world? How do we disdain to make sharers in the use of an earthly possession those whom even unwilling we have as partners in the unity of divine origin? Holding to this, Abraham was made the friend of God; observing this, Lot escaped from Sodom; following this, Job triumphed over the devil.
Let us too open our dwellings to the brethren, either fearing the danger of those aforesaid by the example of the fathers, lest perhaps, while excluding a man, we should also repel an angel, or hoping to deserve angels also as guests, while we receive the passing of every stranger with ready humanity. For father Abraham, while he receives strangers, took in also the Lord with angels, Christ, and in the hospitable tent saw the day of him whom in the gospel the Savior shows present before his very self. The wrong done to guests condemned the Sodomites, and Lot deserved to be delivered chiefly by this affection, that he set guests before his daughters. He was not impious, but perfectly pious; for he did not hold his daughters cheap, who earned reward from this, that he set before domestic piety the righteousness of charity, that is, the fear of God, by whose precept and spirit he served the receiving of guests; and so even then that mind fulfilled the perfection of faith, by which it is said to us: "Everyone who has left brothers and sisters or mother or sons or daughters for my name's sake shall receive a hundredfold and shall possess life eternal." The perfection of this mind, or the mind of this perfection, from the beginning of the world delivered just Lot from that conflagration of the Pentapolis, and earned for him, for his hospitable house, by the gift of God to obtain so great a city as a household allotted to him; because he who in an incestuous and impious city alone had been pious and chaste, surpassing in holiness that very piety, did not hesitate, as far as in him lay, to redeem the chastity of guests by the chastity of his daughters. But Job, that silver tried by the fire of the Lord, testifies that he had always been an eye to the blind and a foot to the lame, and demands back and receives the reward of these works in the very contest of his temptation. He is stripped of the wealth of his patrimony, not of his mind; but, invulnerable in heart, he sins not even with his lips, stripped of the ambition of substance, but armed with the virtue of patience; bereaved of offspring, not of the light of his heart, he embraces the sons of his mind, that is, the works of righteousness, crying out: "Naked I came forth from my mother's womb, naked must I return into the earth. We brought nothing into this world, and truly neither can we take anything away." But because he had not lost his spiritual wealth, he received also his temporal riches for the triumph of his patience, and was enriched threefold, because he had been proved and purged sevenfold. For, as it is written, he had eaten the labors of his fruits in laboring at pious works, and therefore he ate the fruits of his labors in this world also, by receiving the rewards of his works.
With these rich men your lot is, who have remembered that the same God is the cause of your riches, free of avarice because a servant of righteousness. You use unjust mammon justly, and are not a captive but truly the lord of your money, because you are possessed by Christ, to whom captivity itself is captive. Glory therefore in the Lord, because not flesh and blood, but he himself, who is the true light and the wisdom of God, Christ, has revealed to you the prudence of this providence, by which you understand that in every needy and poor person Christ is fed, given drink, clothed, visited, according to those whom, for this merit which was said above, the Lord will deliver in the evil day.
May the Lord himself preserve you and give you life and make you blessed, and bring you aid now upon the bed of your pain, turn your pious lamentation into holy joy for you, rend the sackcloth of your sadness and restore to you the gladness of his salvation; the ruling Spirit confirming you, may he make firm your arms in prayers and alms like a bow of bronze, may he make your feet like a deer's, that you may be swift both to flee the devil and to attain Christ, and, your steps fixed with the twin nail of both testaments, may you stand firmly in the way of the Lord, your feet snatched by the hand of the Lord from falling and your eyes from weeping, that with your blessed wife you may please the Lord forever in the region of the living. For it shall be done to you according to your faith, because the Lord is faithful in his words and will be mindful forever of this sacrifice of yours, and your holocaust shall be made fat; and he, the rewarder of your loan, will receive you yourself as a living victim to him in an odor of sweetness, in that day on which the debtor, made richer than his creditors, shall return to each his deposit with multiplied interest. Nor is the day of repayment far off, the harvest now near in the whitening regions.
Meanwhile, promising yourself with festive meditation the wealth to be received, you will console your mind far more richly by faith in what is to come than by my discourse or anyone's. For it is no small pleasure to the minds of believers to anticipate in sweet thought the good things promised to the faithful, and to walk already in paradise in spirit. If it delights the farmer to wonder at the hope of harvest in the standing crop, while he awaits from the harvest the fruit of his labor, and the greed of his prayers more easily bears the delay of seasons, if it feed his eyes while it hopes for the outcome: how much greater pleasure can we take, sinners though we are, yet faithful little servants, to whom the reckoning of seed scattered has been entrusted not to the doubtful faith of the earth but to the unchangeable truth of God, we who hope for that which Truth itself has promised.
For it is not from human opinions, nor from the fabulous dreams of poets or the phantasms of philosophers, that we gather what is to come after man, but from the very fountain of truth we draw the assurance of these matters. And who could know divine things better than God himself, conscious of his own works and decrees? We shall not falsely allege that souls pass over into other bodies, so that there are monsters after man, nor that they will remain altogether without a body, or be perishable in a body. Let those flatter themselves with the lies of poets who have not the prophets of truth. Let those be blinded by the wandering opinions of philosophers who are not enlightened by the testimonies of the apostles, and let those console themselves with despair who have no hope, saying: "Our time is the passing of a shadow, and there is no return of our end, since it is sealed, and no one returns"; men who, blinded by the darkness of their wickedness and unbelief, cannot say: "I believe I shall see the good things of the Lord in the land of the living." But we do not need such poor remedies, we to whom Truth itself, the Word of God, God, has both promised the resurrection of the flesh unto eternal life by teaching, and proved it by rising. For the Son of God himself, through whom are all things and without whom is nothing, himself testified: "I am the resurrection; he who believes in me, even if he be dead, shall live, and everyone who lives and believes in me shall not die forever." And, that he might not assert this by word alone, he sanctioned it by example, and showed his disciples his very own self, the man in whom is all our taking up, raised from the dead, assuring in himself the faith of the flesh, when he says to Thomas: "Put your finger here and see my hands; and put your hand here and place it in my side, and be not unbelieving but believing, for a spirit has not flesh and bones, as you see me having."
Having, therefore, these testimonies, these proofs, this light of faith, by what occasion shall we be able to doubt of the resurrection, which we have both heard of from the word of God and seen with the eyes of the apostles and touched with their hands? We who are so bound and grafted into God through Christ, that we hold the pledge of God in our land, the Holy Spirit whom he gave us, and have as our pledge in God the flesh of Christ; because that immense interval, by which mortal things are separated from divine, he joins together by his middle and common intervention between both, as by a sort of bridge, so to speak, so that by its track earthly things may be sown together with heavenly, when the heavenly incorruption shall have flooded this corruptible of ours and immortality, as it is written, shall have swallowed up our mortal, and life, victorious in Christ and from Christ for us, shall have absorbed conquered death. And that we may attain this, we can doubt not of the truth of so great a good, but of the capacity of our own merit. But let us do what Christ commanded, that we may attain what Christ promised. His truth is present to us; let our faith not be lacking to him. To all he is life, to all the way, to all the door. To no one does he close his kingdom, those to whom he even permits force to be applied.
Press on whither you run, that you may lay hold of that in which you were laid hold of; strive on through the narrow way, that you may arrive at the ample possession of the eternal inheritance. You have already in Christ a great pledge of yourself and a powerful suffrage, a wife who prepares for you as much grace in the heavenly places as you supply to her of wealth from the earth; not, as I said, honoring her with empty mournings, but heaping her up with living gifts, in which she now rejoices. And now the use of this work of yours is in fruit for her, of which the gift is as yet for you in the seed.
Now she is honored by your merits, now she is fed by your loaves and abounds with your wealth, in a gilded robe, clothed about with variety, with precious light; she does not need to be cooled by the finger of another's hand, herself drenched with the dews of her own fingers, that is, the works of your right hand. You had not enriched her as a bride with so ample a dowry as you now enrich her at rest. For how great a portion of your gifts did she then take, when she enjoyed only that which she could put on? Now, however much you confer, she will possess it all at once, rich in soul, with the pleasure of all the senses. Blessed is she, who has so numerous suffrages with Christ, and whose head so manifold a crown of illustrious gems surrounds, woven not with another's flowers but gleaming with her own lights. Truly precious to the Lord is that soul which takes its price from three pearls. For she is the spouse of faith, the sister of virginity, the daughter of perfection; whose mother is Paula, whose sister is Eustochium, whose husband are you.
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
XIII. DILECTISSIMO FRATRI MERITO PRAEDICABILI ET VENERANTISSIMO PAMMACHIO PAVLINVS.
Vt hactenus tacendi tempus congrua humilitate seruaui,
ita nunc debita caritate loquendi tempus agnoui, frater in
Christo domino uenerabilis et dilectissime. scriptis enim sancti
uiri fratris nostri Olympi, communis unanimi, nuper accepi
tam inopinatum mihi quam inoptatum tui maeroris indicium,
in quo meae tibi tristitiae consortium et uocis officium dein
defore, ut sileant priuati amoris affectus, sed caritas Christi
domini et dei nostri, quia in ipso nobis et per ipsum ut
unius corporis membra conectimur, non permisit. ipse enim
dominus deus noster uitae nobis pariter et pietatis magister
per illud caeleste uas electionis suae docuit gaudere cum
gaudentibus, flere cum flentibus uicissimque nobis conpati
et inuicem onera nostra portare, ut mutuis consolationibus
roboraremus communem fidem et fatigata pectora foueremus.
cui muneri deus tantum dedit, ut eo functum magnae
ciuitatis instar amplificandum promiserit, enuntians per prophetam,
quia frater fratrem adiuuans exaltabitur sicut
ciuitas magna; uidelicet quod munimentum animae
9] (Eccle. 3, 7). 19] Rom. 12, 15. 25] Prou. 18, 19.
4 quale 0 5 liberetur] uale add. F, et uale add. P\'U . — explicit L,
finit ad amandum U - 0, explicit epla XVII. F, ad eamdem uia U .
FLMOPU . — ad pamachium senatorem consolatoria . XLII ■ M, epistola
paulini ad pammachium 0 domino merito praedicabili et honorando
fratri pammachio paulinus M 9 ut hactenus — c. 10, p. 92, 1
tristitia om. FLPU, — p. 92, 7 absorbeatur sed om. M 12 olympi v,
olimpi 0 16 nos fort. post . et v, om. 0 17 enim 0, enim nos v
sirn
20 nicissimque v, uicisq;q; (sim add. et alt . q exp. m. 2) 0 24 profetam 0
dimicanti fraterna conpassio ferat uariisque mentis adflictae pulsibus
quasi murus obsistat.
Sed si forte id ipsum culpae magis quam gratiae iudicetur,
quod tardius fungar officio caritatis, credas uelim ilico, ut
agnouerim, scripsisse me. neque uidear de neglegentia tui
serus audisse, cum ipsa me et loci remotio et propositi ratio
defendat, quo secretus ac tacitus agens neque uidere nisi raros
praetereuntium possum neque interrogare de sanctis fratribus
ni caros uolo; semper tamen et in meo silentio tui memor,
nunc ut caritas postulare uisa est, opertum pectore
affectum reclusi et per has ad te litteras prompsi, quibus ad
sanctam mihi unanimitatem tuam qua potui uia profectus
sum, quia non potui isdem corpus et animum meum finibus
continere, cum caro, ut semper, infirma per hiemem longius
commoueri negaret et qui semper est promptior spiritus feruentibus
ad te desideriis euolaret, ut quem corpore non tenebam
mente conplecterer. cucurri igitur in siti desideriorum ad
te, mi frater in Christo unanime atque uenerabilis, et si me
uicissim intueris animo, tecum esse me totum uidebis et senties.
nam si uerum illud est sensu nos potius uidere et audire,
certe adsum tibi et potiore mei parte, qui animo ad te
uenerim, quo nisi adsimus, ubi et corpore intersumus, praesentiam
non probamus, uacua nostri imagine mentis absentia.
quamobrem signatum amicitiae munus inpendi aptumque
nostra fide feci, ut te spiritali aditu uisitarem. hanc de te inuicem
gratiam quaeso merear, ut tu quoque me interioribus
uidens oculis tamquam adstantem comminus et coram loquentem
et coanhelantem anxietudini tuae de necessitate communi
uel patientiae congratulantem de spe fidei in hoc sermone
suscipias pariter atque conspicias. sermo enim uiri mentis est
speculum. nam et ipse dei sermo confirmat, quia ex abundantia
cordis os loquitur, et thesaurus pectoris
14] (Matth. 26,41). 17] (Ps. 61, 5). 31] Matth. 12, 34; Luc. 6, 45.
9 ni 0, nisi v 12 unanitatem 0 13 hisdem 0, idem v 19 esse
me totum v, essem. et totum 0, esse memet totum fori . 20 sensu]
animo quam sensu coni. Sacch . 22 qui scripsi, quo 0, quu v et 0,
etiam v 24 aptum quae 0, dignumque v
publicatur eloquio. ob hoc in ueritate, qua stamus in Christo,
expressum his tibi litteris animum meum suscipe, nec uolo
amicitiam nostram tempore metiaris. non enim haec ut saecularis
est, quae spe saepius quam fide paritur, sed spiritalis
illa, quae deo auctore generatur et arcana spirituum germanitate
coalescit. quo fit, ut non diuturnitatis usu crescat ad amorem
neque documenti expectatione pendeat, sed, ut filia ueritatis
dignum est, statim firma et magna nascatur, quia de
pleno incipit orta per Christum.
Hac igitur te caritate conplexus ita ueneror ut membrum
Christi, ita diligo ut commune membrum meum. quomodo
enim non una mens, quibus una fides? quomodo non
unus animus, quibus unus deus? ac per hoc quomodo diuersum
pectus sit in affectione tolerandi, quibus corpus unum
est in conpage credendi? uere dico, non mentior, dum animi
tui motus cogito, mea quoque viscera sentio suspiriis tuis duci
et ut uere socialia membra uulneris tui dolore configi, quamquam
me non minus prudentiae et fidei tuae reputatio reficiat
quam afficit cura maeroris. denique addubitasse me fateor,
utrum maesta pro meo affectu tibi an potius gratulantia pro
tua fide uerba praeberem. nam ut euocationem ad deum
sanctae sororis meae, ita deuotionem pietatis in Christo tuae
pariter audiui, isto etiam patre familias, per quem scripsi, indicante
prudentiam et sanctitatem uerae in coniugem caritatis
tuae, quam non uacuam fletibus, ut maxima pars mortalium,
neque uano, ut spei nostrae expertes solent, pomparum inanium
honore comitatus es, sed remediis salutaribus et uiuis
operibus hoc est eleemosynis prosecutus, debito ordine primum
caro funeri iusta persoluens, piis lacrimis et largo caritatis
rore perfusus, religiosius exequias honorasti.
Itaque istius pietatis in te opus ante laudabo; nam id
quoque deo placitum monstrat scriptura diuina, cum dicit:
▼
1 ob v, om. 0 4 pariter 0 5 arcanus 0 6 ut 0 s. l. m. 2
7 docimenti 0 pendeat v, pendat 0 8 noscatur Lebrun 11 commune
0 15 non 0, et non v 18 et v, te 0 19 moeroris v, maerori 0
24 uerae v, uere 0 28 operibus Chifflet, opibus Ov elimosinis 0
29 et] ut fort . 30 religiosius Rosw., religiosus Ov, religiosas fort .
fili, produc lacrimas in mortuo, et quasi dira passus
incipe plorare et non despicias sepulturam illius. denique
patriarchae nostri huius quoque religionis exemplo sunt.
nam pater fidei matrem uocationis nostrae Sarram suam fleuit
non utique diffidentia recipiendae, sed praegressae desiderio.
quomodo enim resurrectioni diffideret fidei pater et repromissionis
beatae primus auditor? idem tamen humanitatis memor
non spreuit corporis curam propter animae securitatem, sed
empto ad sepulchrum agro mortuam suam pretiosa sede conposuit,
docens pariter quid sibi istic deberent homines prouidere,
cum is, quid ad dei uerbum de terra patriae cognationis
exierat nihilque praeterea de peruagatis natione diuersa spatiis
comparauerat, omnis terrae aduena, solum tamen agrum sepulchro,
id est non temporalem sed aeternam possessionem,
nec terram auaritiae sed quietis emisset. Iacob quoque dilectam
illam et expectatam Rachel et tumulo celebri honorauit
et titulo, ut religiosum et praesenti dolori solueret et posteris
testaretur officium. quamquam illum locum titulo mortis uxoriae
prophetica mente signauerit prouidens legem ortu euangelico
sopiendam. quo mysterio coniunx patriarchae, quae pluribus
locis in ecclesiae imaginem uixit, tamen, ut reor, in
synagogae typum moritur et partu filium doloris enixa illic,
ubi erat uirginis partu legis finis edendus; finis etenim
legis Christus. sanctam uero et sanctificatam spem per humandi
curam Tobias docet, huius specialiter muneris praerogatiua
iustificatus a domino et archangeli uoce laudatus, quod
praetulisset prandio suo pauperis sepulturam. neglegens enim
uentris quia diligens animae, maluit corpore esurire quam spiritu,
ut nobis quoque esset exemplo, quo praeoptemus ieiunare
cibo carnis, ut saturitatem animae conferamus. quare bona
1] Eccli. 38, 16. 4] (Gen. 23, 2). 9] (Gen. 23, 9). 11] (Gen.
12,1). 16] (Gen. 35, 19. 20). 23] Rom. 10, 4. 26] (Tob. 12,12).
▼
4 Saram Rosw . 7 homanitatis 0 10 istic scripsi, isti cui 0, isti v,
iusti coni. Sacch . 15 emisset v, emisisset 0 16 pr . et 0 s. I. m. 2
post . et p, e 0 19 profetica 0 22 et partu] ei partu coni. Sacch .
25 tobis 0, nos Thobias v docet v, doces 0
religio sepulturae. bonae lacrimae caritatis, quibus pater Abraham
matrem repromissionis eduxit. bonae lacrimae pietatis,
quas Ioseph iustus inpendit patri. bonae et lacrimae orationis,
quibus et Dauid stratum suum per singulas noctes rigabat.
sed quid sanctorum mortalium praedicem fletus? fleuit et
Iesus amicum, hanc etiam passionem de nostra infelicitate
dignatus, ut mortuo funderet lacrimas et quem resuscitaturus
erat uirtute diuina infirmitate lugeret humana; licet in illo
uno totam simul conditionem generis humani misericors et
miserator dominus deplorauerit et illis lacrimis, quibus peccata
nostra fleuit, et lauerit.
Idcirco et tuae, frater, lacrimae sanctae et piae, quia simili
affectione manarunt et dignam casti cubilis fleuere consortem
non diffidentia resurrectionis, sed desiderio caritatis.
mulier enim grata suscitat uiro gloriam, cum tenetur,
atque ideo suscitat et desiderium, cum praemittitur. uerum
illa, ut fuit semper, ita et erit perpetuum corona uiro
suo, et non extinguetur lucerna eius; extendit enim,
ut scriptum est, brachia sua ad opera utilia, os suum
aperuit prudenter, operata est uiro suo bona. gloria et
honore coronauit te, ut iucundaretur tecum in diebus nouissimis,
et ob hoc fletu magis digna quam luctu et desideranda
potius pertinaciter quam lugenda est. nam ipsa meritorum
illius reputatio ut acerbum imperat maerorem superstiti, quia
iustus defunctus relinquet paenitentiam, ita et consolationem
uberem praestat fideli, quia inmortalitas in memoria iusti,
neque tibi, sancte frater, hinc acrior doloris stimulus ingeratur,
quod primaeva decessit, quoniam huic ipsi casui solacium
praebet sermo diuinus: iustus enim, inquit, si morte praeuentus
fuerit, in refrigerio erit.
3] (Gen. 50, 1). 4] (Ps. 6, 7). 5] (Ioh. 11, 35). 15] Prou. 11,
16; Eccli. 26, 16. 17] Sap. 4, 2; Prou. 11, 4. 18] Prou. 31, 19. 19]
Prou. 31, 26. 26] Sap. 4, 1. 29] Sap. 4, 7.
1 quibus 0, in quibus v 4 rigebat O1 7 funderet 0, infunderet v
16 praemittitur Bosw., praemitur Ov 17 in perpetuum v 20 gloria
et honore r, gloriam et honorem 0
Sed ne uel inmatura tibi ad obitum fuisse uideatur, eadem
tibi sapientia sequentibus uerbis probat anum quoque
illam fuisse: senectus, inquit, uenerabilis est non diuturna
neque numero annorum conputata. cani sunt
enim, inquit, sensus hominibus et aetas senectutis .
uita inmaculata. quare gratulemur iusto eius accitu et fine
maturo, quae etsi adhuc flore annorum uirebat, tamen morum
sanctitate canuerat et aetatem puellae stipendiis senectutis
ornabat. unde et tibi ipsae, quae acerbant uulnus animi,
causae solacium maius adferre possunt, quod tam sanctam
feminam, etsi non habes, habueris tamen. commune enim tibi
cum omnibus amisisse mortalem, paucis uero tecum meruisse
optimam; quo minus miror illam in hoc saeculo non moratam
et ad Christum citius accitam; placita enim erat deo
anima eius, et idcirco, ut scriptum est, properauit eam
de medio iniquitatis educere, ne intellectum nostrum
malitia nostra mutaret, quia totus hic mundus, ut scriptum
est, in maligno iacet, et conloquia mala plerumque
corrumpunt mores bonos, et qui picem tangit,
inquinabitur ab ea. quo metu quidam sanctus morae metuens
et de tardo sene sollicitus, orat deum ut notum ipsi
faciat finem suum et numerum dierum suorum, et quoniam
reuelante spiritu, quo prophetabat, agnouit prorogata sibi tempora,
ingemit dicens: heu me quod incolatus meus prolongatus
est. causam uero gemitus et timoris sui hanc esse
testatur, quod habitaret cum tabernaculis Cedar, id est
in tenebris istius mundi. nam Cedar Hebraeo idem quod ore
Romano uocatur obscuritas.
Denique ipse Dauid in duobus filiis diuerso merito
sibi amissis mysterium istius ueritatis exercuit, qui filium
3] Sap. 4, 8. 9. 14] Sap. 4, 14 et 11. 17] I Ioh. 5, 19. 18]
I Cor. 15, 33. 19] Eccli. 13,1. 21] (Ps. 38, 5). 24] Ps. 119, 5.
2 probat v, probatur 0 3 est Rosw., et Ov 7 uirebat v, uerebat 0
9 ipsae Bostc., ipse Ov 13 miror v, minor 0 19 pacem 01 21 sene
Of), fine ed. Grin. in mg., seni (t. e . senii) fort . ipsi 0, sibi v 23 profetabat
0 26 hafabernaculis (sic) 0
dilectissimum, quem fleuerat aegrotantem, non fleuit amissum,
certus infantem ad pacis aeternae beata translatum; at uero
idem Abessalon, quem inimicum habuerat, mortuum lamentatus
est, quia diuinae iustitiae ut propheta conscius desperauit
inpio requiem et resurrectionis bonum sciuit indebitum parricidae.
sed tamen idem, ut dixi, paruulo illi suo aegrotanti inpenderat
lacrimas et regios cultus atra ueste mutatus, cilicio
cinere ieiunio fultus, preces ad deum miserat. postea uero
quam filii morbum uitae finis absoluit, quasi deficiente curarum
materia hunc sibi lugendi finem fecit, quem paruulus
uiuendi acceperat. itaque ut filius corpore, et pater luctu solutus
est simulque tristia pectora et uestimenta deponens et
cibum sumpsit et cultum resumpsit et squalidum puluere
caput deduxit unguento; sciscitantibusque pueris suis, quos obstupefecerat
tam inusitatus patriae ordo pietatis, ut qui ante
orbitatem luxerat gauderet orbatus, respondit: ego ad illum
ibo, ille uero ad me non reuertetur.
Satis, ut opinor, docuit rex propheta, quam post nostros
sollicitudinem debeamus induere, uidelicet ut de nostro potius
itinere, qui sequimur, quam de illorum, qui iam praegressi
peruenerint, laboremus. pium est contristari diuulsione carorum,
sed sanctum laetificari spe et fide promissionum dei et
dicere animae laboranti: quare tristis es, et quare conturbas
me? numquid qui dormit non adiciet, ut resurgat?
acceptior est autem deo grata laetitia quam diuturna
quasi querula tristitia. nam hoc illo Dauitico docemur exemplo,
ut inanes lacrimas non effundamus, quae utique superfluo
mortuis donantur, nihil conferentes recepto et grauantes
relictum. ideo Dauid uiuente filio fleuit, functo gratulatus est,
quia spirantis adhuc commeatum poterat precibus et lacrimis
inpetrare; accito autem diuinitus iam gratulari debebat, ut
2] (II Reg. 12, 22). 16] U Reg. 12, 23. 23] Ps. 41, 6. 24]
Ps. 40, 9.
4 disperauit 0 8 fultas ed. Schotfletu v 12 tristia v, tristitia 0
14 induxit fort . unguento 0 20 qui coni. Sacch., quo Ov 21 deuulsione
0, de auulsione v 25 gratia 0 26 dauidico v 31 debebat v,
debeat 0
fecit, quia dubitandum non est melius esse uotis nostris dei
placitum.
Salua igitur fide pietatis officia pendamus et salua pietate
fidei gaudia praeferamus. esto, temporaliter fleat pietas,
sed oportet, ut iugiter gaudeat fides; desideremus ut praemissos,
sed non desperemus recipiendos. deus enim noster
uiuorum est, non mortuorum, et in Christo mortuos dormire
apostolus dicit, ut de somno intellegas temporalem esse
mortem. dormienti enim consequens est excitari et surgere.
quod cum ita sit, geramus in caritate nostrorum familiaris
consuetudinis desiderium, sed a fide nostra solacium de fiducia
resurrectionis habeamus.
His igitur, frater dilectissime, et uerborum et exemplorum
caelestium auctoritatibus ut ad pietatem lacrimarum usus
es, ita etiam ad earum modum utere. scriptum est enim:
omni rei tempus. et tempus plorandi fluxerit, gratulandi
modo tempus est, quia dominus prope est; et scriptura diuina,
quae producere nos lacrimas quasi euaporando dolore
permittit, terminos quoque designato praescribit tempore, cum
dicit amaritudinem luctus uno ferendam die. o diuitiae bonitatis
dei! quam pia id ipsum sollicitudine nostri cauet! non
pietatis propensae inuidus, sed infirmitatis nostrae conscius et
omnis inmodici temperator, lacrimas in mortuo produci iubet,
amaritudinem uero lugendi uno tantum die claudit, illud porrigi
sinens quo relaxatur dolor et anima respirat, istud uero
praecidens quod inmoderato et inrationabili cruciatu mentem
nostram conficit quodque diutius fragilitas nostra non ualet
sustinere. sed hoc plenius ipsa suo uerbo pietas dei explicat;
subiecit enim: et consolare mature propter tristitiam.
a tristitia enim festinat mors et cooperiet uirtutem;
quia tristitia illa tantum salutaris quae secundum deum
est; ista autem, ut apostolus ait, quae secundum hominem,
6] Matth. 22, 32. 7] (I Cor. 15,18; I Thess. 4, 12). 16] Eccle.
3,1. 20] (Eccli. 38, 16). 29] Eccli. 38, 17. 18.
5 desideremus nostros ut Rosw . 16 et] ut uel si fort . 18 dolori
fort. 19 terminos Chiffl., termino Ov tempora v 30 a v, om. 0
hoc est de infirmitate carnalis tristitia, mortem operatur.
quod licet auctore diuerso, tamen uno per utrumque
sanctorum dei spiritu et uerbo scriptura concinit; mors enim
uera uirtutis adopertio est. nam si uirtus dei et uita nostra
Christus est, uere dictum uides mortem festinare hoc maerore,
quo uirtus operiatur et homo totus quasi quadam inferni
uoragine sic grauiore tristitia, ut apostolus ait, absorbeatur.
sed deo gratias, quod huius in te laboris et timoris mihi
conpendium facit conscientia uirtutis et prudentiae tuae, cuius
largius tibi lumen est, quam ut tristitiae tenebris possit operiri;
quin potius tua uirtus tristitiam tegit mortemque ipsam
et uim noxii maeroris absorbet. non id uerbis meis tibi largior
neque coniectura uirtutis tuae loquor; opera tua hoc de te
contestantur et me conperta loqui cogunt.
Veniam enim iam ad praedicationem operum tuorum et
ad pios actus de lacrimarum sanctitate transibo. sua enim
cuique parti debita persoluisti, lacrimas corpori fundens, eleemosynam
animae infundens. uere conscius ueritatis et filius
lucis, ubi mortem sciebas esse, fleuisti; ubi uitam credis, operatus
es, uacuis inania, uiuis uiua dependens. itaque patronos
animarum nostrarum pauperes, qui tota Roma stipem meritant,
multitudinem in aula apostoli congregasti. pulchro
1] II Cor.7,10. 6] (I Cor. 1, 24; Ps.43,20; Col. 3, 4). 7] II Cor. 2, 7.
1 carnalis est tristitia. Finit epistola ad Pammachium v tristitia et
seqq. post verba epistolae 33 percusso cordis exh. 0 mortem operatur]
incipit FLPU 2 auctoe P diuersa L1 per Ov, om. cet . 4 uirtus
U, animae uirtutis 0 adopertio Rosw., operatio F, adoperatio cet .
a
6 operatur U qujdam L 7 absorbeatur (tur corr.) L 8 sed-mihi
om. U deo] incipit M huius in te om. M 9 facitf L 10 lumen]
nomen LM operiri] add. M: ob communem uidelicet sortem defunctae
beatissimae coniugis 11 tristitiam] largior add. Chifflet tegit]
largior add. 0 sed m. 1 exp . 12 mei F 14 testantur U 15 iam
om. M et ad] et FPU 16 siccitate M (sed add. m. 1 af sanctitate)
17 elimosinam PO, elemosinam cet . 19 oratus 0 21 romae L estipem
0, stipe L queritant M, mendicant v 22 pauperum fort . multitudinem
om. M, multi ut (tu Sacch.) diues Chiffl. et Sacch . congregasti
apostoli U pulcro L, pulcrum U, pulchrum FP\' quidem FPU,
om. M
equidem tanti operis tui spectaculo pascor. uidere enim mihi
uidere tota illa religiosa miserandae plebis examina, illos pietatis
diuinae alumnos tantis influere penitus agminibus in
amplissimam gloriosi Petri basilicam per illam uenerabilem
regiam cerula eminus fronte ridentem, ut tota et intra basilicam
et pro ianuis atrii et pro gradibus campi spatia coartentur.
uideo congregatos ita distincte per accubitus ordinari et
profluis omnes saturari cibis, ut ante oculos euangelicae benedictionis
ubertas eorumque populorum imago uersetur, quos
quinque panibus et duobus piscibus panis ipse uerus et aquae
uiuae piscis Christus expleuit, non uisitato more cretura cibis
hominum, sed nouo munere iam paratos hominibus cibos gignens,
cum operta manus diuino suggestu uisibiles epulas ministraret
et in alimenta corporea spiritali fecunditate proflueret,
ineffabilibus panis et carnis fontibus in spem ieiunarum adhuc
gentium esurientes fidem populos carnaliter satians et spiritaliter
inrigans, indeprehensis auctibus comesta subplens, edenda
subpeditans et ad morsus edentium fragmina subsiciua depromens,
ut inter manus uel in ore sumentium crescentibus cibis
sentirent potius escarum suarum copiam quam uiderent morsibus
redeunte consumpto et dentibus subeunte sumendo.
Ipsius enim domini exemplum in opere eius gerens praecepisti
turbam residere in terra; sic enim et Iesus iussit, ut
legimus, in terra recumbere. nam in te et ipse dominus erat,
sicut est, quia nemo Christi opera sine Christo agit, cuius
10] (Matth. 14, 19; Ioh. 6, 11). 23] (Matth. 14, 19; Marc. 6, 39;
Luc. 9,14; Ioh. 6, 10).
1 spectaculum FPU pastor FPU enim exp. F 2 miseraudae]
uenerande F 3 diuine pietatis F1 5 reginam 0 cerulea FltfPU
et om. FPU 6 coartent M 7 distinte 0 accubitus (ac in ras.) L,
acubitus 0 8 profluuis 0 cibis saturari U ut] et FPU 10 ipse]
iste F 11 uisitato Ll cretura scripsi, creatura FOP, creature U, creaturam
LM, creans v cibos v 13 operata L sub gestu U 16 esuriens
LM 17 indefessis M auctibus 0, actibus cet . comixta 0
18 fracmina LO subsiciua MP, subsitiua Ov, subciciua F, subsicina U,
cIi
subsiciua L 20 sentire ut 0 21 cibo redeunte M 23 et otn. LMU
Iesus] dffii s. d. M 24 et] ac M
munere et benedictione copiosos tibi panes ut accepisti in
nomine eius, sicut discipuli ab ipso benedictos acceperant diuidendos,
per innumera pauperum ora dimensus es; et manducauerunt
et saturati sunt et quod abundauit de panibus
tulerunt omnes, unusquisque sportas suas plenas. sed tu
omnem redundantiam fragmentorum spiritalium collegisti, de
duodecim cophinis apostolicam fidem, de septem sportis gratiam
spiritalem, non minus mirabiliter operante in tuis panibus
Christo, qui in tuo isto conuiuio panem tuum carnalem
in caelestes cibos transtulit et in aeternam tibi saturitatem
parauit. recumbes enim iure cum patribus Abraham Isaac et
Iacob conuiuio Christi ueste praeditus nuptiali, quia tecum
istic in pauperibus suis Christus recumbit, et habet in te
filius hominis ubi reclinet caput suum.
Iuuat etiam nunc in spectaculo et praedicatione tanti
operis inmorari. non enim hominis, sed diuina per hominem
opera laudamus. quam laetum deo et sanctis angelis eius de
hac tua, ut dici solet, plena spectaculum sacer editor exhibebas!
quanto ipsum apostolum adtollebas gaudio, cum totam
eius basilicam densis inopum coetibus stipauisses, uel qua sub
alto sui culminis mediis ampla laquearibus longum patet et
apostolico eminus solio coruscans ingredientium lumina stringit
et corda laetificat, uel qua sub eadem mole tectorum geminis
utrimque porticibus latera diffundit, quaue praetento,
nitens atrium, fusa uestibulo est, ubi cantharum ministra
manibus et oribus nostris fluenta ructantem fastigatus solido
5] (Matth. 15, 37; Maro. 8, 8). 11] (Matth. 22, 12; Matth. 8,11).
18] Matth. 8, 20. 18] (I Cor. 4, 9).
2 ab ipso] om. P, eius FU benedictus 0 acciperant 0 3 dimensus
Bosw., demensus w 6 reduntiam 0 fracmentorum LO 7 chophinis
P, cophanis F, cofinis U, cofinus 0 8 nominus 0 in tuis
panibus om. M 9 qui add. Rosw., om . w 10 coelestem cibum U
11 recumbes LM, recumbens cet . 12 in conuiuio LM 13 ista FPU
14 filiis L caput suum reclinet U 18 plena w, pera v 19 totam] tam
FPU 20 cetibus FP stipauissis 0 21 in longum LM et] et in M
in
22 perstringit M 23 laetificat corda U 25 nitens M atrio v
cantarum FLMOPU ministram 0 26 fastigiatus LMv solio U
aere tholus ornat et inumbrat, non sine mystica specie quattuor
columnis salientes aquas ambiens. decet enim ingressum
ecclesiae talis ornatus, ut quod intus mysterio salutari geritur
spectabili pro foribus opere signetur. nam et nostri corporis
templum quadriiugo stabilimento una euangelii fides sustinet
et, cum ex eo gratia, qua renascimur, fluat et in eo Christus,
quo uiuimus, reueletur, profecto nobis in quattuor uitae columnas
illic aquae salientis in uitam aeternam fons nascitur
nosque ab interno rigat et feruet in nobis, si tamen possimus
dicere uel sentire mereamur habere nos cor ardens in
uia, quod Christo nobiscum inambulante flammatur.
Quam laetum ergo tunc deo et angelis pacis et cunctis
sanctorum spiritibus spectaculum praebuisti! primo de apostoli
ueneratione, cuius fidem ac memoriam tam multiplicata opulentiae
deuotione celebrasti, sacras primum hostias, casta libamina,
cum acceptissima ipsius commemoratione deo deferens,
deinde munificentia consequenti te ipsum in corde mundo et
spiritu humiliato acceptissimum sacrificium offerens Christo,
in cuius tabernaculis uerae iubilationis hostias inmolasti, reficiens
et pascens eos, qui benedictione numerosa laudis hostiam
sacrificarent deo. quam bono tunc urbs nostra tumultu fremebat,
cum tu misericordiae uiscera reficiendis et operiendis pauperibus
effundens pallida esurientium corpora reformares, aridas
sitientium fauces rigares, tremula algentium membra uestires
et omnium consona in dei benedictionem ora reserares! sed
egena corpora fouens redeuntibus in meliorem tui partem
8] Ioh. 4, 14. 10] (Luc. 24, 32). 12] (I Cor. 4, 9). 18] (Ps.
50,19). 19] (Ps. 26, 6). 20] (Ps. 49,14).
1 ornat 0, ordinat cet . 2 sallientes 0 8 salutari misterio M
4 speciali F, spetiali PU 5 quadriugo FP 7 quo uiuimus christus
FPU columnas] liminas U, lumnas FP 8 illic M, illuc cet., ille v
aq. sallientis 0 9 nos quoque FPU possumus FOv 10 nos
habere M in nos U 13 pacis spectaculum FU 14 multiplicatam 0
15 et casta LM 16 ipsius acceptissima FPU commeratione P
19 uere FLO reficens 0 20 eos eos M numerosas L, munerosas M
-hostiam 0, hostias cd . 21 urbis U fremebat tumultu U 22 uicera L
23 arida LO 24 sicitientium L 25 et om. FPU benedictione FMPU
26 patrem U
operibus tuis retributione diuina tuum potius spiritum saginasti
et benedictae coniugis animam refecisti in illam transfundente
Christi manu quae tua pauperibus erogabantur, cum in ictu
oculi permutata in caelestes cibos carnalis esca transiret. et
quantum pecuniae graui dextera geminatis excipientium palmis
hilaris dator et infatigabilis distributor infuderas, tantum ilico
angelis interuolantibus gremio domini gaudentis inuectum in
tricesimos tibi fructus ac reditus numerandum reponebatur.
neque diuitiae tantum, sed et gratiae benedictionum addebantur
praemiis uestris. uobis enim ad iustitiam deputabatur conclamatio
illa et conprecatio pauperum, qua per uestra munera
benedicebatur deo. facili enim uia ad aurem dei uoces inopum
diriguntur, quia oratio pauperis, sicut scriptum est, nubes
penetrat.
Poteras, Roma, illas intentas in apocalypsi minas non timere,
si talia semper ederent munera senatores tui. uere tunc
tibi nobilis esset illa nobilitas, quam sacrati patres Abraham
Isaac et Iacob paternis sinibus exciperent, quam prophetae
apostoli martyres id est caeli senatus agnosceret, quam post
togam nulla inmundi sanguinis sanie funestatam regali promissae
lucis stola Christus indueret et in libro albo hoc est
libro uitae perennis adscriberet. uere illae diuitiae diuites
forent, quibus non draconis antiqui cruenta saeuitia, sed dei
saluatoris inmensa bonitas pasceretur, si, quod bestiis aut gladiatoribus
et conparandis male profligatur et alendis, id propriae
donaretur saluti cariusque nobis esset uiuere quam perire.
sed et auaritia et liberalitate peruersa deo pro nobis (agenti)
7] (Matth. 13,8). 13] Eccli. 25,21. 15] (Apoc. 3, 3). 21] (Matth.
17, 2).* (Apoc. 20, 12).
2 conugis M reficisti L illa FPU 3 erogabatur FLPU uictu v
7 inuectum (in in ras.) L 8 tricensimos 0 redditus FLMPU 12 domino
FPU 15 illa sentantas 0, illas intemptatas (intentas Ll) tibi
cet., intentatas tibi illas v 16 sanatores 0 17 tibi om. FPU sacri F
abrahae L 18 exceperant 0 profecte 0 19 martires FLPU sanatus
0 20 sanie om. FPU reguli 0 21 sthola 0, stella U, stolla P
22 ascriberet LMPU, asscriberet F ille LMOP 24 si quod] sicut 0
aut] et M 25 proprie FO 26 et saluti F 27 agenti egentes
scripsi, agentes 0, egente LDi,.egenies FPU v
egentes, zabulo contra nos prodigi sumus. damnum in lucro
et in damno lucrum ducimus uitamque nostram nec egenter
redimere curamus, qui pro uita mortem emimus sumptuose.
beata esset nostra conditio, si aeque deo ut hominibus uel
displicere timeremus uel curaremus placere, si tantum praecepta
Christi, quantum populi sibila uereremur, et si tanto laus,
quae ex deo est, quantum iste de uulgo plausus emeretur.
Beatus, qui non adisti in tale consilium nec in cathedra
pestilentiae, sed in apostoli sede et in ecclesiae coetu id est
Christi theatro non seditiosis sed benedicentibus cuneis deo
ipso spectatore laudaris, ecclesiae munerarius, non harenae nec
inanis gloriae sed aeternae laudis ambitor. non gladiatores nec
beluas emis, sed quibus ueros gladiatores hoc est harum tenebrarum
principes perimas agis et quibus ueras bestias hoc
est omnem zabuli uirtutem superes et presso inpune uestigio.
conculces leonem et draconem. beatus es, in quo benedicetur
nomen domini et qui habes semen in Sion et domesticos in
Hierusalem, qui te uicissim in tabernacula aeterna suscipiant.
non enim timebis illius diuitis locum, qui in tartaro hoc est
in inferno inferiore et exterioribus tenebris merito igne circumdatus
uel extremo contempti in hac uita pauperis digito
rogabat aspergi, cui pater Abraham iure respondit: memento,
fili, quia recepisti bona in uita tua, et Eleazarus
mala; nunc uero hic consolatur, tu cruciaris.
8] (Ps. 1, 1). 15] (Ps. 90, 13). 18] (Luc. 16, 9). 22] Luc. 16, 25.
1 diabulo F1 damnum] dat nomen 0 lucrum in damno U 2 egenter
a
0v, egentem cet . 4 condicio LP 6 tanta 0 7 quanto M de/m. U
8 pr . in om. M 9 cetu FP id est] idem 0 11 ipsos 0 numerarius
FU arenae M, terrene ex arene L, terrenae Chiffl . 13 uiros 0
14 alis coni. Sacch . 15 diabuli FI, zaboli PU 16 benedicitur v
h
17 syon LMU 18 ierusalem M, yerusalem (II m. 2) U, ihrim L aetterna
tabernacula U suscipiunt 0 19 timebitis U quae 0 est in OMt.
remo
PU 20 in inferiore M et] de 0, uel v extoribus P1 21 hac]
ac 0 22 iure] uere FPU 23 fili om. U, fili* (i eras.) L in uita
tua bona LM lazarus FPU, *lęazarus (e eras.) L 24 similiter mala U
tu cruciaris om. M \'.
XlVnil. Fanlini Nol. epistolae.
7
Ob hoc illi, censeo, diuites hanc uel poenarum uel deliciarum
uicissitudinem perhorrescant, qui istic sibi tantum et
uitiis adfluentes aut opibus abstrusis incubant nec partem
posuere pauperibus aut male prodigi egent merito, et aeterna
egestate plectendi, qui tam uiles sibi fuerint caritate luxuriae,
ut istis pretiosior fuisse arguatur unius diei mensa quam totius
sui temporis uita. hic ergo non communicabunt in aeternum
caelestia bona pauperum, quorum istic pauperes bona terrena
nescierint. et horum grauius lingua torrebitur, qui debilitates
modo pauperum uel horrent uel inrident, fastidiosi letaliter et
faceti, qui praetereunt et canibus lambenda dimittunt ulcera
proximorum, quia omnis natura homini homo proximus. nonne,
quaeso te, isti uerius dicendi canes, qui ne canes quidem
in curandis atque mulcendis hominibus imitati sunt et de
micis saltem a mensa sua cadentibus satiari cupientes fratres
hoc est natura matre germanos non solum obseratis foribus
excludi, sed etiam saeuis uerberibus expelli iubent? unde
credo illum in euangelio diuitem tartari, cum totus, ut clamat,
miser cruciaretur in illa ignei gurgitis flamma, solius
tamen linguae refrigerium postulasse, qua sine dubio ideo uehementius
cremabatur, quia in Eleazarum ante ianuam suam
stratum et canibus relictum saepius superbo auarus ore peccauerat.
ob hoc et alibi praemonemur ponere ori nostro
19] (Luc. 16, 24). 23] (Ps. 140, 3).
1 pr . uel om. M diuitiarum LM 2 ista FLP, iusta U . tantum]
1 diuitii*
tantum seruantes M 3 uiciis M afluentes L aut-incubant hoc
loco om. M incumbat II nec partem] partem non M 4 sed aut
opibus abstrusis incubant aut male M prodigis FLPU et] etenim M
aeternae FP, etterne U, om. M 5 tam L s . 1. luxorio 0 6 istis
scripsi, in his FPU, uitis 0, his LM, iis v 7 hic 0, hii M, hi cet .
iu aeternum om. M 8 ista FPU 9 nescierunt M morum 0 ter-
rebitur U 10 irriderint FPU 11 facetij nocenter add. Rostv. pteunt 3/
lanbenda 0 12 hominis LM 13 dicendi sunt M nec LM 14 immitati
0 15 saltim LO sua om. U satiari] saturari LM 17 exclusi
L 18 totus] motus 0 19 igne 0 flamma gurgitis U, igitur
gitis flamma 0 20 ueementius 0 21 cremebatur F lazarum FPU,
lęazarum L 22 saepius] saeuius fort . 23 et om. LM ori L in ras .
custodiam docente sapientia per Solomonem, quia in manu linguae
uita et mors, et alibi: uerbis tuis, inquit, iustificaberis
aut uerbis tuis condemnaberis.
Tibi igitur, frater in Christo unanime, cui sub hac poena
metus et cum illa sede communitas, cuius os benedictione
plenum est, cuius diuitiae ubera pauperum sunt, cuius domus
Christi est, qui non iacere mendicum ante ianuam tuam epulante
te sustines, sed contra tectis tuis laetus inducis aut
tecum epulaturum aut etiam ieiunante te saturandum, tibi
felix a peccatis egestas et beatae in uirtutibus opes sunt. tu
et inter illos pauperes iure numeraberis, quorum est regnum
caelorum, et inter illos diuites, quorum possessio ciuitas firma
est, quia spiritu dei diues es et tuo pauper. tales enim diuites
cum pauperibus suis diligit deus et sacris litteris celebrat
paginarumque perennium auctoritate nobilitat.
Hoc enim ipsum considerare te uolo eorum diuitum,
quorum uel crimina uel supplicia in scripturis signata sunt,
nomina significata non esse, quia sine dubio indigni erant, ut
sermone diuino nominarentur, quos aut uitae oblitterauit inpietas
aut auaritia deleuit. ideo praedixerat dominus in propheta
de ipsis: nec memor ero nominum illorum per
labia mea hoc est per inmortalium duo testamenta uerborum,
quae oris diuini labia bene dicuntur, quia et cohaerent
sibi et uno dei uerbo aperiuntur et per ipsa nos deus osculatur
ab osculis oris sui. haec ergo labia pollui noluit
nominibus inpiorum diuina iustitia, et idcirco neque illius diuitis
nomen existat, cuius uanitas et auaritia signatur, cui
1] Prou. 18, 21. 2] Matth. 12, 37. 7] (Luc. 16, 20). 11] (Matth.
5,3). 12] (Prou. 18, 11). 21] Ps. 15, 4. 24] Cant. 1, 1.
1 doceuti sapientiam 0 solomonem 0, salomonem cet . 2 uita
L in ras . alibi aut LM 4 poenam 0 6 domus] hospitium add. v
i medicum U epulente 01 8 sustinis 0 9 epulatarum 0 ieiunante
te v, te ieiunante UM, ieiunante cet . 9 felix tibi U 10 a] ad 0
in om. F uirtutes in opibus F 11 muneraberis FLO 13 spiritu%L
16 conserare U 18 significanta 0 indignerant P1 19 autem U
liberauit 0 21 eorum FLM 23 dicantur 0 24 uon osculatur 0
25 osculo FP U
7*
consumpta iam uita de ortae apparatibus cogitanti dictum est:
stulte, hac nocte expostulatur anima tua; quae parasti
cuius erunt? neque huius e tartaro diuitis nomen insigne
est, quod non casu praetermissum edito pauperis nomine
intellegimus. illius quoque diuitis, qui gloriatus in lege conpleta
conditionem adipiscendae perfectionis diuitiarum suarum
amore auersatus est, caecitatem legimus, uocabulum non habemus.
erat enim, inquit, habens multas possessiones,
et idcirco secuta est illa sententia, quae regnum caelorum
omni diuiti pene clauserat, nisi deus ut solus bonus omnipotentiae
suae excepisset hoc donum, ut diuites pauperum
uoluntate ditaret. hi ergo diuites inuisi deo et oblitterati memoriae,
qui aeternis caduca praeuerterint quique maluerint
terrae quam deo credere, escam tineis et praedam furibus
congerentes et, ut scriptum est, cui thesaurizant ignorantes,
quia nolunt intellegere cui debeant thesauros suos, digni qui
nesciant quo successore dimittant, quia nesciunt quo largitore
possideant. quid enim habes o homo, quod non acceperis?
et quia accepisti, quid gloriaris quasi non acceperis,
et de suis deo donis superbis? talium, mi frater, diuitum
nomina in euangelio non scribuntur, quia nec in libro
uitae habentur.
Denique, ut scias non diuitias sed homines pro earum
usibus esse culpabiles uel acceptos deo, lege sanctos patres
2] Luc. 12, 20. 4] (Luc. 16, 19). 8] Matth. 19, 22; Marc. 10, 22;
Luc. 18, 23. 15] (Matth. 6, 19; Luc. 12, 21; Ps. 38, 7; Eccle. 2, 19;
Eccli. 11, 19). 18] I Cor. 4, 7. 21] (Ps. 68, 29).
1 ortae scripsi, orte 0, uitae cet. 0 cogitante FP, cogitate U 2 ex
te postulabitur coni. Sacch . praeparasti M 3 etartaro 0 5 gloriatur
FOPU 6 conditionem (ti in mg. add.) L 7 caecitatem legimus
om. M uocabulum non habemus] nomen non inuenimus M 8 multas
habens F 10 cluserat FPU honus L 11 excipisset 0 12 hii MO
deo L s. I . obliterati FLO 13 aeternis em. Lebrun, terrenis GJV
maluerunt U 14 et om. F praedam om. M 15 et om. FPU
17 pr . quo] quos M 18 acciperis 0, accepisti M 19 qui FU, si M
acciperis 0 20 nomina diuitum M 23 prauis usibus M 24 uel] uel
■. (uitraa
pro bonis esse M uel acceptos deo bis scr. U
Abraham et Iob deo de opibus suis amicos factos. nam in
euangelio, quo ille tartareus contemptor Eleazari diues praetermissus
est, illum ab Arimathia loseph diuitem nominari
uidemus. beatus enim est, qui specialiter intellexit super
egenum et pauperem, pio Christi corpus obsequio muneratus
nec iudicem pro iniuria dominici corporis interpellare ueritus
et pio sumptu pretiosi uelaminis et sepulchri noui diues
in domini sepultura. his te pagina sancta nominibus adscribet
et in talium diuitum sorte numeraberis, quorum opes aequas
et animo. non enim sibi habentes habebant, sed nemo quicquam
dicebat suum, et humani nihil a se alienum putabant,
ut illa quondam princeps fidei multitudo, cui unum
cor et anima una et omnia communia erant. et uide
rationem; facile iudicabis parricidali crimine contemni pauperes
nostro arbitrio, quos nullo uidemus a nobis dei opere discretos.
quomodo enim excludimus a nostris modicis habitationibus
quos deus una nobiscum istius mundi conclusit domo?
quomodo dedignamur terrenae possessionis usu facere participes
quos et inuiti diuinae originis unitate consortes habemus?
hoc tenens Abraham amicus deo factus est; hoc obseruans Lot
euasit a Sodomis; hoc sectatus Iob de zabulo triumphauit.
Aperiamus et nos domicilia nostra fratribus, uel timentes
periculum supradictorum exemplo patrum, ne forte quasi
hominem excludentes et angelum repellamus, uel sperantes
1] (Gen. 18, 3 et 19, 2; Iob 31, 16). 3] (Matth. 27, 57). 4] Ps.
40,2. 5] (Matth. 27, 58). 10] Act. 2, 44. 11] (Terent. Heaut. v. 77).
12] Act. 4, 32. 20] (Gen. 18, 3; Gen. 13, 2).
1 et] Loth et v deo otn. LMv amicos] deo add. LMOv 2 lazari
FPU, *leazari L 3 aromathia F, arimatia L 4 qui FO, quia cet.
S corporis Fpl U muneratus obsequio M 7 sumpto O1 dies U 8 his
te] istae 0 ascribet LMPU, asscribet F, adscriberet 0 9 in uitalium
coni. Sacch., uitalium Vat . equasset FU 13 una anima FU uide
rationem] uiderat iohannem 0 14 iudicabis] uidebis M parricidiali
FPU, paricidali 0 16 modicis ex paniis P m. 2 17 una] a 0 20 est
om. FPU sectatus loth—obseruans Iob M loth M 21 a om. U gabulo
0, zabolo P, diabulo F1 23 periculum (um in ras.) L 24 et
om. M sperantes] parentes 0
mereri et angelos hospites, dum omnis aduenae transitum
prompta humanitate suscipimus. pater enim Abraham dum
peregrinos suscipit, excepit et dominum cum angelis Christum
et in hospitali tabernaculo illum, quem in euangelio coram
semet ipso saluator exhibet, diem uidit. Sodomitas hospitum
damnauit iniuria, et Lot eo potissimum liberari meruit affectu,
quod hospites praetulit filiabus. non ille inpius, sed perfecte
pius; non enim filias uiles habebat qui inde mercedem meruit,
quod pietati domesticae praetulerit iustitiam caritatis hoc
est timorem dei, cuius utique praecepto et spiritu recipiendis
hospitibus seruiebat, ac perinde iam tunc perfectum fidei mens
illa conpleuit, quo dicitur nobis: omnis qui reliquerit
fratres et sorores aut matrem aut filios uel filias
propter nomen meum centuplum accipiet et uitam
aeternam possidebit. huius mentis perfectio uel istius perfectionis
mens iam ab origine saeculi iustum Lot ab illo pentapolitano
incendio liberauit, meruitque pro hospitali domo
tantam in domum urbem munere dei sortitus accipere, quia
ille, qui in incesta et inpia ciuitate solus et pius fuerat et
pudicus, ipsam superans sanctitate pietatem non dubitauit,
quantum in ipso fuit, pudicitia filiarum redimere hospitum
castitatem. lob uero, ille domini igne examinatum argentum,
se semper oculum caecorum et pedem claudorum fuisse testatur
horumque operum in ipso temptationis suae certamine
mercedem reposcit et recipit. spoliatur opibus patrimonii, non
animi; sed inuulnerabilis corde nec labiis peccat, nudatus
5] (loh. 8, 56). 7] (Gen. 19, 8). 12] Matth. 19, 29. 17J (Gen.
19, 15). 22] (Iob 29, 15). 251 (lob 1, 22).
2 habrahani 0 3 suscepit v 4 tabemaculum O coram 0, coram
in cet. 5 saluato F et diem FPU 6 iniuriae (et om.) 0 loht O,
loth cet. eo ex eum L liberari (ri in ras.) L 7 illae 0 11 per-
fectionem M 13 otj aut U uiit patreui aut niatrem M aut filias LM
14 centuplo 0 1U loth ai 17 pro hospitali domo Ov, per hospitalem
domum cet . 18 tantam Ov, tutam cet . domo Ov 19 et ille F in
om. FPU incerta U 21 pudititia U hospitum redimere M 22 domini
om. Fl\'U exinanitum FP 24 operum| L temptionis Fl
25 et recipit om. F 26] sed] sauciatus corpore sed coni. SlIcch . uulnerabilis
U nec] ne U ue labiis quidem v
ambitione substantiae, sed armatus uirtute patientiae; orbatus
prole, non cordis lumine, filios mentis suae hoc est iustitiae
opera conplectitur clamans: nudus exiui de utero matris
meae, nudus oportet in terram reuertar. nihil intulimus
in hunc mundum, uerum neque auferre possumus.
sed quia spiritales opes non amiserat, temporales quoque diuitias
pro patientiae triumpho recepit et ditatus est triplo,
quia probatus et purgatus erat septuplo. labores enim, ut
scriptum est, fructuum suorum manducauerat in operibus piis
elaborando, et idcirco fructus laborum suorum manducauit in
hoc etiam saeculo praemia operum recipiendo.
Cum his diuitibus tibi sors est, qui eundem deum diuitiarum
tuarum causam esse meministi, liber auaritiae, quia
seruus iustitiae. iniquo mammona iuste uteris, nec captiuus
sed uere dominus es pecuniae tuae, quia possideris a Christo,
cui captiua est ipsa captiuitas. gloriare igitur in domino,
quia non caro et sanguis tibi, sed ipse, qui lumen est
uerum et sapientia dei Christus, prudentiam huius prouidentiae
reuelauit, qua intellegis in omni egeno et paupere
Christum cibari potari contegi uisitari, secundum illos, quos
ob hoc meritum, quod supra dictum est, in die mala liberabit
dominus.
Ipse te dominus conseruet et uiuificet et beatum
faciat et ferat opem nunc tibi supra lectum doloris tui,
conuertat planctum pium in gaudium sanctum tibi. conscindat
saccum tristitiae tuae et reddat tibi laetitiam salutaris sui,
3] Iob 1, 21. 4] I Tim. 6, 7. 7] (Ps. 11, 7). 8] (Ps. 127, 2).
16] (Ps. 67, 19). 17] Matth. 16, 17. (I Cor. 1, 24). 20] (Mattb.
25,40). 21] Ps. 40, 2. 23] ib. 3. 26] (Ps. 29, 12).
2 prole L 8. I.; carnis add. Sacch . 3 conplectitus 0 4 reuertar in
terram opportet U 5 nec FPU auferre quid M 6 non amisserat P,
nomisera 0 7 triplo wv, duplo RosUJ . 9 fructum 0 suorum fruc-
Ire
tuum U 10 et om. FPU 11 openlm] laborum FPU percipiendo M
12 qui] quia Ov 14 mainoua FLPU captiuus t\', captius U, captiuas
cd. 15 possederis M 18 prouidentia 0 19 qua Msv, quia cet .
20 et contegi F illos 0, illos patres cet . 21 ab 0 liberauit Ov,
liberabit eum M 24 sup M 25 plantum FPU 26 sacum L
confirmante spiritu principali firmet in orationibus et eleemosynis
ut arcum aereum brachia tua, perficiat pedes tuos tamquam
cerui, ut et ad fugiendum zabulum et ad consequendum
Christum uelox sis et fixis gemino utriusque testamenti ungue
uestigiis in uia domini firmiter sistas, ereptis manu domini
pedibus tuis a lapsu et oculis a fletu, ut cum benedicta coniuge
aeternum tua placeas domino in regione uiuorum. fiet
enim tibi secundum fidem tuam, quia fidelis dominus in
uerbis suis memor erit in aeternum huius sacrificii tui,
et holocaustum tuum pingue fiet; teque ipsum uiuam
sibi hostiam in odorem suauitatis accipiet remunerator uestri
fenoris in illa die, qua locupletior creditoribus debitor suum
cuique depositum multiplicata reddet usura. nec longe retribuendi
dies albentibus iam propinqua messe regionibus.
Interim recipiendas opes festiua tibi meditatione promittens
multo uberius animum tuum uenturi fide quam meo
uel cuiusquam sermone solaberis. non enim modica animis
credentium uoluptas est promissa fidelibus bona dulci cogitatione
praesumere et in paradiso iam animis deambulare. si
agricolam iuuat spem messis in segete mirari, dum a messe
fructum laboris expectat, faciliusque fert moram temporum
auaritia uotorum, si pascat oculos, dum sperat euentus: quanto
maiorem nos capere possumus uoluptatem, licet peccatores, attamen
fideles seruuli, quibus sparsi seminis non apud dubiam
terrae fidem sed apud incommutabilem dei ueritatem ratio
mandata est, qui hoc speramus quod ueritas ipsa promisit.
1] (Ps. 50, 14). 2] (Ps. 17, 35). 5] (Eccli. 5,12). 6] (Ps. 114, 8).
8] Ps. 144, 13. 9] Ps. 19, 4. 14] (Ioh. 4, 35).
1 confirmate U eleimosinis P, elemosinis cet . 2 perficiet F 3 et
om. FPU fugendum P zabolum U, diabolum F1 4 Christum
om. F 5 uiae 0 7 aeternum tua MPU, in aeternum tua FL\'O, tua
in aeternum v 11 nostri U 13 reddat FOP 14 propinquam esse
FPU 15 recipiendos FLlPU festina FU 16 uenturi (i ex u) L
17 solaueris FOPU 18 uoluntas FOPU 20 agricolam 0 uiuat U
spgetem LM 21 laboris L s. I., laboris sui U fatiliusq. 0 25 dei
Ov, om. cet . ratia 0 26 promittit LM
Non enim ab humanis opinionibus nec a fabulosis poetarum
somniis aut philosophorum phantasmatis post hominem
futura colligimus, sed ab ipso fonte ueritatis haurimus fidem
rerum. quis autem potuit diuina magis quam deus ipse operum
et statutorum suorum conscius nosse? non traduces in
corpora aliena animas, ut sint monstra post hominem, neque
omnino sine corpore permansuras aut in corpore mentiemur
occiduas. blandiantur sibi mendaciis poetarum qui non habent
ueritatis prophetas. caecentur opinionibus erraticis philosophorum
qui non inluminantur testimoniis apostolorum et se desperatione
solentur qui spem non habent dicentes: umbrae
transitus est tempus nostrum, et non est reuersio
finis nostri, quoniam consignatus est, et nemo reuertetur,
qui excaecati nequitiae et infidelitatis suae tenebris
non possunt dicere: credo uidere bona domini in lumine
uiuentium. nos uero tam egenis remediis non indigemus,
quibus ipsa ueritas, dei uerbum deus, resurrectionem carnis in
uitam aeternam et spopondit docens et probauit resurgens.
ipse enim dei filius, per quem omnia et sine quo nihil, ipse
testatus est: ego sum resurrectio; qui credit in me, etsi
mortuus fuerit, uiuet, et omnis, qui uiuit et credit
in me, non morietur in aeternum. quod ne uerbo solum
adsereret, sanxit exemplo suumque ipsum, in quo omnis susceptio,
hominem resuscitatum a mortuis et ostendit discipulis,
in semet ipso fidem carnis adsignans, cum dicit Thomae:
infer digitum tuum huc et uide manus meas; et infer
manum tuam huc et mitte in latus meum, et noli
esse incredulus sed fidelis, quia spiritus carnem et
ossa non habet, sicut me habentem uidetis.
11] Sap. 2, 5. 15] Ps. 26,13. 20] loh. 11,25. 26. 25] Ioh. 20,27.
28] Luc. 24, 39.
2 somnis L filosophorum LO fantasmatis OP1, fantasmatibus cet .
3 ab om. LM 5 statorum 0 suorum et statutorum M nosce U
9 censentur F opiuiobus 0 10 inluminatur 0 14 excati 0 tenebris
om. FPU 15 lumine] in terra F 18 docens Ov, om. FPU,
dicens LM 20 resurrectio] et uita add. LM etiamsi U 23 omnis
omnis U 24 et om. LM 25 et assignans FPU thome FOP, toma U
Haec igitur testimonia, haec documenta, hanc lucem
fidei habentes, qua occasione poterimus de resurrectione dubitare,
quam et de uerbo dei audiuimus et apostolorum oculis
uidimus manibusque palpauimus? quique ita per Christum deo
uincti et insiti sumus, ut dei arrabonem teneamus in terra
nostra spiritum sanctum, quem dedit nobis, et nostri pignus
habeamus in deo carnem Christi, quia interuallum istud inmensum,
quo a diuinis mortalia disparantur, medio et inter
utraque communi interuentu suo uelut quodam, ut sic dixerim,
ponte continuat, ut eius tramite terrena caelestibus conserantur,
cum hoc corruptibile nostrum incorruptio superna
perfuderit et mortale nostrum, ut scriptum est, inmortalitas
hauserit mortemque deuictam uictrix in Christo et a Christo
nobis uita sorbuerit. quod ut adsequamur, non de ueritate
tanti boni, sed de nostri captu meriti dubitare possumus. sed
agamus quae Christus iussit, ut adipiscamur quae Christus
spopondit. ueritas illius nobis adest, illi fides nostra non desit.
omnibus uita, omnibus uia, omnibus ianua est. nemini claudit
sua regna, quibus et uim permittit inferri.
Perge quo curris, ut adprehendas in quo adprehensus
es; enitere per angustam uiam, ut peruenias in amplam possessionem
hereditatis aeternae. habes iam in Christo magnum
tui pignus et ambitiosum suffragium, coniugem quae tibi tantum
gratiae in caelestibus parat, quantum tu illi a terris opulentiae
suggeris, non illam, ut dixi, luctibus cassis honorans,
sed uiuis muneribus adcumulans, quibus illa nunc gaudet;
iamque illi huius operis tui usus in fructu est, cuius adhuc
tibi munus in semine.
3] (I loh. 1, 1). 6] (II Cor. 1, 22). 12] (I Cor. 15, 54). 18]
(Ioh. 14, 6). 19] (MattU. 11, 12). 21] (Matth. 7, 13).
1 docimenta 0 2 fide 0 4 uidemus 0 quique] que O 5 iuncti
LMU arrabonem OP, arabonem cct . teneamus] te non amus 0
6 uobis U 7 qui ex quia M 9 utrumque M uelunt 0 sic] ita M
10 potente continua ut 0 11 superna] oterna M 12 mortale hoc M
o In
1:3 x nobis M 15 captum erit indubitare 0 possimus U 16 post .
Christus om. M 17 spospondit U 18 clausit FLM 20 ut] et F
23 tantum tibi FPU 24 illis U 25 casis 0 28 semine est F
Iam honoratur tuis illa meritis, iam pascitur tuis panibus
et affluit tuis opibus, in uestitu deaurato circumamicta
uarietate, pretioso lumine; non eget alienae manus digito refrigerari,
propriis ipsa digitorum suorum roribus id est dexterae
tuae operibus infusa. non aeque ampla dote nubentem
locupletaueras, ut nunc ditificas quiescentem. quantam enim
tunc partem tuorum munerum cepit, cum eo solo, quod poterat
induere, frueretur? nunc quantumcumque contuleris, totum
simul omnium sensuum uoluptate diues animo possidebit. beata,
cui tam numerosa apud Christum suffragia sunt et cuius caput
tam multiplex ambit inlustrium corona gemmarum, nec alienis
intexta floribus, sed domesticis corusca luminibus. uere illa
pretiosa domino anima, quae de tribus pretium margaritis
capit. est enim coniunx fidei, soror uirginitatis, filia perfectionis,
cui Paula mater, soror Eustochium, tu maritus.
Revision history
- 2026-05-27v2.2.34-import
Initial corpus import from modern paulinus nola retranslated v1.
Fields: letter text, metadata, source links. Source: https://raw.githubusercontent.com/OpenGreekAndLatin/csel-dev/master/data/stoa0223/stoa002/stoa0223.stoa002.opp-lat1.xml
Related Letters
When at a subsequent period Rufinus gave to the world what was in Jerome's opinion a misleading version of Origen's First Principles, he appealed to this letter as giving him ample warranty for what he had done. See Letters LXXX, and LXXXI, and Rufinus' Preface to the περί ᾿Αεχῶν in Vol. iii.
Pammachius a Roman senator, had lost his wife Paulina one of Paula's daughters, while she was still in the flower of her youth. It was not till two years had elapsed that Jerome ventured to write to him; and when he did so he dwelt but little on the life and virtues of Paulina. Probably there was but little to tell.
A calm letter in which Jerome defines and justifies his own attitude towards Origen, but unduly minimizes his early enthusiasm for him. He admires him in the same way that Cyprian admired Tertullian but does not in any way adopt his errors. He then describes his own studies and recounts his obligations to Apollinaris, Didymus, and a Jew named Ba...
1. The good works which spring from the grace of Christ in you have given you a claim to be esteemed by us His members, and have made you as truly known and as much beloved by us as you could be. For even were I daily seeing your face, this could add nothing to the completeness of the acquaintance with you which I now have, when in the shining l...
With this letter Jerome sends to Pammachius and Marcella a translation of the paschal letter issued by Theophilus for the year 402 A.D. together with the Greek original. He takes the precaution of sending this latter because in the preceding year complaints have been made that his translation was not accurate.