Letter 2012: Many people, claiming that I have great influence with your inseparable excellency — not through the merit of my...
Ruricius of Limoges→Praesidius, nobleman|c. 488 AD|Ruricius of Limoges
friendship
From: Ruricius, bishop of Limoges
To: Praesidius, nobleman
Date: ~488 AD
Context: Ruricius writes about people who claim influence with him to gain favors from Praesidius, and reflects on the nature of true spiritual friendship.
Bishop Ruricius to his exalted and ever-magnificent brother Praesidius.
Many people, claiming that I have great influence with your inseparable excellency — not through the merit of my life but through the privilege of our friendship — have been presuming upon your goodwill on my account. While I do not wish to deny the bond between us, I want to be clear that true friendship in Christ is not a currency to be traded for worldly favors. Our bond is spiritual, not transactional.
XII. DOMINO SUBLIMI SEMPERQVE MAGNIFICO FRATRI PRAESIDIO RURICIUS EPISCOPUS.
Plerique, dum me apud indiuiduam mihi sublimitatem uestram
non uitae merito, sed amicitiarum priuilegio multum posse
2] Matth. 13,46. 4] Matth. 18,44. 18] Matth. 19, 23. 18] Matth.
19, 26; Luc. 18, 27.
1 a add. v, om. S 2 negociatoris S 3 uinditis S praeciosissimu
margaritu S 4 destactisq; S 8 uinderet S 20 totus Kr., totis S, otiis
Mommsenus usque v, aeque Luetjohann 21 mutuae in ras. 81 et] ut v
23 strenuus] stre itl marg. repet. 81 aedificatur 81 27 eadem epistula infra
recimit II53 presidio S 30 ammicitiarum S priuilegium S, corr. v
confidunt, commendaticias a nobis, quibus uobis excusentur, inquirunt,
quas eis pro officii nostri necessitate negare non possumus,
non praesumptionis audacia, sed ministerii disciplina,
dum et illis praesentis uitae solacia et uobis prouidere desideramus
aeternae, ut et illi per patientiam uestram reseruentur
ad paenitentiam et uos per misericordiam perueniatis ad ueniam,
sicut dicit scriptura: quia iudicium sine misericordia erit
illi, qui non fecerit misericordiam, quia, qui dixit: dimittite
et dimittetur nobis, procul dubio, quem uiderit hic
facere, quod praecepit, in futuro restituet, quod promisit. nobis
enim illius ueritas praesto est, si illi fides nostra non desit.
unde manifestissime potestis aduertere absolutionem miserorum
uestrorum esse indulgentiam peccatorum et hoc uestris conferendum
precibus, quod uos praestiteritis alienis iuxta ipsius
in euangelio sententiam: quo iudicio iudicaueritis, indicabitur
de uobis. ideoque pro Urso et Lupicino, qui ad
me quasi nobis peculiarius, sicut superius dixi, caritatis iure
deuinctum pro criminum suorum intercessione uenerunt, precator
accedo, ut primum deo, deinde nobis hoc, quod commiserunt,
donare digneris et infieri nec nos de eorum damnatione confundas,
qui se absolutos esse, quando ad humilitatem meam
deducti sunt, crediderunt.
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From:Ruricius, bishop of Limoges
To:Praesidius, nobleman
Date:~488 AD
Context:Ruricius writes about people who claim influence with him to gain favors from Praesidius, and reflects on the nature of true spiritual friendship.
Bishop Ruricius to his exalted and ever-magnificent brother Praesidius.
Many people, claiming that I have great influence with your inseparable excellency — not through the merit of my life but through the privilege of our friendship — have been presuming upon your goodwill on my account. While I do not wish to deny the bond between us, I want to be clear that true friendship in Christ is not a currency to be traded for worldly favors. Our bond is spiritual, not transactional.
Modern English rendering for readability. See the 19th-century translation or original Latin/Greek for scholarly use.