Letter 2038: Because obedience is preferred to sacrifices [1 Samuel 15:22], I would rather expose my clumsiness than lose your love.

Bishop Ruricius to his brother, Bishop Peter. Because obedience is preferred to sacrifices [1 Samuel 15:22], I would rather expose my clumsiness than lose your love. Knowledge puffs up, but love builds up [1 Corinthians 8:1]. And so I write, rough as my words may be.

XXXVIII. RURICIUS EPISCOPUS FRATRI PETRO EPISCOPO. Quia oboedientia sacrificiis antefertur, idcirco rusticitatem meam malo prodere quam perdere caritatem. scientia enim 20] Prou. 12, 15. 26] 1 Cor. 8, 1. 1 dictans S 3 nepote meo dulcissimo v parthenio Kr., parthemio S 4 praesentiam uobis v exhiberim S 5 comendare S 6 presentare S, praestare coni. Luetjohann 8 incensanter S affectum v amorum ex qmorum 81 9 spacia S 11 cum] jjj) S (cu suppZ. 81) 1)& 8, pari Luetjohatm, pariter v 13 parthemio S 16 resedente S 17 cognosco ex cognosce S 18 uos ante manere denuo add. S 19 dulcidinem S 22 apto v agates S 24 petro episcopo] pet..... S 25 sacrifitiis S 26 mallo S inflat, caritas, ut ipsi melius nostis, aedificat. quam ob rem, quia iussistis, ut uos per singulas occasiones et de meis actibus facerem certiores et desiderium uestrum, quod mihi non meo merito, sed generali et insita uobis dilectione dependitis, alloquio temperarem, me quidem (deo) propitio fortiorem, sed heu plenum omne hospitiolum nostrum diuersis incommodis laborare significo. peculiarius rogo adtentius domino supplicetis, ut, qui nobis incolumitatem uestris orationibus reddidistis, et his opem ac medellam diuinae misericordiae intercessionis uestrae patrocinio conferatis. ora pro me.