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Epistulae Collectio Sirmondiana

LETTERS OF THEODORET, BISHOP OF CYRRHUS. LETTER OF THE SAME TO A CERTAIN FRIEND. The prophetic word joined the wise hearer to the wonderful counselor. But I have given the book written by me on the divine Apostle to your holiness, not as to a wise hearer, but as to a judge both wise and true. And just as goldsmiths bring gold to the touchstone, wishing to see if it is unadulterated and refined, so I have brought this writing to your piety, wishing to know whether it is good, or if it needs some purification. But having read and sent it, you have declared to us nothing, O dear friend, of what was said about this. And your silence makes me suspect that the judge, having decided the opposite about it, did not wish to cause pain by revealing it. Dispel, therefore, the suspicion and deign to declare to me your verdict on the writing. 2 TO THE SAME. I do not think that those who love ardently judge rightly the birth pangs of those they love; for desire steals away justice. For fathers think their ill-favored children shine with beauty; and children likewise do not see the ugliness of their fathers; so also a brother sees a brother, not as nature shows, but as disposition shows. Thus I have supposed your divinity judged my words, with affection delivering the verdict. For truly great is the strength of love, and it often overshadows the not small failings of friends. Possessing this wealth, O my dear friend, you have crowned our words with praises; but I profess that your piety should entreat the good Master to confirm the praise with deeds, and to show the one praised to be such as the words of his praisers depict. 3 TO IRENAEUS THE BISHOP. The divine Apostle forbids such comparisons. For writing to the Romans he spoke thus: *Therefore judge nothing before the time, until the Lord comes, who will both bring to light the hidden things of darkness and make manifest the counsels of the hearts: and then shall every man have praise of God*. And he has done this with good reason. For we see only the actions, but the God of all knows also the purpose of those who do them, and passing judgment more on this than on the deeds, He delivers His verdict. Thus He will crown the divine Apostle for becoming to the Jews as a Jew, and to those under the law as under the law, and to those without law as without law. For for the benefit of the many he used the masks of hypocrisy; not embracing the life of a flatterer, and contriving a harmful gain for himself, but working out the benefit for those to whom he offered his teaching. The admirable Paul, therefore, as I have already said, bids us await the divine tribunal. But since we venture upon even greater things, and touch upon a theology that is beyond mind and reason, not seeking occasions for blasphemy like the impious heretics, but refuting their impiety and, as far as we are able, the Creator

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Epistulae Collectio Sirmondiana

ΕΠΙΣΤΟΛΑΙ ΘΕΟ∆ΩΡΗΤΟΥ ΕΠΙΣΚΟΠΟΥ ΚΥΡΡΟΥ ΤΟΥ ΑΥΤΟΥ ΕΠΙΣΤΟΛΗ ΠΡΟΣ ∆ΙΑΦΟΡΟΝ ΦΙΛΟΝ. Τῷ θαυμαστῷ συμβούλῳ τὸν συνετὸν ἀκροατὴν ὁ προφητι κὸς συνέζευξε λόγος. Ἐγὼ δέ σου τῇ ὁσιότητι οὐχ ὡς ἀκρο ατῇ συνετῷ, ἀλλ' ὡς κριτῇ σοφῷ τε καὶ ἀληθεῖ, τὴν εἰς τὸν θεῖον Ἀπόστολον συγγραφεῖσάν μοι δέδωκα βίβλον. Καὶ καθά περ οἱ χρυσοχόοι τῇ βασάνῳ προσφέρουσι τὸν χρυσόν, ἰδεῖν ἐθέλοντες εἰ ἀκίβδηλός τε καὶ ἄπεφθος, οὕτως ἐγὼ τῇ σῇ θεοσεβείᾳ τὸ σύγγραμμα προσενήνοχα, γνῶναι βουλόμενος, εἴτε εὖ ἔχει, εἴτε τινὸς δεῖται καθάρσεως. Ἀλλὰ καὶ ἀναγνοὺς καὶ πέμψας, οὐδὲν ἡμῖν, ὦ φίλη κεφαλή, τῶν εἰρημένων περὶ τούτου δεδήλωκας. Ἡ δὲ σιγή με παρασκευάζει τοπάζειν, ὡς τἀναντία περὶ ταύτης ψηφισάμενος ὁ κριτὴς οὐκ ἠθέλησε διὰ τοῦ μηνῦσαι λυπῆσαι. Λῦσον τοίνυν τὴν ὑποψίαν καὶ τὴν περὶ τοῦ συγγράμματος ψῆφον δηλῶσαί μοι καταξίωσον. 2 ΤΩ ΑΥΤΩ. Οὐκ οἶμαι τοὺς θερμῶς ἀγαπῶντας ταῖς τῶν ἀγαπωμένων ὠδῖσι κρίνειν ὀρθῶς· κλέπτει γὰρ ὁ πόθος τὸ δίκαιον. Καὶ γὰρ οἱ πατέρες ὥρᾳ λάμπειν τὰ δυσειδῆ παιδία νομίζουσι· καὶ παῖδες ὡσαύτως τὸ τῶν πατέρων εἰδεχθὲς οὐχ ὁρῶσιν· οὕτω καὶ ἀδελφὸς ἀδελφὸν βλέπει, οὐχ ὡς ἡ φύσις, ἀλλ' ὡς ἡ διά θεσις δείκνυσιν. Οὕτω τὴν σὴν θειότητα κρῖναι τοῖς ἐμοῖς ὑπείληφα λόγοις, τοῦ φίλτρου τὴν ψῆφον ἐξενεγκόντος. Μεγί στη γὰρ ἀληθῶς ἡ τῆς ἀγάπης ἰσχύς, καὶ συσκιάζει πολλάκις τῶν φίλων οὐ μικρὰ πλημμελήματα. Ταύτης ἔχων τὸν πλοῦ τον, ὦ φίλη μοι κεφαλή, εὐφημίαις τοὺς ἡμετέρους ἐταινίω σας λόγους· ἐγὼ δέ σου τὴν θεοσέβειαν ἐπαγγέλλω τὸν ἀγαθὸν ἀντιβολῆσαι ∆εσπότην, βεβαιῶσαι τοῖς ἔργοις τὴν εὐφημίαν, καὶ δεῖξαι τὸν ἐπαινούμενον, ὁποῖον τῶν ἐπαινούντων ζωγρα φοῦσιν οἱ λόγοι. 3 ΕΙΡΗΝΑΙΩ ΕΠΙΣΚΟΠΩ. Ὁ μὲν θεῖος Ἀπόστολος τὰς τοιαύτας ἀπαγορεύει συγκρί σεις. Ῥωμαίοις γὰρ ἐπιστέλλων οὕτως ἔφη· Ὥστε μὴ πρὸ καιροῦ τι κρίνετε, ἕως ἂν ἔλθῃ ὁ Κύριος, ὃς καὶ φωτίσει τὰ κρυπτὰ τοῦ σκότους καὶ φανερώσει τὰς βουλὰς τῶν καρδιῶν καὶ τότε ὁ ἔπαινος γενήσεται ἑκάστῳ ἀπὸ τοῦ Θεοῦ . Μάλα δὲ εἰκότως τοῦτο πεποίηκεν. Ἡμεῖς μὲν γὰρ μόνα ὁρῶμεν τὰ πράγματα· ὁ δὲ τῶν ὅλων Θεὸς καὶ τῶν ταῦτα δρώντων ἐπίσταται τὸν σκοπόν, καὶ τούτῳ μᾶλλον ἢ τοῖς ἔργοις δικάζων ἐκφέρει τὴν ψῆφον. Οὕτω στεφανώσει τὸν θεῖον Ἀπόστολον γενόμενον τοῖς Ἰουδαίοις ὡς Ἰουδαῖον, καὶ τοῖς κατὰ νόμον ὡς ὑπὸ νόμον, καὶ τοῖς ἀνόμοις ὡς ἄνομον. ∆ιὰ γὰρ τὴν τῶν πολλῶν ὠφέλειαν τοῖς τῆς ὑποκρίσεως προσωπείοις ἐχρήσατο· οὐ κόλακος ἀσπαζόμενος βίον, καὶ κέρδος ἐπιζήμιον ἑαυτῷ μηχανώμενος· ἀλλ' οἷς τὴν διδασκαλίαν προσέφερε τὴν ὠφέλειαν πραγμα τευόμενος. Ὁ μὲν οὖν θεσπέσιος Παῦλος, ὡς ἔφην ἤδη, τὸ θεῖον ἀναμένειν κελεύει κριτήριον. Ἐπειδὴ δὲ καὶ τῶν μειζό νων κατατολμῶμεν, καὶ θεολογίας τῆς ὑπὲρ νοῦν καὶ λόγον ἁπτόμεθα, οὐ βλασφημίας ἀφορμὰς κατὰ τοὺς ἀνοσίους ἐπι ζητοῦντες αἱρετικούς, ἀλλὰ τὴν ἐκείνων ἀσέβειαν ἐξελέγ χοντες καὶ ὡς χωροῦμεν τὸν Ποιητὴν