Letter 119

Isidore of PelusiumLampetius|isidore pelusium
From: Isidore of Pelusium, monk
To: Lampetius, bishop
Date: ~410 AD
Context: Isidore warns that false doctrine brings worse punishment than death.

The most destructive thing in the world is false doctrine, and the labors of those who follow it are utterly fruitless. Since those who taught wrongly brought on their unwary followers a punishment worse than death, let the best medicine for those who have been deceived be repentance. It is never too late to abandon a wrong belief — but the longer you hold it, the deeper the damage. Repent quickly, and the wound heals. Delay, and the poison reaches the bone.

Modern English rendering for readability. See the 19th-century translation or original Latin/Greek for scholarly use.

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