Letter 1597
Isidore of Pelusium→Unknown|isidore pelusium
From: Isidore of Pelusium, monk
To: An unnamed person
Date: ~410 AD
Context: Isidore meditates on the terrifying precision of divine judgment — which examines not only deeds but words and even private thoughts — and contrasts it with human negligence.
Great is the exactness of the divine judge: he scrutinizes words and deeds and even intentions, penetrating into the innermost recesses, conducting his inquiry through all things and leaving nothing unexplored. And great too is our own negligence — even though we know perfectly well that we will all give an account, even if not all the same account.
For those who have fallen into the same sins will not necessarily receive the same judgment — the circumstances under which each person sinned, the knowledge they possessed, the help they were given and rejected, the example they were set: all of these enter the ledger. This should not comfort the negligent; it should disturb them. The judge who examines not merely the act but the intention has much more to work with than any human court.
ϑεουονίίαϑ ἡμαϊεῖϊϊ ἀἰυϊπὶ ΡΥΟ ροσοαίογμπι γμαίαίε. Μαρηᾶ αὐἰάσι )εὶ [τἀ] εἶβ ϑυιητηΐ 6ϑι δοουγαιίο, Πολλὴ μὲν τοῦ θείου διχαστοῦ ἡ ἀχρίδεια, καὶ ῥῆ- "Ὁ ΜαΙΔ0] . , . Ρείγ, τν, . " διά! νη, , "" Ποῖ. γηῖ, . "" ΡΠΝΠρΡ. ], . ἘΡΙΘΤΟΙΑΆΌΝ . . -- ἘΡΙΘΤ. ΟΟΟΙΧΥΙΙ. ματα χαὶ πράγματα, χαὶ ἐνθυμήματα βασανίζουσα, Α νεγυὰ ἰυχίᾶ ἃς Γ8, εορίΔίδαυα Θχροιιοη8, δ( ἐιι- χαὶ ἕως ἀδύτων χωροῦσα, χαὶ διὰ πάντων ἄγουσα τὴν ἕρενναν. Πολλὴ δὲ χαὶ ἡμῶν ἡ ἀμέλεια. Καὶ ταῦτα εἰδότων, ὅτι πάντως δίχην ὑφέξομεν, εἰ καὶ μὴ τὴν αὐτὴν ἅπαντες. Οὐ γὰρ οἱ τοῖς αὐτοῖς ἁμαρ- τήμασι περιπεσόντες, πάντως τὴν αὐτὴν δώσουσι δίχην, τῷ χαὶ αἰτίας ἐξετάζεσθαι, καὶ χαιροὺς καὶ τόπους οἷόν τι λέγω" ἐναγὴς ὁ φόνος. Τίς γὰρ οὐ φήσει; ᾿Αλλ᾽ ὅταν χαὶ ἐν ἁγίαις ἡμέραις γένηται, ἐναγέστερος γίνεται" εἰ δὲ χαὶ ἐν ἱερῷ τόπῳ, ἐν- αγέστατος" τοῦ χαχοῦ χαὶ ἀπὸ τοῦ χαιροῦ χαὶ ἀπὸ τοῦ πόπου αὐξανομένου, χαὶ προσθήχην εἰς τιμωρίαν λαμόθάνοντος, καὶ ἡ πορνεία μία εἶναι δοχοῦσα, χαὶ ἀπὸ χαιροῦ, χαὶ ἀπὸ τόπου βαρυτέρα γίνεται, Ἕν τοίνυν σχοπῶμεν ὅπως τὰ χαθ᾽ ἑαυτοὺς εὖ διαθῶμεν" τῷ δὲ χριτῇ ἐπιτετράφθω ἡ ἀχριδὴς βάσανος. Οὐ γὰρ Β εἰ ἡμεῖς νῦν δριοῦμεν, αὐτὸς ἐπιψηφιεῖται. ᾿Αλλὰ ἀνάγχη ἡμᾶς τὴν ἀδέχαστον ἀναμένειν ψῆφον. ΤΞς-. --- ὙΠΑΤΙΩ. εἶν υδη6 Ραμ Θἰτδηάο βογυ ίδιο οἰποίΔ. Αἱ ᾿μ- ἔθη) ποῦῖβ ἱβπανΐδ, οἰϑὶ ὥθὴ [ὑρφἰλϊ ραΡηλ8 οππεΐῃο ρογϑοίυϊυΓΟ5, ΙΔ ΠΥ ΠΟ 648ι16Π ΟΠ]Π68. Νόφυς Θϑηΐπὶ οπηη65, δδίδπη ἀδὶ "αυδηι6», δαπιάθιι Ιαθπὶ ρΩρηδΠι, 4ι͵ᾶ 6ἱ οσδυ58, 6ἱ ἰοεᾶ, ἰοπιρογὰ Θχδιἰθυμίυγ. ὙΟΓΌΐ στϑιῖα ποι ἰ οἰ αἰ ΠΔ ΟΧΒΘΟΓΘΝ - ἀυπι δερίεϊυι) δῖ, 4υΐδ ποβοὶ ἢ Ουοα 8ὶ [ ρϑιΓ8 - ἴθ πὶ 5δἷ1 ἀΐδυυβ πῶρὶ8 ὁδὶ δχϑϑογδηήυπ),, ] ἰπ ἰθ0Ὸ ΒΔΟΓΟ ΠπιᾶχίΠι] οσϑίβιΐΐ, ἀδιοβϑιδπάυπι, ἤαρὶεἶο 5υηι- ἸΏΟΡΟΓ ἃ ἰοεὶ ἰθιηρογίδβαυδ οἰγουϊηδίδηιϊα διίουοσίο, Ρώηᾶ οἰἶδηὶ δυφηηθηΐυιη ἰηἀ6 βυπηδηῖα : αἱ β8οογίϑιΐο ᾿Ἰοθὶ υμὰ νἱάσδιυγ, υαγίδιυγ ἰδιίπθὴ ἰπίδ γι (οι ρΟΥΪ5 ἰοείφυς δαὐυποιΐβ. Οὐγοπιυ5. ἰλ ἰη ρτὶ- ΓηἾβ5, υἱ ΠΊΟΓΟΒ ΓΟΙΠΡΟΠΔΠΊΙ8 ΠοδίΓο8 : ἰυ οὶ νόγῸ ορΐπιο πιᾶχίιηο σα! οἰδ δῖ δοουγαῖα ποβίγὶ οο- ξοὶϊιο οἱ ἀϊδβᾳυϊδἰο. ΝΟ δηΐπὶ αυδὰ ἤυης ἱροὶ ἀεί! ἰ πη, 'ρ86 βϑῃίθηι8π ) δἷς (ἐγοὶ, ει ἰη- τορταπι ἱποογγαρίιπηαυθ ΟροΟΓΙαὶ Θχβρθοίδγο ᾿α- ἀἰείυπι. ; ΟΟΟΙΧΥ͂Ι. --- ΠΥΡΑΤΙΟ. Ψίγιμε ροεῖ εὐήοτες ραιαάϊμηι φ( οογοπαι ρματὶ( εὐἰεεδίομι. Ἔχει μὲν ἢ ἀρετὴ εὐφροσύνην εἰλιχρινῆ χαὶ ἕν- ᾿ δοξον χαὶ ἀτελεύτητον, ὑπὸ μὲν τοῦ ἀγαθοῦ συνει- δότος τιχτομένην, ὑπὸ δὲ τῶν ὑπερχοσμίων στεφά- νων τιθηνουμένην (), χαὶ ὑπὸ τῆς τῶν μελλόντων ἐλπίδος τρεφομένην " ἔχει δὲ χαὶ πόνους, χαὶ ἀγρυ- πνίας, καὶ ἀσχήσεις, δι᾽ ὧν κατορθοῦται. Οὐ γὰρ ὁ γ᾽ γι 88Π6 ΒῃΠσοΓΆπι), ΘΙΟΓΟ8.Π), δίφυθ ἐμπηπιογ- ἰδίοπι ρογίθοιππιηι6 οοη(ίπ οι [Ε1 8π , θοπᾶ ιδνὶδ σου ϑοίοιἷα φοπίιδι, ΘΟΓΟΝ . διυίθπὶ οΟοἰ δέ νὰ ἢπ- ἐεἰιῶπὶ οἰ υοδιδπ4ι6 5ρ6 [πἰυτοτυ υοπογυηι. ΠΠ νοὶ Υγ6ΓῸ Οαἰϊδη) ἰθογο8 υἱχμὶ άϑηιθ οἱ δχϑγο δι] , αυΐθυ8 υἱγίυ8 ρογ ἰϊαγ. ἰρηᾶνυϑ Θηΐ οἱ ἀογιΐθιι8 ῥᾳθυμῶν χαὶ καθεύδων τρόπαιον στήσει, ἀλλ᾽ ὁ (ὁ ἱγοριΕᾶ ποη διἰδιιοῖ, δ6ι ] 4υἱ να] ὰ6 ἴῃ ιοβίθιῃ ρυ- λαμπρῶς πρὸς τοὺς ἐναντίους ἀγωνισάμενος. Εἰ δὲ φαίης πάλιν, ὥσπερ οὖν καὶ ἔφης, οἷόν τε εἶναι τὸν τὰ βιωτικὰ πράγματα μεταχειριζόμενον στεφθῆναι, πάντα τὰ εἴδη τῆς ἀρετῆς χατορθώσαντα, χαὶ σπου- δάζων, ἀλλὰ μὴ παίζων ἀχριθῶς ταῦτα φής" μὴ φθονήσῃς διδάξαι με τὸ παράδοξον τοῦτο χαὶ νεώ- τερον μάθημα. Οὐδὲ γὰρ ῥᾳδίας (), χαὶ πλατείας, γαὶ ἱππηλάτου οὔσης τῆς τυιαύτης ὁδοῦ, πράγματα βούλομαι αὐτός τε ἔχειν, καὶ τοῖς ἄλλοις παρέχειν, λέγων νὸ ἀποστολιχὸν, ὅτι ε Διὰ πολλῶν θλίψεων δεῖ ἡμᾶς εἰσελθεῖν εἰς τὴν βασιλείαν τῶν οὐρανῶν. » Ὁ γὰρ Δεσπότης Χριστὸς ἀπεφήνατο, στενὴν εἶναι τὴν πύλην, χαὶ τεθλιμμένην τὴν ὁδὸν, τὴν ἀπάγου- σαν εἰς τὴν ζωῆν, καὶ ὀλίγους εἶναι τοὺς εὑρίσχον- τας αὐτήν. ᾿Αλλὰ γὰρ τοῦτο οὐ δύναμαι μαθεῖν, οὐ γὰρ ἐᾷς σὺ καὶ δι᾽ ὧν λέγεις, καὶ δι᾽ ὧν πράττεις, ἀντιφθεγγόμενος ταύτῃ τε τῇ ψήφῳ, καὶ τοῖς θείοις χρησμοῖς, χαὶ τἀναντία παιδεύων. . -- ΘΕΟΓΝΩΣΤΩ ΠΡΕΣΒΥΤΕΡΩ. διανοεῖ! : ἰἰογυν Ο , αυοά [2ς8, ἤδγὶ ρο556 υἱ φυΐ δά ᾿Ἰππιληϑπ) νἱίδι ποροιΐα ρογιΪ θη [Γ8- εἰοι, σογοηδίυγ Οηΐ νἱγιυυ πὶ ΟΥΓΠΔίι15 σοιθγα. Εἰ Βοῦὶο ἰνῶθο 4ιυϊάθηι), δοσυγαίθ4η6 ποη ἰροᾶπιο ῬΓΟΙΌΓΒ, ΠΟ τηοἰεσῖθ θη θη [ΓΘ ἀοοδγὸ π ῃόν
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From: Isidore of Pelusium, monk
To: An unnamed person
Date: ~410 AD
Context: Isidore meditates on the terrifying precision of divine judgment — which examines not only deeds but words and even private thoughts — and contrasts it with human negligence.
Great is the exactness of the divine judge: he scrutinizes words and deeds and even intentions, penetrating into the innermost recesses, conducting his inquiry through all things and leaving nothing unexplored. And great too is our own negligence — even though we know perfectly well that we will all give an account, even if not all the same account.
For those who have fallen into the same sins will not necessarily receive the same judgment — the circumstances under which each person sinned, the knowledge they possessed, the help they were given and rejected, the example they were set: all of these enter the ledger. This should not comfort the negligent; it should disturb them. The judge who examines not merely the act but the intention has much more to work with than any human court.
Modern English rendering for readability. See the 19th-century translation or original Latin/Greek for scholarly use.