Letter 1604
Isidore of Pelusium→Unknown|isidore pelusium
From: Isidore of Pelusium, monk
To: An unnamed person
Date: ~410 AD
Context: Isidore writes on matters of priesthood.
The priesthood is a sacred trust, not a career. Those who pursue it for gain or status have already disqualified themselves. A true priest serves God's people, not himself. The priest who measures his success by income rather than the state of his people's souls has traded the priesthood for commerce.
Ρε εαοετάοιϊξ ργαείαπιία. ((οπ[. ἐρίδι. , εἰ ἰδ. υἱ, ρει. .. εἰ πὴ τν, ὁρίει. ; εἰ Ζοαπ. Ολτῳτοεῖ. Η οπιλ δὲς περὶ ἱερωσύνης. Βιοὶ 8δεοσγάοι 0η1 ΟΥ̓ ΐΪ ΓΟσΠΟ ΒΕ ΠΠπι!αδ, ἀ- ΕἸ καὶ πάσης ἐστὶ βασιλείας ὑψηλοτέρα καὶ ἀξιω- κηϊπϑ4υ6, ΠοΠ ρΡΓΟΡίοΓθα 880γῖβ ἰηἰ ἶλ105 ἀθοσί πῃ) τΚοαγο οἰογγὶ, αυΐη ἀδοση [ πειπὶ δ ρ ] ᾿υΐυ8 ογηδίυπι Θχὶ δι ππογα, 'ρϑϑιη οὐπὶ ἰπ - οἷυ Ιοηἰ αἰ ο πῇ : οορί Δη165 ὁΔη1 ΟΠΠΠΐ ᾿ΟΠΟΓΟ δἰ- 4υ9 υπηᾶπᾶ ἀϊχι! δια ροιίογοπι : οἱ ]16η65 ι. - αἰα οὐροὸ ρεὺῦ Ὠοὶ φτγαιίαπι ἢυης οτάϊποιῃ δοσορογυπί, αυδη ἰγγδηηΐά δ οθπίδηἑ ΠΑ ΓΙ ἰπἰφυυπὶ . ΟΌΧΧΙΠΙ. -- ΗΠΔΕΡΟΟΒΖ“ ἈΠΕΤΟΉΙ. τέρα ἡ ἱερωσύνη, ἀλλὰ τοὺς ταύτην λαχόντας οὐ χρὴ χατὰ τῶν ἄλλων διὰ ταύτην ἐπαίρεσθαι, ἀλλὰ πρεπω- δέστατον καὶ ἁρμοδιώτατον ταύτης χόσμον ἡγεῖσθαι τὴν μετὰ συνέσεως πραότητα" ἑἐννσοῦντας, ὅτι κρείτ- των μέν ἐστι πάσης ἀνθρωπίνης τιμῆῇς τε χαὶ ἀξίας" διὰ δὲ τὴν θείαν χάριν τε καὶ διάταξιν ταύτην εἰλή- φασι τῆς τῶν ἄλλων ὠφελείας ἕνεχεν, ἣν οὐχ ἂν εἶεν δίχαιοι τῇ τυραννίδι καθυδρίζειν,
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From: Isidore of Pelusium, monk
To: An unnamed person
Date: ~410 AD
Context: Isidore writes on matters of priesthood.
The priesthood is a sacred trust, not a career. Those who pursue it for gain or status have already disqualified themselves. A true priest serves God's people, not himself. The priest who measures his success by income rather than the state of his people's souls has traded the priesthood for commerce.
Modern English rendering for readability. See the 19th-century translation or original Latin/Greek for scholarly use.