Letter 10

From: Paulinus of Nola To: Delphinus, bishop of Bordeaux (his baptismal father) Date: ~399 AD Context: Paulinus writes to the bishop who baptized him, responding to Delphinus's request that Paulinus include more Scripture in his letters. Paulinus modestly insists that a father should be teaching his son, not the other way around. Paulinus to his most blessed lord, always in the Lord Christ, peculiarly our father, Delphinus. I received the letter of your holy affection, in which you instruct me to include in the letters I send you some words from Scripture beyond the routine of duty — something that would reveal to you the treasure of my heart. But the order of devotion requires and the master apostle teaches that "parents should store up treasure for their children" [2 Corinthians 12:14], not the reverse. And indeed you, made our father by the Lord and in the Lord, have always stored up good things for us and never cease to do so — beyond that talent of saving grace which we received at your hands, not to be buried in the earth or wrapped in a cloth [Matthew 25:25] but to be deposited with bankers, from whom it might be multiplied with generous interest, or distributed in due time to those who sell the oil that the wise must buy to prepare their lamps for the bridegroom's coming [Matthew 25:1-10]. You store up treasure for us in yet another way, always — you who ask that more be added to the grace given to us through you. And would that we could receive as much as you, through your prayers, have the power to obtain for us! For it is surely from this confidence and trust in your petitions on our behalf that you ask — or rather demand — that we speak something spiritual to you that is worthy of the seed you planted in us. For you believe that your prayers have been heard according to your faith, and you desire to find the fruit of your care and intercession in the harvest of our heart and speech, "since out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks" [Matthew 12:34] and the flavor of the mind is tasted in one's words. Your Holiness rightly seeks the return on its deposit.

X. BEATISSIMO ET PECVLIARITER DOMINO SEMPER IN DOMINO CHRISTO NOBIS PATRI DBLPHINO PAVLINVB. Accepimus litteras sanctae affectionis tuae, quibus iubes nos in epistolis, quas ad te facimus, aliquem praeter officii de scripturis adicere sermonem, qui tibi thesaurum nostri cordis reuelet. sed parentes potius filiis thesaurizare et ordo pietatis postulat et magister apostolus docet. quamquam tu nobis a domino et in domino pater factus semper thesaurizaueris bona et thesaurizare non desinas praeter illud gratiae salutaris talentum, quod te consignante suscepimus non in terra abscondendum 1] Ps. 141, 6. 2J (Eph. 4,23). 4] Ps. 72,26. 12] (II Cor. 12,14). 1 distructum 0 nostram FU, nram ex urum P m. 2 discere P1 2 sensum P, sensuum FLU 5 saecula] uale add. FP\'U . — explicit L, finit ad amandQ III. 0 FLMPOUX . — s. paulini epi ad delfiuu eplh a q et baptizatus e . XXII. L, ad delfinum efftn a Ii et baptizatus est XXX. M, incipit ad delfinum ■ I. qui ab ipso baptizatus est paulinus 0, eiusdem paulini ad dalphinum quia ab ipso baptizatus est P, incipit undecima eiusdem paulini ad dalphinum quia ab ipso bapzitazus (sic) est. beatissimo ac peculiariter domino semper in domino cristo nobis patri delphino paulinus (haec in (tttt paginae, secuntur in initio sequentis): explicit epistola decima sancti paulini nole campanie episcopi eiusdem paulini undecima ad dalphinum quia ab ipso baptizatus est incipit Epistola undecima sancti paulini F, meropii paulini episcopi nolani liber tertius epistolarum ad delphinum episcopum incipit feliciter. Epistola sancti paulini episcopi ad delphinum episcopum ubi requisitus ab eo, ut in epistolis quas ei transmictit aliqua de scripturis sanctis ad consolationem suam interserere dignetur. excusatum se facit, tamquam minus actum et plurimum indoctum U — 7 in domino] in do X 8 nobiscum X delfino LOX 10 officii FOPUX, officium LM, officii necessitatem v 12 filiis potius LM 13 quanquam 0, quamuis v 14 thesaurisaueris Fl 15 illum gratia X 1G quem OPHJx con- «gnanteip Xl neque in sudario inuoluendum, sed adponendum nummulariis, a quibus uberi multiplicaretur usura, uel his distribuendum in tempore oportuno, qui ad praeparandas in aduentum sponsi faces uenditant oleum sapientibus conparandum: thesaurizas uero nobis et alio modo semper, qui de thesauris domini ad gratiam, quae per te data est nobis, adponi rogas. atque utinam tantum capere possimus, quantum tu, ut accipiamus, potes inpetrare! nam profecto de hac pro nobis postulationum tuarum conscientia atque fiducia petis a nobis uel magis repetis, ut aliquid spiritale ad te loquamur, quod semine in nobis dignum tuo sit, quia secundum fidem tuam exorasse te credens, quae nobis orasti et oras dari, effectum sollicitudinis et deprecationis tuae de nostri cordis et oris fetibus per documenta uerborum capere desideras, quoniam ex abundantia cordis os loquitur et sapor mentis in sermone gustatur. Iuste itaque sanctitas tua depositi sui debitum repetit et seminis sui germen expectat. sed quid faciam ager sterilis? qua tibi fruge respondeam, qui pro tritico tribulos uel pro uuis edidi spinas? et ideo conscius malae segetis aut infructuosae arboris, ut uel pietati debitae satisfaciam, sola in litteris meis officii uerba praetendo et sensum a tuo corde degenerem pudore inertiae confusus occulto, dum nimiae circa me dilectionis tuae conscius timeo, ne animum tuum bonae de nobis spei praesumptione gaudentem decepta expectatione contristem, et cogaris dicere uel scribere mihi: ego te plantaui uitem fructuosam, tu uero conuersus es in amaritudinem uitis alienae. expectaui ut faceres uuam, et tu fecisti 1] (TJUC. 19,18). 4] (Matth. 25,9). 14] Matth. 12,34; Luc. 6,45. 18] (Matth. 7, 16). 25] Hier. 2, 21. 27] Es. 5, 4. 1 nec F in om. M 2 multiplicetur M iis v 3 opportuno PU quia L 4 ut thesaurizas X 5 uerum X qui] quicquid X 8 profecto de hac om. M 9 conscientie FPlU petit x1 10 tuo dignum X 13 nostris 0 et om. M faetibus FLMP, Coetibus U docimenta 0 14 habundantia FO 16 sanctas FU repitit U 19 aut] uel M 21 protendo X corde tuo r degeneri X 24 pei U decepta 0 v, recepta cet . contristam Ll 25 te om. FPU 26 uirtuosam F amaritudine x 27 tuo 0 spinas. atque utinam uel illas utiles, quae contra linguam nequam sepimentum piis auribus praestant et fidem in corde cauto uelut frugem in agro circumcluso tuentur! sed tu illas, ut sentio, inutiles et nocentes, quae uerbum suffocant et conuertunt in aerumnam, dum carnalibus adhuc cogitationibus corda configunt, quasi rhamnus asper produxisti. Quaeris ergo, piissime pater, quid facias adhuc quod non feceris nobis, cum et plantaueris nos in domo domini, et plantatis maceriam signaculi salutaris, qua ab incursu siluestris apri et depastione ferocis onagri muniremur, adstruxeris et torcular foderis, quo per conuersationem piam quasi quandam tibi dulcem de tua uite uindemiam funderemus? habes adhuc quod facias imitatione illius, qui sterilis ficulneae conmeatum a domino uineae deprecatus est et inminentem inutili ligno excisionem distulit sponsione. sic igitur et pro nobis pietatis tuae cura interueniat et positam ad radices arborum ieiunarum securem uel annua domini indulgentis expectatione suspendi postulet. sponde patrifamilias diligentiam pro nobis sollicitudinis tuae et adsiduas orationes tamquam illum apostolicum euangelici stercoris cophinum pollicere, quo cordis nostri terra pinguescat et sationis tuae seges nutriatur uel plantationis tuae arbor sucum tuae fecunditatis accipiat, ut in die recognitionis, quo pariter sator messorque gaudebunt, nos quoque paterno sinu adferens inter manipulos tuos repetas ab eo culturae tuae fructum, cum illi, qui sata inrigantium 1] (Eccli. 28, 28 et 36, 27; Matth. 13, 7; Ps. 57,10). 8] Ps. 91, 14. 10] (Ps. 79, 14). 13] (Luc. 13, 8). 16] (Matth. 3, 10; Luc. 3, 9). 19] (Luc. 13, 8). 3 concluso LM 4 ut sentio illas L, ut sentio tu illas M post . et LMv, te cd . 6 ramnus w, ramus v 8 nobiscum FLU 9 materiam U signaculis 0 10 de passione 0 muniremus U, muniemur F 11 et om. U faederis F, foederis P1, feceris UP<j quadam U 12 uindimiam 0 13 stcrelis X commeatum L in rnR. m. 1, comminatum r 16 positum 0 18 postulet Ov, postula et cet . 20 coflnum 0 quo ni Ov, in quo cet . 21 terga FPlU 23 secognitionis U, recogtionis (eog I eapiu M TM.) L, cognitionis X pater F 24 nos] hos F repetas M 25 ab eo om. M nutrit et colentium labores fructificat, id in -nobis, quod non ad ignem iubeat abscidi, sed ad horreum metere dignetur, obtuleris.