Letter 122

From: Theodoret, Bishop of Cyrrhus To: Uranius, Bishop of Emesa [modern Homs, Syria] Date: ~449 AD Context: Theodoret responds to Uranius's advice to keep quiet, forcefully rejecting silence as cowardice and insisting that courage is essential to Christian virtue. To Uranius, Bishop of Emesa, I was delighted that we who are alike in character should now correspond by letter. But I am not entirely sure what you meant by "Are not these my words?" If it was merely a greeting, I take no offense. But if it was meant to remind me of your advice to keep silent -- the so-called "prudent accommodation" -- I appreciate the thought, but I cannot accept it. The divine Apostle tells us the exact opposite: "Be instant in season and out of season" [2 Timothy 4:2]. And the Lord said to this very apostle, "Do not be afraid, but speak" [Acts 18:9]. To Isaiah He said, "Cry aloud, spare not" [Isaiah 58:1]. To Moses, "Go down, charge the people" [Exodus 19:21]. To Ezekiel, "I have made you a watchman for the house of Israel; if you do not warn the wicked..." [Ezekiel 3:17-18]. I need not go on -- you know all this. Far from being distressed at having spoken freely, I rejoice and am glad. I praise Him who has counted me worthy of these sufferings, and I urge my friends to face the same dangers. If they know that I have strayed from the apostolic rule of faith -- swerved to the right or the left -- let them despise me. Let them join the opposing side. Let them be counted among our enemies. But if they bear witness that I hold the true Gospel teaching, then I call out to them: "Stand firm, with your loins girded with truth and your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace" [Ephesians 6:14-15]. Virtue, they say, comprises not only temperance, righteousness, and prudence, but also courage -- and it is courage that preserves all the rest. Righteousness needs courage to fight injustice. Temperance conquers vice only with courage's aid. This is why the God of all said through the prophet: "The just shall live by his faith, and if any man draws back, my soul shall have no pleasure in him" [Habakkuk 2:3-4]. "Drawing back" He calls cowardice. Hold fast, then, my dear friend, to the apostolic doctrines. "For He who is coming will come and will not delay" [Hebrews 10:37], and He will render to every man according to his deeds. "The fashion of this world is passing away" [1 Corinthians 7:31], and the truth will be made plain.

Letter 122 Please help support the mission of New Advent and get the full contents of this website as an instant download. Includes the Catholic Encyclopedia, Church Fathers, Summa, Bible and more — all for only $19.99... Uranius Bishop of Emesa. I have been greatly delighted that we who correspond in character should have corresponded by letter. But I do not quite see what you mean by saying Are not these my words? If it were said only for the sake of salutation, I am not annoyed at it; but if it is intended to remind me of the advice which recommended silence, and of the so-called œconomy, I am very much obliged, but I do not accept the suggestion. For the divine Apostle charges us to take quite the opposite course. Be instant in season and out of season. And the Lord says to this very spokesman, Be not afraid, but speak and to Isaiah, Cry aloud, spare not and to Moses Go down, charge the people and to Ezekiel I have made you a watchman unto the house of Israel, and it shall be if you warn not the wicked, and the like: for I think it needless to write at length to one who knows. Not only therefore are we not distressed at having spoken freely, but we even rejoice and are glad, and laud Him who has thought us worthy of these sufferings; aye and call on my friends to encounter the same perils. If they know that we do not keep the apostolic rule of the faith, but swerve to the right hand or the left, let them hate us; let them join the opposite side; let them be ranked with them that are at war with us. But if they bear witness to our holding the right teaching of the gospel message, we hail them with the cry, Do you too 'stand having your loins girt about with truth,...and your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace,' and so on, for it is said that virtue comprises not only temperance, righteousness, and prudence, but also courage, and that by means of courage the rest of its component parts are preserved. For righteousness needs the alliance of courage in its war against wrong; temperance vanquishes intemperance by the aid of courage. And for this reason the God of all said to the prophet The just shall live by his faith, and if any man draw back, my soul shall have no pleasure in him. Shrinking he calls cowardice. Hold fast then, my dear friend, to the apostolic doctrines, for He that shall come will come, and will not tarry, and He shall render to every man according to his deeds, for the fashion of this world passes away, and the truth shall be made manifest.