Bad Advertisement?
Are you a Christian?
Online Store:Visit Our Store
| To All Bishops.
PREVIOUS SECTION - NEXT SECTION - HELP 
The Second
Epistle.
To All Bishops.
On brotherly love, and on avoiding the evil.
Pontianus, bishop of the holy and universal Church, to
all who worship the Lord aright, and love the divine worship,
greeting.
Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to
men of good will.2784
These
words, most beloved, are not the words of men, but of angels; and they
were not devised by human sense, but were uttered by angels at the
birth of the Saviour. And from these words it can be understood
without doubt by all that peace is given by the Lord, not to men of
evil will, but to men of good will. Whence the Lord, speaking by
the prophet, says: “How good is God to Israel, even to such
as are of a clean heart! But as for me, my feet were almost gone;
my steps had well-nigh slipped: for I was envious at the
unrighteous, when I saw the prosperity of the wicked.”2785
Of the good, however, the Truth
says in His own person, “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they
shall see God.”2786
And
they are not the pure in heart who think evil things, or things hurtful
to their brethren; for he who is the faithful man devises nothing
evil. The faithful man, accordingly, loves rather to hear things
which are becoming, than to speak things which are not becoming.
And if any one is faithful, let him see to it that he speak no evil,
and lay no snares in the way of any one. In this, then, are the
children of God distinguished from the children of the devil. For
the children of God always think and strive to do things which are of
God, and give help unceasingly to their brethren, and wish to injure no
one. But, on the other hand, the children of the devil are always
meditating things evil and hurtful, because their deeds are evil.
And of them the Lord, speaking by the prophet Jeremiah, says:
“I will utter my judgments against them touching all their
wickedness.”2787
“Wherefore I will yet plead with you, saith the Lord; and with
your children’s children will I plead.”2788
“Behold, I frame evil
against you, and devise a device against you.”2789
These things, brethren, are
greatly to be feared, and to be guarded against by all; for the man on
whom the judgment of God may fall will not depart unhurt. And
therefore let every one see to it carefully that he neither contrive
nor do against a brother what he would not wish to have to endure
himself. And let not the man of faith come under the suspicion
even of saying or doing what he would not wish to have to endure
himself. Wherefore persons suspected, or hostile or litigious,
and those who are not of good conversation, or whose life is
reprehensible, and those who do not hold and teach the right faith,
have been debarred from being either accusers or witnesses by our
predecessors with apostolic authority; and we too remove them from that
function, and exclude them from it in times to come, lest those lapse
wilfully whom we ought to keep in and save; lest not only (which may
God forbid!) the predicted judgment of God should fall upon both, but
we also should perish (which may God forbid!) through their
fault. For it is written, “Have they made thee the master
of a feast? Take care for them, that thou mayst be merry
on their account, and receive as thy crown the ornament of esteem, and
find approbation of thine election.”2790
For the evil word affects the
heart, out of which proceed these four objects, good and evil, life and
death; and the tongue in its assiduous action is what determines
these. Wherefore the before-named parties are altogether to be
avoided; and until the before-noted matters are investigated, and the
parties are found to be clear of such, they are not to be
received: for the right sacrifice is to give heed to the
commandments, and to depart from all iniquity. “To depart
from wickedness is a thing pleasing to the Lord, and to forsake
unrighteousness is a sacrifice of praise.”2791
For it is written, “Love thy
friend, and be faithful unto him. But if thou bewrayest his
secrets, follow no more after him. For as a man who destroyeth
his friend, so is he who destroys (loseth) the friendship of his
neighbour. And as one that letteth a bird go out of his hand, so
art thou that has let thy neighbour go and shalt not get him
again. Follow after him no more, for he is far off. For he
has escaped like a roe out of the snare, because his soul is
wounded. Thou wilt not be able to bind him any more, and there is
reconciliation for the reviled. But to betray the secrets of a
friend is the desperation of a wretched soul. He that winketh
with the eye worketh evil, and no one will cast him off. When
thou art present, he will despise his own mouth, and express his wonder
at thy discourse; but at the last he will writhe his mouth, and slander
thy sayings. I have hated many things, but nothing like him; and
the Lord will hate him. Whoso casteth a stone on high, it will
fall upon his own head, and a deceitful stroke of the deceitful will
make wounds. Whoso diggeth a pit shall fall therein; and he that
setteth a stone in his neighbour’s way will fall thereon; and he
that placeth a snare for another will perish therein. He that
worketh mischief, it shall fall upon him, and he shall not know whence
it cometh on him. Mockery and reproach are from the proud; and
vengeance, as a lion, shall be in wait for them. They that
rejoice at the fall of the righteous shall perish in the snare, and
anguish shall consume them before they die. Anger and wrath are
both abominations, and the sinful man shall have them
both.”2792
“He that will be avenged shall find vengeance from the Lord, and
he will surely keep his sins. Forgive thy neighbour the hurt that
he hath done unto thee, and then shall thy sins be forgiven thee when
thou prayest. One man beareth hatred against another; and doth he
ask redress of God? He showeth no mercy to a man which is like
himself; and doth he ask forgiveness of the Most High for his own
sins? He, though he is flesh, nourisheth hatred; and doth he ask
pardon of God? Who will entreat for his sins? Remember thy
end, and let enmity cease; for corruption and death impend on
commandments. Remember the fear of God, and bear no malice to thy
neighbour. Remember the covenant of the Highest, and look down
upon (despice) the ignorance of thy neighbour.
Abstain from strife, and thou shalt diminish thy sins.
For a furious man kindleth strife; and a sinful man will
disquiet friends, and make enmity among them that be at peace.
For even as the trees of the wood are, so will the fire burn; and as a
man’s strength is, so will his anger be; and as his riches are,
so will he make his anger rise. An hastened contention will
kindle a fire, and an hastening quarrel will shed blood, and a
testifying (testificans) tongue will bring death. If thou
blow upon the spark, it will burn like a fire; and if thou spit upon
it, it will be extinguished: and both these come out of the
mouth. Cursed be the whisperer and doubled-tongued, for such have
troubled many that were at peace. A third (tertia)
tongue hath disquieted many, and driven them from nation to
nation: the fortified cities of the rich it hath pulled down, and
overthrown the houses of great men. It has subverted the virtues
of peoples, and has destroyed strong nations. A third tongue hath
cast out truthful2793
| 2793 Veridicas.
The text reads “Viratas.” | women, and
deprived them of their labours. Whoso hearkeneth unto it shall
never find rest, and never dwell quietly. The stroke of the whip
maketh marks in the flesh, but the stroke of the tongue will break
bones. Many have fallen by the edge of the sword, but not in such
manner as those who have perished by their tongue. Well is he
that is defended from the evil tongue, who hath not passed into the
anger thereof, and who hath not drawn the yoke thereof, nor hath been
bound with the bands of it; for the yoke thereof is a yoke of iron, and
the band thereof is a band of brass. The death thereof is the
vilest death, and the grave were better than it. The perseverance
thereof shall not abide; but it shall hold the ways of the unrighteous,
and its flame shall not burn the righteous. Such as forsake the
Lord shall fall into it, and it shall burn in them, and not be
quenched; and it shall be sent upon them as a lion, and hurt them as a
leopard. Hedge thine ears about with thorns, and listen not to
the evil tongue; and make a door for thy mouth, and bars for thine
ears. Smelt (confla) thy gold and silver, and
make a balance for thy words, and right curbs for thy mouth. And
beware that thou slide not perchance in thy tongue, and fall before
thine enemies that lie in wait for thee, and thy fall be irremediable
even to death.”2794
“Make no tarrying to turn to the Lord, and put not off from day to day.
For suddenly shall His wrath come, and in the time of vengeance He will
destroy thee. Set not thine heart upon goods unjustly gotten, for
they shall not profit thee in the day of veiling (for execution,
obductionis) and vengeance. Move not with every
wind, and go not into every way; for so is the sinner proved with the
double-tongue. Be stedfast in the way of the Lord, and in the
truth of thine understanding, and in knowledge; and let the word of
peace and righteousness attend thee. Be courteous in hearing the
word, that thou mayest understand it, and with wisdom give a true
answer. If thou hast understanding, answer thy neighbour; if not,
lay thy hand upon thy mouth, lest thou be caught in a word of folly,
and be confounded. Honour and glory are in the talk of the
intelligent man; the tongue of the unwise is his fall. Be not
called a whisperer, and be not caught in thy tongue, and
confounded. For confusion and penitence are upon the thief, and
the worst condemnation upon the double-tongued. Moreover, for the
whisperer there is hatred, and enmity, and shame. Justify the
small and the great alike.”2795
Instead of a friend, become not an enemy to thy neighbour. For
the evil man shall inherit reproach and shame, and every sinner in like
manner that is envious and double-tongued. Extol not thyself in
the counsel of thine own heart as a bull, lest perchance thy virtue be
shattered in folly, and it consume thy leaves, and destroy thy fruits,
and thou be left as a dry tree in the desert. For a wicked soul
shall destroy him that hath it, and makes him to be laughed to scorn by
his enemies, and shall bring him down to the lot of the
impious.”2796
Most
dearly beloved, study to lift up the oppressed, and always help the
necessitous; for if a man relieves an afflicted brother, delivers a
captive, or consoles a mourner, let him have no doubt that that will be
recompensed to him by Him on whom he bestows it all, and who
says: “Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of
my brethren, ye have done it unto me.”2797
Strive, then, unceasingly to do
what is good in such wise that ye may both obtain the fruit of good
works here, and enjoy the favour of God in the future, to the intent
that hereafter ye may be worthy to enter the court of the heavenly
kingdom.—Given on the fourth day before the kalends of May (the
28th of April), in the consulship of the most illustrious Severus and
Quintianus.
————————————
E.C.F. INDEX & SEARCH
|
