E02874: Paulinus of Nola, in a letter to Sulpicius Severus, rebukes him for neglecting a promised visit to the shrine of *Felix (priest and confessor of Nola, S00000), even though he frequently visits the shrine of *Martin (ascetic and bishop of Tours, ob. 397, S00050) in Gaul. Letter written in Latin at Nola (southern Italy), c. 399.
Creators: name: Bryan
Publisher: name: University of Oxford
Year: 2017
Subjects: History

description: Paulinus of Nola, Letter 17.4<br><br>Causari infirmitatem magis quam pigritiam uel exceptionem personarum qui possis, nescio, cum intra annum eadem opera ad nos potueris peruenire ac recurrere, qua Gallicanas peregrinationes tot annis frequentas et iteratis saepe intra unam aestatem excursibus Turonos et remotiora uisitas. Non inuideo, praedico magis deuotionem tuam in domino, quam in seruis suis admiraris et honoras. Iuste fateor et merito Martinum frequentari; sed dico iniuste pernicioseque Felicem ab eodem, qui illum honoret, promissis inanibus ludi uel secura promissi iam ut aboliti dissimulatione contemni. Qua fide speras Christi gratiam in honore Martini, eadem Christi offensam in offensione Felicis; et tibi forsitan mens fortior et anima robustior aut potens conscientia perfectae in Christo dilectionis tantam ministret fiduciam, ut magnorum fidei et operationis tuae meritorum conpensatione delictum hoc, quo dominum meum Felicem, quod absit, laeseris, diluendum putes. Quamquam de ipsius etiam tibi bonitate, quam de ipso, cuius spiritus est, deo Christo largissimam habet, ueniam tibi polliceris et fideliter facis: uerum ego uel tam timidum me uitio infirmitatis meae uel tam nimium amoris tui fateor, ut pro te etiam tuta timeam, et dum in omni sancto abundare tibi gratiam Christi cupio, nolim te in eo potissimum, in quo dei caritas est insignis et eminens, lapidem offensionis incurrere. Scio quidem secundum diuitias bonitatis dei et in domino meo Felice uiscera pietatis adfluere; sed tu, quaeso, hoc eum magis diligas et timeas, quo melior est et indulgentior. Magnam tibi talis formido mercedem pariet, ut hinc sollicitior sis, unde potes esse securior, id est ut tanto magis carissimum dei metuas offendere, quanto promptius dignatur ignoscere, quia maiore inpietate laeditur qui nescit offendi et grauuius uindicatur a domino qui non expetit uindicari.<br><br>'Who you are to be able to plead sickness rather than laziness or choosiness about persons [to honour], I do not know. For you could have visited me and hastened back within a year. The effort would have been only the same as you have repeatedly expended on travelling in Gaul all these years, visiting Tours and more distant places often more than once within the same summer. I am not envious; I praise your devotion to the Lord more than your admiration and recognition for his servants. I admit that Martin deservedly merits his visits. But I maintain that Felix is undeservedly and wrongfully mocked by the empty promises of the man who honours Martin, or is held in contempt by a dissembling which feels secure in regarding a promise made as now annulled. The faith which makes you hopeful of Christ's favour in honouring Martin must also make you fearful of his offence if you offend Felix. Yet perhaps your mind is more intrepid and your soul hardier, or strong in its awareness of your perfect love for Christ, so that you believe the sin with which you have afflicted my lord Felix (may it not be so) can be expiated and compensated for by your great and deserving merits of faith and good works. But though you promise yourself pardon and base your actions on faith because of the goodness shown to you by Felix, who derives it in great abundance from Christ our God himself, whose breath he is, I confess I am so fearful because of my fault of weakness, or so excessively devoted to you, that on your behalf I fear even what is safe. I want you to have abundance of Christ's grace through every saint, but I should not like you to encounter a stumbling block, especially not in the saint in whom God's love is notable and outstanding. I know that my Lord Felix, too, abounds with fatherly love through the riches of God's goodness, but I beg you to increase your love and fear for him as he shows greater goodness and kindness. Such fear will win you a great reward, and your greater anxiety will be the cause of your greater safety. In other words, you should fear to offend him, who is most dear to God, accordingly as he readily deigns to pardon you. For it is the greater impiety to insult one who refuses to take offence; he who does not look to be avenged is more heavily avenged by the Lord.'<br><br>Text: Hartel/Kamptner 1999, 127-128. Translation: Walsh 1967, 165-166, lightly modified.