Letter 12: I confess I am amazed at the holy generosity and patience of your love — that from my letters, which I tend to write...

XII. To the holy and deservedly venerable and most beloved Amandus, Paulinus. I confess that I marvel at the holy kindness and patience of your charity, that, concerning the letters which I am accustomed to make for you more talkative and fuller of annoyance than of grace, you nevertheless take a longing for my discourse rather than a weariness of it, since you provoke and rouse me to constant and more extended letters by the grace of your own writings, in which charity, out of a pure heart and unfeigned faith, in the unleavened bread of truth speaks a sincere affection and in turn stirs up my own from the depth of my mind. What then shall I do? Shall I comply with you by an abundance of letters? But you have no need of my goods, and it is more fitting that I be enriched by you, since the rich man ought to bestow upon the poor, that there may be equality. Or shall I rather look to my own advantage and set a guard upon my mouth, so as to escape the peril of sin, which is prepared by much speaking? But again I am also afraid lest I be held guilty of disobedience and perhaps offend more grievously, if I fail you by not complying, than if I fear for myself by not writing. May the Lord therefore grant me an opening of the mouth from the Lord toward you, and may he hold out a lamp of his word before my feet, that the night of my folly may be lit up like the day. May he loose my tongue unto a good word, who also opened the mouth of the she-ass into human speech. For I too am one of those stones or beasts of burden, by whose prefiguration the she-ass then spoke, signifying that the mute nature of gentile hardness and stolidity would one day speak when its tongues were loosed by God. And, if it please you, let us extend the text of this letter concerning this very grace of God, since all our narration ought to be occupied with the precepts and praises of the Most High, to whom everything that we speak, everything that we live, must be rendered up with perpetual thanksgiving, by whose work and gift we speak and we live. For he made us, and not we ourselves. He, I say, the Lord, made us, who also remakes us, having from the very beginning, through all that he wrought and spoke in his saints, contrived the sacraments of our salvation, that is, of human restoration. For the righteous Abel he at once restored by the holy generation in Seth, who, fashioned with a like countenance after the image of God, recalled his father. Thence, running down through the rest from the first source, the vein of righteousness flowed on, and, although with a flood intervening, it stood firm in one nursery indeed, yet a righteous one, of the perished universe, the mystery of the one redeemer already then operating, that through one the reconciliation might come, since through many the offense had come. But again, with the course of the human race slipping back, righteousness lapsing and the nations together with their crimes increasing, lest again the iniquity of men should deserve the destruction of the race, again one was chosen who should be called the father of faith, from whom both the promise of the kingdom and the seed of the eternal king should emerge. This, multiplied by the faith of the nations, Christ fulfilled, who, seen by the patriarchs, prefigured through the law, foretold through the prophets, was also himself present, that he might fulfill the law and the prophets and might give by grace the medicine which the law had not been able to confer by works. For by now sin had so pervaded the whole body, that is, the entire race of men, that neither poultice nor bandage profited the weak and wounded; for, the strength of the vices being fortified, the disease, stronger than the remedies, had shut out every cure of human aid, and therefore he came who is also to come, conformed to the body of our lowliness, that he might conform us to the body of his glory, since no one but the maker of his own work is master of it, and the potter alone has right over his own clay. So the Lord of all, who had made all, deigned to descend to our condition and to take us up into his own body, that he might remake by the same art or power by which he had made. He came, however, not in the loftiness of a lord, which he was, but in the form of a servant, which he was not. He was made as a man without help, who is the power of God and the Lord of hosts, the helper and protector of all. He died for the freeing of those who were to be set free, he who was among the dead free. He was reckoned among the wicked, he who justifies the impious through faith. As a sheep led to the slaughter was that Lamb, who takes away the sins of the world. He suffered death, who grants eternity. But in the cause of this great counsel and gift, it is his own light to consider, who enlightens us from the eternal mountains, toward which, with our eyes lifted up, let us see ourselves found again by the very paths by which we had perished: again by a tree, again by a virgin, but not again to be cast down by pride, but on the contrary to return by humility. For on this account the king of glory and the Lord of majesty emptied himself, taking the form of a servant, and covered his invisible greatness with a visible abasement, that he might raise us, lofty without and crushed within by that old disease of ill-conceived arrogance, into the form of his loftiness through the little pattern of our humility in himself. For unto this the good Lord has worked and works daily, that we may attain the glory of the divine conformation, if we follow the example of our conformation in Christ, recognizing the measure of our nature tempered within the governance of the Most High, that we may be borne above ourselves by his grace, if, mindful of ourselves, we walk close to ourselves. To which measure that prophetic discourse drawn from the Book of Numbers composes us, which says: We will not turn aside to the right hand nor to the left, but we will go by the royal way. Which way for us is Christ, the mediator of God and of men, tempering us between the divine and the human and leading us to his kingdom by the royal way, that, humble in heart, lofty in deed, we may be lifted up from the left hand, that is, from sins, which draw to death, and, recalled by the law of humility from the too-far right hand, that is, from proud presumption, we may keep a wholesome moderation, lest, either turning down our eyes to the earth, we be likened to the beasts of burden, in whom there is no understanding, or, searching out things too high for us, we vanish in our own thoughts. And so, not being wise in lofty things but consenting to lowly ones, let us measure ourselves by the measure with which the Lord has measured to us, that we may be straitened in ourselves and enlarged in the Lord, not like those wise men of this age, whose wisdom the Lord reproved and brought to nothing and shut out through the foolishness of preaching; for they have disputed, he says, that they might hide snares; since, namely, in this all the art of the philosophers labors, that by the assertion of fictions it may obscure the light of truth and entangle minds, drawn from the true by the snares of empty contentions, and deceive them by the fraud of cleverness and lead them on by the false coloring of speech. But after the light arose in the darkness, the merciful and compassionate and just Lord, they have set their mouth in heaven in vain, who, ignorant even of earthly things and of their own nature, search out the regions of heaven and seek God without God. Therefore they have failed in searching out the search, and the arrows of little ones have become their wounds, since the Lord, taking the wise in their own craftiness, confounded them through the mouths of infants and sucklings, and established his kingdom not in word but in power. Whence I too, the least of all the least of the Lord and the most slender of the slight and the most infant of infants, dare to break forth into the voice of his praise, giving thanks to the Most High Lord, since the mystery of his exalted godliness, which he had stored up in the treasures of his wisdom, he has brought forth for his little ones and hidden from the wise of the world, lest this world should glory in the vanity of its own wise men, through whom, with darkness spread over it, it had not recognized the wisdom of God. But our peace is Jesus, who came that he might make both one and might compose all things by equality, destroyed the strong things and chose the weak, spurned the wise things and took up the foolish, that there might be equality, no one claiming anything proper to himself, since every man, having no share in salvation and wisdom except by the divine gift, must needs glory in the Lord. And so let us exult with trembling in the Lord our God, who is humble of heart and lofty in majesty, feeling the same in ourselves as in Christ, who, as I said above, on this account conferred upon us the grace of salvation through the little pattern of humility, that we who had deserved to fall by the spirit of exaltation might learn to rise again by humility of heart. Now that the good Lord was crucified and rose again, he wrought not only unto the destruction of our death and unto the restoration of eternity, but also unto the shaping of the present life, by which we acquire the merit whereby the possession of that life eternally blessed is prepared for us. To what mystery of godliness and counsel, then, was the Lord fixed to the cross? The Apostle teaches: that he might loose, he says, the partition of the wall and slay enmities and despoil all the pomp of this world, and, taking captive captivity itself from the whole power of the enemy, triumph over it, taking up, he says, in his own flesh the likeness of sinful flesh, not indeed the likeness of flesh, since God is truth to all and therefore the Word was truly and bodily made flesh, but the likeness of sinful flesh, that he who did no sin through his own inviolable and impassible nature, yet for our sakes, as it is written, making sin, that is, bearing the sinner taken up in the form of a servant. For he was made a curse for us, that he might absolve us from the curse of the law; from sin he condemned sin, that is, the matter of sin, which still lived in that flesh of Adam, in that very flesh of Adam which he deigned to take up he emptied it out; and so destroying the partition of the wall, that is, sin, which separated us from God, he made both one, not only that the faith of Jews and gentiles might come together in Christ, but that in each one of us who should believe, our nature might agree with itself and the discord, which formerly stirred within us when the carnal soul resisted the spiritual affection, might be dissolved by the peace of faith. For now that ancient war, in which the law of sin resisted the law of God, is abolished in Christ, when the spirit serving God tempers by faith the soul subdued to itself, and in turn the ministering flesh accompanies into all obedience the soul serving God. Wherefore by the passion and resurrection of the Lord we are instructed not only unto the hope and faith of the resurrection, that we may know how to die not by the carnal dissolution alone, but also by a voluntary withdrawal from this age, and, by dying, may through faith be made alive to God for this world. For the life of this world, a friend, is the death of the soul. On this account the Apostle says to us: Mortify your members upon the earth. Daily he testifies that he himself dies, making his own body livid, and forgetting the things that are behind and reaching forth toward the things before. In which he teaches humility and loftiness alike, since the body cannot be bruised without the spirit of humility, nor can the soul rise into the heavenly things except by the mortification of the members. Yet the measure of humility itself must also be kept by us, that we be humbled to the one Lord only by divine fear: For thou shalt adore the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve, whom to serve is freedom. For no one is subject who has subjected himself to God alone, but on the contrary he serves all the lowest things, whether spirits or other creatures or his own vices and desires, who wishes to be free of righteousness. There is, however, both a holy pride and an unrighteous humility; for that pride is even justified which is proud against this world and despises this age and abuses all its great and sweet and showy things, intent upon heavenly things and subject to divine precepts. But on the contrary that humility is condemned which is brought to men not from faith but from sloth of mind, and which cares for human favor more than for its own salvation, the handmaid of falsehood, the enemy of truth, devoid of liberty, subject to iniquity, mixing water with wine, that is, enervating the pure wine of truth with the watery wine of flattery. Against humility of this kind that voice seems to me especially to contend, which proclaims: Woe to those who call good evil and sweet bitter, and who preach righteousness to the unjust, whom also through Solomon, as you know, the truth abhors. Well, however, does the blessed psalmist, in a brief psalm but full of teaching, conform us to the temperament of our governance, when with his prayers he holds out the merit of humility, saying: Lord, my heart is not exalted, neither are my eyes lifted up. Neither have I walked in great things nor in things wonderful above me. And then he who had begged to be regarded for his humility of heart says: If I was not humbly minded, but exalted my soul; as a child weaned upon its mother, so wilt thou render unto my soul. Therefore he asks for a retribution, because he did not think humbly, but exalted his soul. Will not the prophet's sentence seem to be at variance with itself, unless we so distinguish these things in our understanding, just as they were distinguished in his own spirit and heart, so that they agreed with one another? For it was fittingly and humbly said in divine fear by him who offered to God, as he himself testifies, the sacrifice of a contrite spirit and a humbled heart. Yet, with humility of heart preserved, the same man exalted his soul, not being humbly minded, since, not relishing earthly things, he had his mind fixed upon God, deeming it the one good to cleave to God and to set his hope in God. Whence the Apostle also, who teaches us humility, saying that we should especially strive to be imitators of Christ in this, for, he says, be of this mind in yourselves, which was also in Christ, who thought it not robbery to be himself equal to God, but emptied himself, taking the form of a servant; the same Apostle nonetheless calls us to exalt the soul unto things supernal and divine, when he says: Seek the things that are above, where Christ is at the right hand and glory of God the Father. Wherefore, holding this rule both of humility and of exaltation, let us keep, in their own orders and measures, both this which, in the perversity I spoke of above, holds sin, and which, in the right direction in which we are taught, obtains grace, by godliness both humbling our heart to God and exalting our soul to our Lord. Let us fear nothing except him, let us love nothing above him. Let us put our necks only under his yoke, which is sweet, and his burden, which is light, that, free above every yoke of the enemy power, we may be borne up into the heavenly places. For on this account also the yoke of our Lord is sweet and his burden light, because it lifts us from earthly and lower things and raises us into the heights of the heavenly kingdom. For all lightness is high-seeking and is carried upward by the vigor of its subtlety. But contrary to this grace the weights of sin press down and lead down into the lower regions, of how great a burden which are the prophet testifies, when, groaning, he cries: My iniquities have set themselves over my head, and like a heavy burden they are weighed down upon me. But thanks be to the Lord Jesus, our God, who is able to free us from the body of this death through the multitude of his mercies and the riches of his goodness, by which he superabounds over the abundance of our sins and saves those who hope in him. With whom we believe that the watches of your prayers also are kept on our behalf. For we know that, having from boyhood served him and been nourished on the sacred letters, defiled by no stain of earthly and carnal conversation, you have found grace in the sight of the Most High, and on our behalf, late taken from the wood of this age unto the flock or the chariot of the Lord, since our iniquities are multiplied above the hairs of our head and we are unworthy that our names should be brought to the divine ears, lest perhaps your lips also become unclean when you have named us, and it become necessary that your mouth be touched with a fiery coal. Yet you can, whether by humility or by the confidence of the ancient seer, say: Lord, forgive them, or blot me out of thy book. Which that partaker of divine converse dared to say, not neglectful of his own salvation nor insolent toward the Lord, but by the art of a profound counsel, that to a just Lord, threatening the destruction owed to a sinful people, he might oppose the offering rather of his own abolition, secure namely of the divine godliness and justice, that the mercy of the Lord might spare even the unjust, while justice cannot blot out the just. By this condition also bind the Most High Lord on our behalf, that, while he cannot take you out of his book, through the obtaining of his just one he may receive the unjust. For since he who is in us is greater than he who is in this world, therefore righteousness is stronger for defending sinners than iniquity is against the patronage of the saints. I could wish, as far as is in me, to prolong the discourse still further, did not both the failing paper and the fear of your fatigue compel a measure to be set to my words and the letter to be ended. Do you in all things indulge my rashness and answer me, that I may be consoled and instructed by your letters. Now we especially commend Sanemarius, the bearer of this letter, to your concord, that, as we have asked the holy bishop and our father, so he may be ordained by you. For we have given him back as a fellow servant, freedom having been granted in the Lord; but let him serve us in the house of the Lord, assigned to the observances [done] in memory of our parents, that through a religious servitude he may deserve to obtain a firm freedom under your protection. Act also with the holy presbyter, brother Exsuperius, that in the cottage of the church he may receive a little plot of land by which he may procure his sustenance. Besides, I ask that you cause my letter to our son Daducius, even if he is acting in the Gauls, to be transmitted by the bishop without any delay, through a faithful and tireless fellow servant. If perhaps he should be unwilling for a cleric to be occupied, deign to send one of the men of Alingo with your own letters, by which our letters may be aided; for you will recognize the worthy cause by your intervention from my letter, which I have made to him. But above all there is need of speed in acting, that the most holy presbyter, who, venerable both in life and in age, sustains the violence which I have described, may as soon as possible be freed from the exile of others' houses.

XII. SANCTO ET MERITO VENERABILI AC DILECTISSIMO AMANDO 13 PAVLINVS. Fateor mirari me sanctam caritatis tuae benignitatem et patientiam, ut de epistolis, quas ad te loquacissimas et pleniores molestiae quam gratiae facere soleo, tu tamen desiderium sermonis mei potius quam taedium capias, quandoquidem ad adsiduas et prolixiores litteras me lacessis et excitas gratia scriptorum tuorum, in quibus caritas de corde puro et fide non ficta in azymis ueritatis sincerum loquitur affectum ac uicissim meum ab intima mente sollicitat. quid igitur faciam? obtemperabo tihi copia litterarum? sed bonorum meorum t 4] (I Cor. 6,10). 12] (Ps. 15,5). 21] I Tim. 1, 5. 22] I Cor. 5,8. 24] Ps. 15, 2. i \' 1 illic (ic ex e m. 1) L 2 terrae 0 3 nam si — 1.4 possidemus om . 0 4 nicliil LM, nil v 8 signius 0 10 deum FPU committe 0 tunc M 12 deus coeperit F possessio] uale add. FP\'U . — explic L, explicit epistola quarta F, finit ad seuerum quinta 0 . FLMPOU . — epistola eiusdem ad eundem. XIUI. L, ad eundem • XXII • M, incipit • U. 0, Ad eundem. II. P, epistola sancti paulini episcopi ad amandum presbiterum, ubi de gratia dei sermonem intexens longa et lucida disputatione prosequitur U 15 Paulinus salutem F 1 19 sermones 0 22 azimis w sinceritatis uerum M non indiges, et me aequius est a te locupletari, quia diues pauperi conferre debet, ut fiat aequalitas. an uero magis consulam utilitati meae et ponam ori meo custodiam, ut periculum peccati, quod de multiloquio paratur, effugiam? sed et metuo rursus, ne inoboedientiae reus statuar et forte grauius offendam, si in te deliquero non obtemperans, quam si pro me timuero non scribens. Det igitur mihi dominus a domino oris adapertionem ad te et praetendat pedibus meis lucernam uerbi sui, ut nox insipientiae meae sicut dies inluminetur. soluat linguam meam in uerbum bonum, qui et asinae os in sermonem laxauit humanum. sum enim et ego unus de lapidibus uel iumentis illis, quorum praefiguratione asina tunc locuta est, mutam gentilis duritiae stoliditatisque naturam solutis deo linguis significans locuturam. ac, si placet, de hac ipsa dei gratia textum epistolae porrigamus, quia omnis nostra narratio in praeceptis et laudibus altissimi occupata esse debet, illi omne quod loquimur, omne quod uiuimus cum perpetua gratiarum actione dependi, cuius opere ac munere loquimur et uiuimus. ipse enim fecit nos, et non ipsi nos. ipse, inquam, dominus fecit nos, qui etiam reficit, iam ab initio per omnia quae operatus est et locutus in sanctis suis salutis nostrae id est reparationis humanae sacramenta molitus. nam iustum Abel ilico reparauit sancta generatio in Seth, qui ore consimili formatum ad imaginem dei retulit patrem. inde per ceteros a primo fonte decurrens permanauit uena iustitiae, et quamuis interueniente diluuio in uno quidem attamen iusto uniuersitatis peremptae 2] H Cor. 8,14. 3] Ps. 38,2. 4] (Prou. 10,19). 8] (Eph. 6,19). 9] (Ps. 118, 105). (Ps. 138, 12). 11] (Num. 22,28). 14] (Luc. 19, 40). 19] Ps. 99, 3. 23] (Gen. 4, 25). 27] (Gen. 6, 8. 7, 1; II Pet. 2, 5). 3 meo om. Lebrun 4 de] in F sed et Ov, sed cet . 5 statur L post . et] ac FPU 8 a domino om. FU et spat. uac. rel. P 9 ut] et F 12 unum F 14 duritiam P1 stoliditatis quae 0 15 locutura 0 ac] hac FPU 18 actione om. U dependi (me m. 2) M 19 ope M ipse om. F 21 refecit v 23 mollitus F abel 0, abel; M, abelum cet . 24 conformatum F, signatum U 25 prima FPU decurrens om. LM 26 manauit LM seminarium stetit, iam tunc operante mysterio unici redemptoris, ut per unum reconciliatio proueniret, quia per multos offensa uenisset. sed iterum generis humani processu relabente iustitia et crescentibus simul gentibus atque criminibus, ne rursus iniquitas hominum generis mereretur interitum, rursus electus qui pater fidei uocaretur, a quo et promissio regni et regis aeterni semen emergeret. quod multiplicatum fide gentium Christus inpleuit, qui patriarchis uisus, per legem praeformatus, per prophetas praelocutus et ipse adfuit, ut adinpleret legem et prophetas et quam lex operibus non ualuerat conferre medicinam gratia daret. Iam enim corpus omne, id est uniuersum genus hominum ita peruaserat peccatum, ut neque malagma debilibus et sauciis nec ligatura prodesset; corroborata etenim uitiorum ualitudine omnem humanae opis medelam fortior remediis morbus excluserat, et ideo uenit qui et uenturus est, conformatus corpori humilitatis nostrae, ut nos conformaret corpori gloriae suae, quia nemo nisi artifex operis sui potens est et figulo tantum in argillam suam ius est. ita dominus omnium, qui omnes fecerat, dignatus est ad nostra descendere nosque suscipere in corpore suo, ut reficeret eadem arte uel potestate qua fecerat. uenit autem non in sublimitate domini, quod erat, sed in forma serui, quod non erat. factus est ut homo sine adiutorio, qui est dei uirtus et dominus exercituum, adiutor et protector omnium. pro liberandis est mortuus qui erat inter mortuos liber. inter iniquos deputatus est qui iustificat inpium per fidem. sicut ouis ad interfectionem ductus 7] (Gen. 15,13; Rom. 4, 11; Gal. 3, 7; lac. 2, 21; Matth. 5,17; Ioh. 1,17). 13] (Sap. 16, 12). 17] (Apoc. 1, 4; Phil. 3, 21). 18] (Sap. 15,7; Eccli. 33, 13; Hier. 18, 6; Rom. 9, 21). 22] (Phil. 2, 7). 23] Ps. 87,5. 6. 27] Es. 53, 7. 12; I Pet. 2, 24; Ioh. 1, 29. 2 perueniret F 6 electus OUv, electus est cet . 7 multiplicandum M 8 patriarces 0 9 profetas 0 impleret FPU 12 hominum Ov, humanum cet . 13 peccatis FPU nec F malagina FU 14 neque PUt) glegatura 0 15 operis U medellam P 16 post . et om . 19 uis F omnes] omnia FPU 20 facerat 01 nostram 0 noslii L 21 uel] ac M 22 sublitate U 23 ut] sicut LM 24 qui; L est agnus ille, qui tollit peccata mundi. passus est mortem qui donat aeternitatem. Sed in causa tanti huius consilii et muneris animaduertere ipsius lumen est, qui nos inluminat a montibus aeternis, in quos oculis adleuatis uideamus isdem nos quibus perieramus itineribus inuentos rursus ex arbore, rursus ex uirgine, sed non rursus superbia praecipitandi, uerum e contrario humilitate redituri. nam idcirco rex gloriae et dominus maiestatis exinaniuit se formam serui accipiens et inuisibilem magnitudinem suam uisibili abiectione contexit, ut nos ueteri illo male conceptae adrogantiae morbo foris altos, intus obtritos in formam sublimitatis suae per formulam nostrae in se humilitatis attolleret. in hoc enim operatus est et operatur cotidie bonus dominus, ut diuinae conformationis gloriam consequamur, si nostrae in Christo conformationis exemplum sequamur, cognoscentes in altissimi moderamine temperatum naturae nostrae modum, ut supra nos ipsius gratia prouehamur, si iuxta nos nostri memores ambulemus. ad quam nos mensuram propheticus ille de numeris sermo conponit, qui dicit: non declinabimus dextra neque sinistra, sed regali uia ibimus. quod nobis Christus est, mediator dei et hominum, inter diuina et humana nos temperans et ad regnum suum regali uia ducens, ut corde humiles, opere sublimes, a sinistris id est peccatis, quae in mortem trahunt, adleuemur et a dextris nimiis id est praesumptione superba humilitatis lege reuocati teneamus salubrem mediocritatem, ne aut oculos nostros declinantes in terram conparemur iumentis, quibus non est intellectus, aut altiora nobis scrutantes euanescamus in 4] Ps. 75, 5. 8] Phil. 2,7. 19] Num. 21, 22; Deut. 2, 27. 26] (Ps. 16, 11). 27] Ps. 31, 9. 28] (Eccli. 3, 22). 3 numeris U 5 hisdem LMO 8 iccirco LP exanit L 10 illi FPU 11 male LPv, malae cet . 12 per om. U 14 confirmationis FOPU 15 cognosentes U 17 proueamur L 18 mores U profeticus 0 19 quo LMv dicit scripsi, dicitur CI) declinauimus FOPU 20 dextera LM 21 quod] qui F 22 regale 0 24 quem 0 25 nimis FU, inuiis v 26 nostros om. FPU 28 altiores Ux scruptantes U cogitationibus nostris. itaque non alta sapientes sed humilibus consentientes, in mensura qua mensurauit nobis dominus nosmet ipsos metiamur, ut angustemur in nobis et in domino dilatemur, non ut illi sapientes huius saeculi, quorum sapientiam dominus reprobauit ac perdidit et per stultitiam praedicationis exclusit; disputauerunt enim, inquit, ut absconderent laqueos, quia uidelicet in hoc omnis ars philosophorum laborat, ut adsertione fictorum lucem ueritatis obscuret et inanium contentionum laqueis sollicitatas a uero mentes inplicet et ingenii fraude decipiat et fuco sermonis inducat. Sed postquam exortum est lumen in tenebris, misericors et miserator et iustus dominus, frustra posuerunt in caelo os suum, qui etiam terrenarum rerum suaeque naturae nescii scrutantur caeli plagas et deum sine deo quaerunt. ideo defecerunt scrutantes scrutinio, et sagittae paruulorum factae sunt plagae eorum, quia corripiens sapientes in astutia sua dominus per infantium atque lactantium ora confudit nec in sermone regnum suum sed in uirtute constituit. unde ego quoque minimus omnium minimorum domini exiguorumque tenuissimus et infantium infantissimus audeo in uocem laudis eius erumpere, gratias agens domino altissimo, quoniam mysterium pietatis excelsae, quod in thesauris sapientiae suae habebat repositum, paruulis suis prompserit et sapientibus mundi absconderit, ne gloriaretur hic mundus in suorum uanitate sapientium, per quam obfusa 1] Rom. 12,16. 2] II Cor. 10,18. 3] (II Cor. 6,11). 5] (I Cor. 1,21). 6] Ps. 63, 6. 12] Ps. 111, 4. 13] Ps. 72, 9. 15] (Ennius tr. 277 V). 16] Ps. 63, 7. 8. 18] (I Cor. 3, 20; Ps. 8, 3). 19] (I Cor. 4, 20). 25] (Matth. 11, 25). 2 quam M deus M 3 et om. FU 5 ac] et U 6 exhausit 0 a 7 ars omnia M philosoforum 0 10 fuo (° m. 2) U 13 dominus et iustus FPU 14 celo os 0, columos U, caelum os cet . 15 inscrutantur LMOv, scruptantur U ut semper 16 refecerunt U scruptineo U sagiptae U 18 corripuit FPU astutiam suam F atque] et F 19 lactentium FLMv confundit LM 20 ergo 0 minimorum in rag. L 21 et infantium infantissimus L 8. I . 22 eius om. v 24 repositum] absconditum LM 25 sapientum F sibi caligine non agnouerat sapientiam dei. pax autem nostra Iesus, qui uenit, ut utraque unum faceret et omnia aequalitate conponeret, destruxit fortia et elegit infirma, spreuit sapientia et adsumpsit stulta, ut fieret aequalitas nemine sibi quicquam proprium uindicante, cum omnem hominem non nisi diuino munere salutis ac sapientiae conpotem necesse esset in domino gloriari. itaque exultemus cum tremore in domino deo nostro, qui est humilis corde et maiestate sublimis, idem sentientes in nobis quod in Christo, qui, ut supra dixi, idcirco nobis salutis gratiam per humilitatis formulam contulit, ut qui exaltationis spiritu cadere merueramus corde humilitatis resurgere disceremus. Quod autem bonus dominus crucifixus est et resurrexit, non solum ad destructionem mortis nostrae et ad reparationem aeternitatis operatus est, sed etiam ad praesentis uitae informationem, qua meritum adquirimus, quo uitae illius in aeternum beatae possessio praeparatur. cruci ergo fixus est dominus quo mysterio pietatis atque consilio? apostolus docet; ut solueret, inquit, parietem ualli interficeretque inimicitias et omnem huius mundi ambitum dispoliaret ac de uniuersa inimici potestate captiuans ipsam captiuitatem triumpharet, in sua carne suscipiens, inquit, similitudinem carnis peccati, non utique similitudinem carnis, quia omnibus deus ueritas et ideo uere et corporaliter uerbum caro factus, sed similitudinem peccati carnis, ut qui peccatum non fecit per suam 2] (Eph. 2,14). 3] I Cor. 1, 27. 4] (II Cor. 8,14). 7] (I Cor. 1,31; Ps. 2,11). 8] (Matth. 11, 29). 9] (Phil. 2, 5). 13] (Rom. 6, 4; I Cor. 6,14; II Cor. 5,15; Col. 3,1). 18] (Eph. 2,14). 21] (Ps. 67,19; Eph. 4,8). Rom. 8, 3. 24] Ioh. 1, 14. Rom. 8, 3. 25] I Ioh. 3, 5. 1 non ignouerat 0 3 distrux O, dextruxit U 4 adsumpsit] ellegit PU, elegit F stultitia. LU 5 quicquam sibi F uindicantem 0 hominem om. 0 6 necessario F 11 cordis humilitate FPU 15 operatus] reparatus U est om. F 19 interficeret FLU, interficiens M inii micias L 20 mundurn 0 despoliaret LM ac] et F 23 in omnibus FLMU 24 factum F\'V sed scripsi, est sed M, sit LOU, est sic F, est sit P, est Mv similitudinem 0, in similitudinem cet . 25 carnis peccati M ut] uidelicet coni. Sacch . inuiolabilem inpassibilemque naturam propter nos tamen, ut scriptum est, peccatum faciens, id est peccatorem susceptum in forma serui gerens. factus enim est pro nobis maledictum, ut nos maledicto legis absolueret; de peccato damnauit peccatum, id est peccati materiam, quae adhuc in illa Adae carne uiuebat, in ipsa quam suscipere dignatus est Adae carne uacuauit; ac sic parietem ualli hoc est peccatum, quod inter nos et deum separabat, destruens fecit utraque unum, non solum ut Iudaeorum et gentium fides in Christo coiret, sed ut in unoquoque nostrum, qui crederemus, natura sibi nostra congrueret et discordia, quae prius uersabatur in nobis, cum spiritali affectui carnalis anima repugnaret, pace fidei solueretur. nunc enim bellum illud antiquum, quo lex peccati repugnabat legi dei, aboletur in Christo, cum spiritus deo seruiens subactam sibi animam fide temperat et uicissim animam deo seruientem in omne obsequium caro ministra comitatur. Quam ob rem domini passione et resurrectione non solum ad spem ac fidem ressurrectionis instruimur, ut non sola resolutione carnali, sed et uoluntaria ab hoc saeculo recessione mori nouerimus et moriendo per fidem huic mundo uiuificemur deo. uita enim huius mundi amica mors animae est. ob hoc nobis apostolus dicit: mortificate in terra membra uestra. cotidie se ipse testatur mori, liuidum faciens corpus suum et obliuiscens quae retro sunt atque in priora se porrigens. in quo humilitatem pariter et sublimitatem docet, quia conteri corpus sine humilitatis spiritu non potest nec anima in caelestia surgere nisi mortificatione membrorum. 8] Gal. 3, 13. 4] Rom. 8, 3. 8] Eph. 2, 14. 14] (Rom. 7, 21). 28] Col. 3, 5. 24] I Cor. 9, 27. 25] Phil. 3,13. 2 faciens] factus Schot., se faciens coni. Sacch . peccatum (um corr. L) LO1 3 factum FPU est enim FLM 4 de maledicto M 5 peccati om. LM 7 uacauit 0 8 dum 0 10 ut om. FPU 11 uersebatur U 12 affectu UO anima; L 14 lec U lege F aboleretur F cuius FPU 17 comittatur FP, comictatur U 18 resurreaione U et infra 19 instruimur Bed et informamur fort . ut Ov, sed ut cet . resolutione] resurrectione FLM 20 et om. FLU 22 anime nrę (sed liYę m. 2 del.) M 24 cotidie 0, et quotidie cet . liuidum] nudum FPU attamen et ipsius nobis humilitatis seruanda mensura est, ut non nisi timore diuino humiliemur uni domino: dominum enim deum tuum adorabis et ipsi soli seruies, cui seruire libertas est. nemini enim subiectus est qui se soli deo subiecit, at contra omnibus infimis uel spiritibus uel aliis creaturis uel suis uitiis et cupiditatibus seruit qui uult liber esse iustitiae. est autem et sancta superbia et humilitas iniqua; nam et iustificatur superbia, quae huic mundo superbit et contemnit hoc saeculum omnibusque magnis eius et dulcibus ac speciosis abutitur, intenta caelestibus rebus et praeceptis subiecta diuinis. contra autem illa humilitas condemnatur, quae non ex fide sed ex ignauia mentis hominibus adducitur et humanam gratiam magis quam suam salutem curat, mendacii famula, ueritatis inimica, libertatis expers, iniquitati obnoxia, miscens aqua uinum, id est ueritatis merum aquoso adulationis eneruans. in huiusmodi humilitatem specialiter mihi uidetur uox illa contendi, quae denuntiat: uae dicentibus malo bonum et dulce amaris et iniustis iustitiam praedicantibus, quos et per Salomonem, sicut nosti, ueritas execratur. Bene autem nos breui psalmo sed pleno magisterio beatus psalmista conformat ad nostri moderaminis temperamentum, cum precibus suis praetendit meritum humilitatis, dicens: domine, non est exaltatum cor meum, neque elati sunt oculi mei. neque ambulaui in magnis neque in mirabilibus super me. et deinde qui se pro cordis humilitate respici depoposcerat dicit: si non humiliter sentiebam, sed 2] Deut. 6, 13 et 10, 20; Matth. 4, 7; Luc. 4, 8. 4] (Rom. 8, 20). 15] (Es. 1, 22). 17] Es. 5, 20. 19] (Eccli. 19, 23). 22] Ps. 130, 1. 26] Ps. 130, 2. 1 humilitate U 3 deum om. F ipsi] illi LM 4 nemini] non FPU 5 at Ov, ut cet . infimus FU aliis om. M 6 esse liber M 7 pr . et om. F 9 seculum hoc F 10 abutitura L 12 ex ignauia] eiiaU gua F 14 familia U 15 aqua uinum v, aqua uino 0, aquam nino cet . aquoso] aquis Ov adultationis F 16 inerbans 0 17 malum FP\'U 18 amarum FPU iniustitiam FP\'U 19 per] super L 20 nobis LM 21 conformans P1 ad exp. M 22 humiltatis F 26 deposcerat F, depopescerat L1 si om. FPU exaltaui animam meam; sicut ablactatum super matrem suam, ita retribues in animam meam. ideo retributionem postulat, quia non humiliter senserit, sed animam suam exaltauerit. nonne uidebitur discordare sibi prophetae sententia, nisi ita haec discernamus intellectu, sicut in ipsius spiritu et corde, ita ut sibi congruerent, fuere distincta? conuenienter enim et humiliter dictum est timore diuino, qui sacrificium deo, ut ipse testatur, spiritum contribulatum et cor humiliatum offerebat. salua tamen humilitate cordis idem exaltabat animam suam non humiliter sentiens, quia non terrena sapiens deo mentem habebat affixam, unicum bonum ducens deo adhaerere et ponere in deo spem suam. unde et apostolus, qui nos humilitatem docet dicens, ut ea potissimum imitatores Christi esse studeamus, hoc enim, inquit, sentite in uobis, quod et in Christo, qui non rapinam arbitratus est esse se aequalem deo, sed exinaniuit se formam serui accipiens; idem tamen ad exaltandam animam in superna et diuina nos prouocat, cum dicit: quae sursum sunt quaerite, ubi Christus est in dextera et gloria dei patris. Quamobrem tenentes hanc et humilitatis et exaltationis regulam utrumque hoc, quod in peruersitate, quam supra dixi, peccatum habet, in directione, in qua docemur, gratiam obtinet, suis ordinibus mensurisque teneamus, pietate et humiliantes cor deo et exaltantes animam ad dominum nostrum. nihil nisi illum timeamus, nihil supra illum diligamus. iugo tantum ipsius, quod est suaue, et oneri illius, quod est leue, colla subdamus, ut supra omne potestatis inimicae iugum liberi in caelestia 8] Ps. 50, 19. 11] Ps 72, 28. 14] Phil. 2, 5. 18] Col. 3, 1. 27] (Matth. 11, 29). 1 ablatus M matre sua FLPU 2 retributio LM 6 cougruorent Mv, congruenter F, congruerunt eet . 7 quia FPU 8 humiliatum contribulatum U 10 exaltabam U 13 et om. F dicens om. pplU 19deiteract om. FPU 20 patis L 21 quando rem U humilitatem Ul 22 qua Ov 23 directione (sed s. 1. m. 2 i discretione) M, direptione L in qua Or, qua cet . 24 suisque F, si suis M pietate Ov, pietatem cet . 25 dififi Ov, deum cet . 26 igo U 27 honeri OlPU 28 iugnum U MYIllI. Psnlini Nol. epistnlae. 6 subuehamur. nam et ob hoc domini nostri iugum suane et onus leue est, quia terrenis nos et inferis eleuat et in excelsa regni caelestis attollit. leuitas enim omnis altipeta est et sursum uersus uigore subtilitatis ecfertur. Huic autem gratiae contraria peccati pondera deprimunt et in inferna deducunt, quae quanti sint oneris propheta testatur, cum gemens clamat: superposuerunt iniquitates meae caput meum, et sicut onus graue grauatae sunt super me. sed gratiae domino Iesu deo nostro, qui potens est liberare nos de corpore mortis huius per multitudinem miserationum suarum et diuitias bonitatis suae, quibus superabundat abundantiae peccatorum nostrorum et saluos facit sperantes in se. apud quem credimus quia et orationum tuarum pro nobis agantur excubiae. scimus enim quia a pueritia ipsi militans et sacris litteris enutritus nulla conuersationis terrenae et carneae labe pollutus inuenisti gratiam in conspectu altissimi et pro nobis de silua huius saeculi ad gregem uel ad currum domini sero captis, quoniam multiplicatae sunt iniquitates nostrae super capillos capitis nostri et indigni sumus, quorum nomina diuinis auribus ingerantur, ne forte et labia tua inmunda fiant cum nos nominaueris, et necesse sit os tuum igneo carbone perstringi. potes tamen uel humilitate uel fiducia uatis antiqui dicere: domine, dimitte illis, aut dele me de libro tuo. quod ille diuini conloquii particeps, non salutis suae neglegens nec insolens domino, profundi arte consilii ausus est dicere, ut domino iusto 7] Ps. 37, 5. 9] Rom. 7, 24. 10] Ps. 50, 3. 11] Rom. 2, 4. 12] Ps. 16, 7. 18] Ps. 39, 13. 21] (Es. 6, 5). 23] Ex. 32, 32. 1 subueamur LlOU, inuehamur F hoc s. I. F post . et om. FPTJ 2 bonus PU quia M, quia e v 3 altipeta Ov, altipetax cet . 5 contrarie U depremunt 0 6 quam L 7 supposuerunt M 9 gratias fort . 15 ipse ministras FPsU, ipsi instas P1 eruditus L 16 carnis FPzU, carne P1 18 capitis 0 19 supra F uestri F 22 ne- O cessit 0 constringi F, pertingi coni. Sacch . 24 qujd 0 25 colloquii diuini FPU 26 dn5 Ov, deo cet . debitum peccatori populo interitum comminanti oblationem suae potius abolitionis opponeret, diuinae uidelicet pietatis iustitiaeque securus, ut parceret et iniustis misericordia domini, dum iustum non potest delere iustitia. Hac et pro nobis dominum altissimum conditione constringe, ut dum eximere te libro suo non potest, per obtentum iusti sui recipiat iniustos. nam quia maior est qui in nobis est quam qui in hoc mundo, ideo fortior est iustitia pro peccatoribus defendendis quam iniquitas aduersus patrocinia sanctorum. uellem quantum in me est adhuc prorogare sermonem, nisi et carta deficiens et metus fatigationis tuae cogeret uerbis modum poni et epistolam terminari. tu in omnibus indulge temeritati meae et responde mihi, ut consoler et instruar litteris tuis. Nunc Sanemarium portitorem huius epistolae commendamus specialiter unanimitati tuae, ut, sicut rogauimus sanctum episcopum et patrem nostrum, ita ordinetur a uobis. conseruum enim eum data in domino libertate reddidimus; sed nobis in domo domini seruiat delegatis ad parentum nostrorum memoriam obsequiis, ut per religiosam seruitutem obtinere firmam libertatem sub uestra defensione mereatur. age et apud sanctum presbyterum fratrem Exsuperium, ut in casa ecclesiae terrulam, qua uictum suum procuret, accipiat. praeterea rogo, ut epistolam meam ad filium nostrum Daducium, etiamsi in Galliis agit, sine ulla dilatione facias ab episcopo transmitti per conseruum fidelem et inpigrum. si clericum forte noluerit occupari, unum de Alingonensibus dignamini mittere cum epistolis uestris, quibus litterae nostrae iuuentur; dignam enim 7] I Ioh. 4, 4. 2 iusticie pietatisque M 5 condicione LP 6 eximeret e PCT, eximeret de F te om. FPU optentum 0 10 prolongare LM 11 de- Scies F metu 0 12 imponi F 13 pr . et om. U consuler LM 15 sanemarium 0, sane Marium v, sanenarium cet . 16 unamitati 0 18 meum FOPUv 19 deligatis FPU 22 exuperium FMPUv mMm in om. U causa F 23 terulam L1 24 nostram (m..m m. 2) M 25 gallias FU egit F1 27 aligonensibus FU, alinguanensibus Ov, ligonensibus LM dignemini LJlv 28 uestrae FU 6* interuentu uestro causam ex epistola mea, quam ad eum feci, cognoscetis. inprimis autem celeritate agendi opus est, ut sanctissimus presbyter, qui et uita et aetate uenerabilis uim, qualem exposui, sustinet, quam primum ab alienarum aedium exilio liberetur.