Letter 2023: Having reread your letter, I gave thanks to God that I learned of your recovery before I learned of your illness —...

To his lord, most devoted and ever truly magnificent, Bishop Ruricius. When I had read again the letter of your Piety, I gave thanks to God, because from its account I learned that you had recovered your health even before I knew you had been ill. That this should happen to you so frequently I trust comes from a God who is favorable rather than offended, since "whom the Lord loves, He rebukes, and He chastises every son whom He receives." And so this attentive and gentle admonition shows that you have been taken up into the divine discipline, because the Father's mercy prefers to correct a negligent son through troubles of many kinds rather than to punish him for sinning, [and] prefers to draw the wavering and doubting one to His service with the reins of kindly moderation rather than to restrain with a sharper lash the one who wanders and slips through the precipices of this world. For He Himself is the most indulgent father of the household, who lays down His own life for His sheep. He Himself is the good shepherd, who in His solicitude prefers to carry the lost sheep back to the Lord's folds upon His own shoulders rather than, severe, to call it back with goading pricks. He Himself is the loving father, who, when the wickedly prodigal son and the squanderer of the substance entrusted to him returns to Him even late, not only does not charge him with his former crimes, but even multiplies the rewards that had been lost, while He cherishes him in His arms, soothes him with kisses, enriches him with gifts, and strengthens him with teaching, being not so much angered at his departure as gladdened at his return. For He Himself took upon Himself the effect and the affection of all these names, so that, as the Apostle says, "in many ways and by many means" He might educate us with words, instruct us with disciplines, summon us with benefits, form us by examples, reconcile us by prayer, redeem us by His Passion, give us life by His death, bestow immortality upon us, justify us by His resurrection, carry us up by His ascension, and, once we had been reconciled through His blood, restore us to that grace of the Father from which we had fallen. For He Himself is, before the Father, our propitiation, ceaselessly urging His own loving devotion: "Father, I pray not only for these, but for those also who through their word are to believe in me." "Father, I will that, where I am, they also may be with me." "Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do." He Himself cries out to us daily through His Apostle: "Do not love the world, nor the things that are in the world. For whoever loves the world, the charity of the Father is not in him; because everything that is in the world is the concupiscence of the flesh, and the concupiscence of the eyes, and the pride of human life, which is not from the Father, but is from the world. And the world passes away, and its concupiscence; but he who does the will of God abides forever, just as God also abides forever." He Himself in the Gospel invites us with endearments, summons us with gifts, and entices us with exhortation, saying: "Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened," and the rest, so that, submitting our necks as if to a yoke to His saving precepts, we may join ourselves to His saving chariot [of humility and misery], and therefore may dare to follow Him who calls us back, to hear Him who cries out, and not to spurn Him who now speaks tenderly, lest afterward we feel Him as our judge. In that judgment, as He Himself deigned to forewarn and teach in the Gospel, when He shall sit upon the seat of His majesty, when He is about to weigh not only merits and deeds but even to examine words and [...], whomever He shall see here and now neglecting His saving precepts and despising with a proud mind His most wholesome admonitions, He will not only shut out together with the foolish from the gate of the heavenly kingdom, but will even assign his portion together with the unfaithful, so that, with those with whom he has fellowship in this world, with the same he may have his share forever.

XXIII. DOMINO DEUINCTISSIMO SEMPERQVE MAGNIFICO UERO RURICIUS EPISCOPUS. Relectis litteris pietatis uestrae gratias deo egi, quod uos prius reualuisse quam infirmatos esse earum relatione cognoui. quod uobis tam frequenter accidere propitio potius deo quam offenso confido, quia, quem diligit dominus, corripit, castigat autem omnem filium, quem recipit. in diuina itaque uos disciplina susceptos sedula admonitio et mitis ostendit, quia paterna clementia mauult per multimoda incommoda neglegentem corrigere filium, quam punire peccantem, 2] 1 Tim. 1, 5. 4] Eccli. 7,39. 9] Psalm. 79,6. 24] Prou. 8, 12; Hebr. 12, 6. 2 precepti 8 6 itaque suprascr. S gerulis ex regulis 81 suspir dm tationis S 7 offitium S rumo S 9 inmine mensuram S (nte man. alt.), in mensura Kr., in minima mensura v 12 deficeret Kr . 13 uobis v, urbis S męroris S 15 conpacientes S 16 incolomitate S 19 deuictissimo S 21 relictis 8 deo gratias v 23 accedere S 25 remm cepit S diuinam .. disciplinam Luetjohann 27 nult 81 28 corregere S mauult nutantem ac dubium ad seruitium suum habenis piae moderationis adtrahere, (quam) errabundum et per saeculi praecipitia lapsantem acriore uerbere cohercere. Ipse est enim indulgentissimus pater familias, qui animam suam ponit pro ouibus suis. ipse est bonus pastor, qui ouem perditam ad caulas dominicas mauult propriis humeris reportare sollicitus, quam stimulis urgentibus reuocare destrictus. ipse est pater pius, qui male prodigo filio et praeceptae substantiae decoctori ad se uel sero redeunti non solum crimina anteriora non inputat, uerum etiam praemia amissa multiplicat, dum ulnis fouet, osculis permulcet, muneribus ditat, doctrina confirmat non tantum ad eius indignatus abscessum, quantum laetatus ad reditum. ipse enim omnium horum nominum in se effectus affectusque suscepit, ut, sicut dicit apostolus, multifarie multisque modis nos erudiret uerbis, instrueret disciplinis, prouocaret beneficiis, informaret exemplis, reconciliaret prece, redimeret passione, uiuificaret morte, inmortalitate donaret, iustificaret resurrectione, ascensione portaret et reconciliatos per sanguinem suum in eam, a qua excideramus, patris gratiam reformaret. ipse enim est apud patrem propitiatio nostra sine cessatione suggerens pietati suae: pater, non solum pro his rogo, sed pro his, qui credituri sunt in me per uerbum illorum. pater, uolo, ut, ubi ego sum, et ipsi sint mecum. pater, ignosce illis, nesciunt enim, quid faciunt. ipse nobis cotidie per apostolum suum clamat: nolite diligere mundum neque ea, quae in mundo sunt. qui enim diligit mundum, non est caritas patris in eo, quia omne, quod in mundo est, concupiscentia carnis et concupiscentia oculorum et superbia uitae humanae, 5] Luc. 15, 5. 14] Hebr. 1,1. 20] 1 Ioann. 2, 2. 21] loaon. 17, 20. 24; Luc. 23, 34. 25] 1 Ioann. 2, 15. 1 habenis v, habens S pie S 2 quam add. v, om. S 5 pater r 7 destrictus Luetjohann, districtos S 8 male prodigo v, mal:.i» S (o. man. alt.) praeceptae S (p man. alt.), cf. p. 354, 8 10 ueruerū S ammissa S 13 horum omnium v 17 redemeret S1 19 excederamus S 23 ut om. v 26 dilegere S que S 29 et ante concupiscentia om. 17 quae non est de patre, sed de mundo est. et mundus transit et concupiscentia eius, qui autem fecerit uoluntatem dei, manet in aeternum, sicut et deus manet in aeternum. Ipse in euangelio blanditiis inuitat, muneribus prouocat, adhortatione sollicitat dicens: uenite ad me omnes, qui laboratis et onerati estis et reliqua, ut quasi iugo salutaribus subdentes colla praeceptis salutari suo [humilitatis et miseriae] currui subiungamus et ideo auderemus reuocantem sequi, audire clamantem, blandientem modo non spernere, ne sentiamus postmodum iudicantem. quo iudicio, sicut ipse in euangelio praemonere et docere dignatus est, cum in maiestatis suae sede consederit, quando non solum merita ponderaturus et facta, uerum etiam uerba est discussurus et outa, quem hic nunc uiderit salutaria sua praecepta neglegere et admonitiones suas saluberrimas superba mente contemnere, non solum cum stultis a ianua regni caelestis excludet, uerum etiam partem ipsius cum infidelibus deputabit, ut, cum quibus habet in saeculo societatem, cum hisdem in aeternum habeat portionem.