Reference address : https://www.elpenor.org/gregory-nazianzen/letters.asp?pg=13

ELPENOR - Home of the Greek Word

Three Millennia of Greek Literature
ST GREGORY THEOLOGIAN HOME PAGE  

Gregory Nazianzen the Theologian Select Letters, Complete

Translated by Ch. Browne and J. Swallow.

Gregory Theologian Bilingual Anthology, Resources Online and in Print

ELPENOR EDITIONS IN PRINT

Icon of the Christ and New Testament Reader

72 Pages


Page 13

Ep. CXXV. To Olympius.

Even hoar hairs have something to learn; and old age, it would seem, cannot in all respects be trusted for wisdom. I at any rate, knowing better than anyone, as I did, the thoughts and the heresy of the Apollinarians, and seeing that their folly was intolerable; yet thinking that I could tame them by patience and soften them by degrees, I let my hopes make me eager to attain this object. But, as it seems, I overlooked the fact that I was making them worse, and injuring the Church by my untimely philosophy. For gentleness does not put bad men out of countenance. And now if it had been possible for me to teach you this myself, I should not have hesitated, you may be sure, even to undertake a journey beyond my strength to throw myself at the feet of your Excellency. But since my illness has brought me too far, and it has become necessary for me to try the hot baths of Xanxaris at the advice of my medical men, I send a letter to represent me. These wicked and utterly abandoned men have dared, in addition to all their other misdeeds, either to summon, or to make a bad use of the passage (I am not prepared to say precisely which) of certain Bishops, deprived by the whole Synod of the Eastern and Western Church; and, in violation of all Imperial Ordinances, and of your commands, to confer the name of Bishop on a certain individual of their own misbelieving and deceitful crew; encouraged to do so, as I believe, by nothing so much as my great infirmity; for I must mention this. If this is to be tolerated, your Excellency will tolerate it, and I too will bear it, as I have often before. But if it is serious, and not to be endured by our most august Emperors, pray punish what has been done—though more mildly than such madness merits.

Previous Page / First / Next Page of Gregory Theologian - Select Letters
The Authentic Greek New Testament Bilingual New Testament I
St Gregory Theologian Home Page ||| More Church Fathers

Elpenor's Free Greek Lessons
Three Millennia of Greek Literature

 

Greek Literature - Ancient, Medieval, Modern

St Gregory Theologian Home Page   St Gregory Theologian in Print

Learned Freeware

Reference address : https://www.elpenor.org/gregory-nazianzen/letters.asp?pg=13