Letter 35: If you are trying to gain the kingdom of Christ — may persistence unworn away crown this –, and the prize of...

Isidore of PelusiumEmperor Theodosius I|c. 391 AD|Isidore of Pelusium
imperial politicsproperty economics

If you are trying to gain the kingdom of Christ — may persistence unworn away crown this –, and the prize of immortality that God gives to those who administer it honestly, blend authority with mildness and lighten yourself of the weight of wealth by the necessary dispersion of it, for a king is not saved through ample power, nor does he escape the impiety of idolatry by keeping for himself abundant wealth.

Modern English rendering for readability. See the 19th-century translation or original Latin/Greek for scholarly use.

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