Letter 129: Sailors at night are cheered by the sight of harbor lights, and so are those of us in peril for the apostolic faith...
Letter 129
Please help support the mission of New Advent and get the full contents of this website as an instant download. Includes the Catholic Encyclopedia, Church Fathers, Summa, Bible and more — all for only $19.99...
To Magnus Antoninus the Presbyter.
Sailors at night are cheered by the sight of the harbour lights, and so are they who are in peril for the sake of the apostolic faith by the zeal of them that share the faith. We have great comfort in what we hear of your godliness's efforts on behalf of the divine doctrines, for this mind has been given you by the Giver of all good gifts and for the safe keeping of these doctrines you undergo every toil. Now I, comforted by your zeal, make an insignificant return, calling on you to persevere in your divine labours, to despise your adversaries as an easy prey, (for what is weaker than they who are destitute of the truth?) and to trust in Him who said I will not fail you nor forsake you, and Lo I am with you always even unto the end of the world. Help me too with your prayers that I may confidently say The Lord is on my side; I will not fear: what can man do unto me?
Modern English rendering for readability. See the 19th-century translation or original Latin/Greek for scholarly use.
Related Letters
KING THEODERIC TO FESTUS, A MAN OF ILLUSTRIOUS RANK AND A PATRICIAN.
It is doubtless a father's duty to make provision for his children; a husbandman's to tend his plants and crops; a teacher's to bestow care upon his pupils, especially when, innate goodness shows signs of promise for them. The husbandman finds toil a pleasure when he sees the ears ripen or the plants increase; the teacher is gladdened at his pup...
Leo, the bishop, to Julian Bishop of Cos, the bishop, his well-beloved brother. I. Eutyches is now clearly seen to have deviated from the Faith.
Virtue must be practiced with all one's strength — not merely admired from a distance.
There were once two full brothers who had quarreled so violently with each other that they regarded as enemies even...