abideth in the doctrine of Christ, he hath both the Father and the Son. If there come any unto you and bring not this doctrine, receive him not into your house, neither bid him God speed; for he that biddeth him God speed is partaker of his evil deeds. There are some who tell me that, in obedience to this command, I ought not to address you, or to have any dealings with you, save the dealings of a judge with a criminal. But Christ came not to judge only, but also to save; I call upon you, not to enter into your house, for so I should make myself a partaker with you; my desire is only to bring you back to the Church which you have deserted.
'You have corrupted Scripture, you have broken through the communion of saints, and now I tell you what you must do; I tell you, or rather not I, but Christ and the Church through me. Did I follow my own impulse, or did I speak in my own name, I should hold other language: to you I should not speak at all; I would address myself only to God; I would pray him to let fall the fire of Heaven to consume you, and to consume witl vou the house into which you have entered in abandoning the Church.[1]
'You pretend that you have used no instruments
- ↑ Car se je n'écoutois que les mouvemens de la nature, se je ne vous parlois qu'en mon nom, je vous tiendrois un autre langage an plutôt je ne vous dirois rien; je m'entretiendroís avec Dieu seul at je lui demanderois de faire tomber le feu du ciel pour vous consumer avec cette maison ou vous avez passe en abandonnant l'Eglise. The letter was only known to the editor of Pole's remains in a French translation. I do not know whether the original exists, or whether it was in Latin or in English.
