Nestorius’s Letter to priest Caelestus (CPG 5668/8633)
| Reference: | CPG 5668/8633 |
| Incipit: | Noli aegre ferre, uenerabilis |
| Date: | November 430 |
| Latin Text: | ACO 1.5:65 (= Nestorius, Ep. 3) = PL 48:182-184; also 845-848.1 |
| English Translation: | FCC: Josiah Winkel |
This work is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0. For information about the historical context of this letter and its connection to the escalating Christological controversy of the time, click here.
| Latin | English |
| Honorabili et religiosissimo presbytero Caelestio Nestorius in domino salutem. | To the honorable and most devout priest Caelestus, Nestorius sends greetings in the Lord. |
| 1. Noli aegre ferre, uenerabilis, perferens ab his qui ea quae inferuntur facere debent, et praesertim adserentibus ueritatem, et refugientibus pollutorum uel contaminatorum communionem, quia et sanctis qui ante nostram aetatem extiterunt, gratae fuerunt aerumnae. et ipsae quidem temporales erant, ueritas autem aeterna est. sic Iohannes baptista de peccato arguens Herodem et quidem regem existentem, capite condemnatus est; sed non formidauit; Christum enim habebat caput, quod non posset abscidi. sic Paulus, hoc modo quoque et Petrus sunt interfecti. et quid amplius dici opus est? ita actum est per diuersas temptationes semper pietate currente. | Do not be upset, venerable one, when you endure from those who must do what is imposed, and especially those maintaining the truth and those fleeing from the polluted or contaminated communion, because blessed hardships happened even to the saints who lived in the age before us. And those things themselves were temporal, but truth is eternal. So John the Baptist, when he accused Herod, the reigning king, of sin, was sentenced to decapitation. But he did not fear; for he had Christ as his head, who is not able to be cut off. And Paul and Peter were also killed in this way. And what more needs to be said? In this way it was always done, through various trials with swift piety. |
| 2. noli igitur a ueritate deficiens eam prodere. siquidem et epistulae missae concilii episcopis Occidentis et Alexandrino et multis rescriptae manifestam uobis nostrum fecere sententiam, prudentibus scilicet eiusdem orthodoxae professionis. forsitan enim utile aliquid ecclesiis rectae fidei proueniet, domino cooperante. | Therefore do not betray the truth by falling away from it. Indeed, both the letters of the council sent to the bishops of the West, and the replies written to the Alexandrian bishop and many others, have made our opinion clear to you, who are clearly the prudent ones of the same orthodox confession. For perhaps something useful to the churches of the right faith will appear, Lord willing. |
| omnem fraternitatem salutamus. | We salute all the brotherhood. |
| Et alia manu: Incolumis et forti animo et plurimum orans pro nobis doneris nobis, religiosissime frater. | And with the other hand: May you be given to us uninjured, with strong spirit, and praying much for us, most devout brother. |
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Created 8/29/2025 by JSW
Last updated 9/1/2026 by JSW
- Heading: Epistola Nestorii ad Coelestium rescribentis, de Graeco in Latinum translata a Mario Mercatore. (An Epistle of Nestorius Replying to Celestine, translated from Greek to Latin by Mario Mercatore.) ↩︎
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