R19: Arnold II. von Wied an Hildegard von Rupertsberg
Greeting and Blessing
Arnold greets Hildegard with honor, blesses her, rejoices in her well-being, and explains why he has been unable to visit her.
Arnold, by the grace of God, archbishop of Cologne, archbishop of Cologne! To Hildegard, the burning lamp in the house of the Lord on the mountain of Saint Rupert! May you dwell in the protection of the God of heaven. If you are well and all that concerns you is directed by the Lord. We rejoice! but we too are strengthened by your merits. For as we had already arranged long ago, we have been utterly unable to come to you.
Entrustment and Request
Arnold entrusts himself to Hildegard in obedience and charity, commends himself to her, and urgently requests that she send her Spirit-inspired book through the bearer.
As far as present circumstances allow, we entrust ourselves to you. We place our hands in yours. We join faith to faith! We commend ourselves to you completely. Besides, you yourselves wrote the book inspired by the Holy Spirit. With every obstacle removed, since we neither want to nor can afford to be without it. Whether unprepared or not. Do not hesitate to send it to us through the bearer [REDACTED] this letter.
Faithful Discernment
Arnold closes by affirming the need to discern when not to test God and when to desire to see His wonders.
Where we do not wish to put God to the test.✦ But where we desire to see his wonders.
Read the original Latin
Arnoldus dei gratia coloniensis archiepiscopus coloniensis archiepiscopus! hildegardi lucernę ardenti in domo domini de monte sancti roberti! in protectione dei celi commorari. Si bene ualetis. et omnia quę circa uos sunt diriguntur a domino. congaudemus! sed et nos meritis uestris ualemus. Quia enim uti iam diu disposuimus ad uos minime uenire ualuimus.
in quantum impresentiarum possumus nos uobis committimus. manus nostras in uestras damus. fidem fidei coniungimus! totum nos uobis commendamus. Pretera librum quem ipsa diuino spiritu inspirata scripsistis. remota omni occasione quia nec uolumus nec possumus eo carere. si imparatus siue non. per presentium portitorem nobis transmittere non dubitetis.
ubi deum temptare nolumus. sed ubi mirabilia eius uidere desideramus.
Scripture echoes
- ↩Matt.4.7;Deut.6.16 — Jesus said to him again, 'It is written, You shall not put the Lord your God to the test.' Deut.6.16 — You shall not put the LORD your God to the test, as you tested him at Massah.
Epistolae: Letters to Frederick Barbarossa and Henry II of England companion
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