Letter 146

To Maximianus. In every nation the one who fears God and works righteousness is acceptable to Him [echoing Peter's words at Acts 10:35]; and it is plain that the unlearned man is acceptable to God and is not cast away, when in his own proper time he takes refuge in the reverence of that most blessed knowledge of God. For God does not abandon such a one to die together with his ignorance, but will guide him to the truth and illuminate him with the light of knowledge, just as He did Cornelius [the centurion of Acts 10], concerning whom the blessed Peter also spoke the word that was foretold.

Ἐν παντὶ ἔθνει ὁ φοβούμενος τὸν Θεόν, καὶ ἐργαζόμενος δικαιοσύνην, δεκτὸς αὐτῷ ἐστιν· δῆλον δέ ὅτι δεκτὸς τῷ Θεῷ, καὶ οὐκ ἀπόβλητος ἐστὶν ὁ ἰδιοῦτος, τῷ ἰδίῳ καιρῷ καταφεύγων ἐπὶ τὸ σέβας τῆς μαχαριωτάτης θεογνωσίας· οὐ γὰρ καταλείπῃ τοῦτον ὁ Θεὸς συναποθανεῖν τῇ ἀγνοίᾳ, ἀλλ’ ὁδηγήσει αὐτὸν ἐπὶ τὴν ἀλήθειαν, καὶ καταλάμψει τῷ φωτὶ τῆς γνώσεως, ὥσπερ τὸν Κορνήλιον, περὶ οὗ καὶ τὸν λόγον τὸν προῤῥηθέντα εἴρηκεν ὁ μακάριος Πέτρος.