E02929: Coptic Sermon On Individual Responsibility for Sin by Besa (abbot of the White Monastery near Sohag in Upper Egypt), claiming that the saints cannot do anything for sinners who do not repent, written in the late 5th century.

Besa, Sermon, ed. Kuhn 36.2.4:

ⲏ ⲛⲁϣ ⲛϩⲉ ⲉⲣⲉ ⲛⲉⲡⲛⲁ ⲛⲛⲇⲓⲕⲁⲓⲟⲥ ⲙⲛ ⲛⲉⲧⲟⲩⲁⲁⲃ ⲧⲏⲣⲟⲩ ⲛⲁ ⲉⲧⲛⲱϣ ⲛⲛⲉⲩϣⲁϫⲉ ⲛⲁⲙⲧⲟⲛ ⲙⲙⲟⲟⲩ ϩⲁⲧⲉⲧⲏⲩⲧⲛ ⲉⲣⲉ ⲛⲇⲁⲓⲙⲱⲛ ⲙⲟⲥⲉ ⲛϩⲣⲁⲓ ⲛϩⲏⲧⲧⲏⲩⲧⲛ · ⲁⲩⲱ ⲉⲩⲙⲧⲟⲛ ⲙⲙⲟⲟⲩ ϩⲣⲁ ϩⲛ ⲛⲉⲧⲛⲙⲉⲉⲩⲉ ⲛϩⲏⲧ ⲉⲧⲥⲟⲟϥ · ⲁⲩⲱ ⲉⲩⲥⲁⲁⲛϣ ⲛⲛⲉⲩⲕⲁⲕⲓⲁ ϩⲣⲁ ϩⲛ ⲛⲉⲧⲛϣⲟϫⲛⲉ ⲙⲛ ⲡⲉⲧⲛϩⲏⲧ ⲉⲧϫⲁϩⲙ

‘Or how shall the spirits of the righteous and all the saints, whose words we read, repose with you, while the demons breed inside you and repose in your foul-minded thoughts, and nurture their wicked deeds through your machinations and your defiled mind?’


Ed. Kuhn 36.3.4:

ⲛⲧⲱⲧⲛ ⲇⲉ ⲧⲉⲧⲛⲙⲟⲕϩ ⲁⲛ ⲛϩⲏⲧ ⲉⲧⲃⲉ ⲧⲏⲩⲧⲛ ⲙⲁⲩⲁⲧⲧⲏⲩⲧⲛ ⲟⲩⲇⲉ ⲟⲛ ⲛⲧⲉⲧⲛϣⲛϩⲧⲏⲧⲛ ⲁⲛ ⲉϩⲣⲁ ⲉϫⲱⲧⲛ ⲙⲙⲓⲛ ⲙⲙⲱⲧⲛ ⲱ
ⲛⲉⲃⲓⲏⲛ · ϫⲉⲕⲁⲥ ⲛⲛⲉⲗⲁⲁⲩ ϩⲛ ⲛⲉⲧⲟⲩⲁⲁⲃ ⲧⲏⲣⲟⲩ ϣⲛϩⲧⲏϥ ⲉϩⲣⲁ ⲉϫⲱⲧⲛ ⲙⲡⲛⲁⲩ ⲛⲧⲉⲧⲛⲁⲛⲁⲅⲕⲏ

‘But you are not troubled at heart concerning yourselves nor again do you have pity upon yourselves, O wretched ones, so that no one among all the saints will have pity upon you at the time of your need.’


Ed. Kuhn 36.4.2:

ⲁⲩⲱ ⲉϣϫⲉ ⲛⲧⲉⲧⲛⲁϭⲓⲛⲉ ⲁⲛ ⲛⲛⲉⲧⲟⲩⲁⲁⲃ ⲉⲧⲣⲉⲧⲉⲧⲛϣⲱⲡⲉ ⲛⲙⲙⲁⲩ ϩⲛ ⲙⲡⲏⲩⲉ ⲁⲩⲱ ⲉϣϫⲉ ⲧⲉⲧⲛⲁϭⲓⲛⲉ ⲁⲛ ⲛⲟⲩⲙⲁ ⲛⲙⲧⲟⲛ · ⲉⲉ
ⲉⲧⲃⲉ ⲟⲩ ⲣⲱ ⲁⲧⲉⲧⲛⲕⲁⲁⲩ ⲛⲥⲁ ⲧⲏⲩⲧⲛ

‘And if you will not find the saints to let you be with them in heaven, and if you will not find a resting-place, why then did you forsake them?’


Text and translation: Kuhn 1956, p. 76–77 and 121–122 (text), p. 115–117 (trans.), slightly modified.