that is to come. EPISTLE LXVII. TO PETER, SUBDEACON. eousness gives fitting attention to the pro- resign our office unimpaired to the Judge .tection of divers persons, yet we believe that you will be the more prone to succour those whom a letter from us may commend to you. Know then that Pompeiana, a religious woman, has represented to us through one of her people that she endures many grievances continually and unreasonably from certain men, and on this account has petitioned us to commend her in our letters to you. Wherefore, greeting your Fraternity with the affection of charity that is due to you, we have felt that we must needs commend the aforesaid woman to you, that, with due regard to justice, thy Fraternity may not allow her to be aggrieved in any way contrary to equity, or to be subjected to any expense unadvisedly. But if it should happen that she has any suits, let the matter of dispute be debated before chosen arbitrators, and whatsoever shall be decided, let it be so carried into effect quietly through your assistance that both reward may accrue to you for such a work, and she who has been commended by our letters may rejoice in having found justice. EPISTLE LXVI. If with kind disposition we meet the needs of our neighbours by shewing compassion, we shall undoubtedly find the Lord mercifully inclined to with inclined to our petitions. Now we have learnt that Pastor, who labours under exceeding weakness of sight, having a wife and two slaves, who also had formerly been with the glorious lady Jonatha, is suffering from great need. Wherefore, we admonish thy Experience, by the writing of this present order, not to delay giving him for his sustenance three hundred modii of wheat, and also as many modii of beans, which may afterwards be charged in thy accounts. So act, then, as both thyself to obtain the benefit of reward for thy good service, and to carry our orders into effect. In the month of August. TO FELIX, BISHOP OF MESSANA (Messene). : 2 EPISTLE LXXII. TO PETER, SUBDEACON. Gregory to Peter, &c. Thou hast learnt from a former letter 3 that we have desired our brethren and fellowCustoms which are found to bring a burden bishops dwelling in the island of Sicily to upon churches it becomes us in our considera- assemble here for the anniversary of the tion to discontinue, lest any should be forced blessed Peter the apostle. But, seeing that to contribute to quarters from which they their suit with the magnificent Justin the exought rather to look for contributions. Ac- praetor has meanwhile hindered them, and cordingly, it is thy duty to preserve intact that there is not now sufficient time for coming the custom of the clergy and others, and to and returning, we do not wish them to be transmit to them every year what has been troubled before winter. But Gregory of Agriaccustomed but for the future we forbid thee gentum, Leo of Catana, and Victor of Panorto transmit anything to us. And, since we mus, we by all means desire to come to us before take no delight in presents (xeniis), we have winter 5. Further, get together from strangers received with thanks the Palmatiana which corn of this year's growth to the value of fifty thy Fraternity has sent us, but have caused pounds of gold, and lay it up in Sicily in them to be sold for an adequate price, places where it will not rot, that we may send which we have transmitted separately to thy thither in the month of February as many Fraternity, for fear lest thou shouldest have ships as we can to convey this corn to us. felt the expense. Further, since we have But, in case of our delaying to send ships, do learnt that thy Charity is desirous of coming thou thyself provide some, and, with the help to us, we admonish thee by the present letter of the Lord, transmit this same corn to us in not to take the trouble of coming: but pray February, with the exception, however, of the for us, that the more we are separated by length of way, the more we may be joined one to another in mind, with the help of Christ, by charity; to the end that, aiding each other by mutual supplication, we may em. H 3 See Ep. XXXVI. 4 See Ep. II. If this Epistle is rightly assigned to the ninth Indiction, the title ex-prætor may possibly be an error in the text, since Justin is still addressed as prætor in the following prator of Sicily in the eleventh Indiction. See III. 38. Indiction (II. 33). Libertinus appears to have succeeded him as 5 Two of these bishops, Gregory and Leo, are referred to afterwards as having been at Rome to answer to certain charges. See II. 33, and III. 12. 6 Extraneis, i.e. growers or vendors of corn outside the patrimony of the Church. Moreover, order the council of catholic bishops to be admonished not to appoint their primate on the ground of his standing, without regard to the merits of his life, since before God it is not the more distinguished rank, but the action of a better life, that is approved 9. But let the primate himself live, not, as is customary, here and there in the country, but in one city according to their selection, to the end that he may be better able to bring to bear the influence of the dignity that has fallen to him in resisting the Donatists. Moreover, if any from the Council of Numidia should desire to come to the Apostolic See, permit them to do so; and stop any who may be disposed to bring charges against their character. Great increase of glory will accrue to your Excellency with the Creator, if through you the union of the divided churches could be restored. For when He beholds the gifts granted by Him given back corn which we expect to have sent to us now, according to custom, in the months of September or October. Let thy Experience, then, so proceed that, without annoyance to any husbandman (colonus) of the Church 7, the corn may be collected, since there has been here such a scanty crop that, unless by God's help corn be collected from Sicily, there is a serious prospect of famine. But keep guard in all ways over the ships that have always been assigned to the use of Holy Church, as the letters also addressed to thee by the glorious ex-consul Leo concur in directing thee to do. Moreover, many come hither desiring sundry lands or islands belonging to our Church to be leased to them; and some, indeed, we refuse, but to others we have already granted their request. But let thy Experience see to the advantage of Holy Church, remembering that thou hast before the most sacred body of the blessed apostle Peter to His glory, He bestows gifts so much the received power over his patrimony. And, though letters should reach you from hence, allow nothing to be done in any way to the disadvantage of the patrimony, since we neither remember to have given, nor are disposed to give away, any thing without good reason. EPISTLE LXXIV. TO GENNADIUS, PATRICIAN AND EXARCH OF Gregory to Gennadius, &c. As the Lord hath made your Excellency to shine with the light of victories in the military wars of this life, so ought you to oppose the enemies of the Church with all activity of mind and body, to the end that from both kinds of triumph your reputation may shine forth more and more, when in forensic wars, too, you firmly resist the adversaries of the Catholic Church in behalf of the Christian people, and bravely fight ecclesiastical battles as warriors of the Lord. For it is known that men heretical in religion, if they have liberty allowed them to do harm (which God forbid), rise strenuously against the catholic faith, to the end that they may transfuse, if they can, the poison of their heresy to the corrupting of the members of the Christian body. For we have learnt that they are lifting up their necks against the Catholic Church, the Lord being opposed to them, and desire to pervert the faith of the Christian profession. But let your Eminence suppress their attempts, and subdue their proud necks to the yoke of rectitude. 7 See I. 44, note 1. 8 The heretics (so called, though they were really rather schismatics than heretics) were the Donatists, who still lingered in Africa in spite of imperial edicts for their suppression. What more abundantly as He sees the dignity of His religion to be thereby enlarged. Furthermore, bestowing on you, as is due, the affection of our paternal charity, we beseech the Lord to make your arm strong for subduing your enemies, and to sharpen your soul with zeal for the faith like the edge of a quivering sword. EPISTLE LXXV. TO GENNADIUS, PATRICIAN, AND EXARCH Gregory to Gennadius, Patrician, &c. Gregory here urges the Exarch to do is to put in force the existing laws against them. A series of imperial laws against the Donatists will be found in Cod. Theod. Bk. xvi. tit. 5, that of Honorius, A.D. 414, being especially severe. 9 It was the immemorial custom in the provinces of Africa generally for the senior bishop of the province according to the date of his consecration to be appointed primate, instead of the bishop of the civil metropolis being such in virtue of his See, as was the rule elsewhere. (The province of Africa proper, or Africa Proconsularis, was however an exception; for in it the the designation Metropolitan was not used, but that of Primate or bishop of Carthage was always the primate). Hence in Africa Senior (Senex). Gregory here, though allowing the old custom of bishop: and this in order to guard against the appointment of movable primacies, forbids the necessary election of the senior unfit persons. His main motive, as appears from Epistle LXXVI., addressed to the bishops of the province of Numidia, was to preclude the elevation to the primacy of any bishop who had once been a Donatist. For in it he allows the retention of the old A rican custom in all respects, save only that no bishop who had been a Donatist was ever to be appointed primate. not from counsels of this world, but from God, the customs of past time, which, from the bewho bestows it from above. For where is not ginnings of the ordinances of the blessed Peter, the renown of your deserts in people's mouths? Prince of the apostles, long antiquity has so And report goes that it is not from a desire of far retained. And we, indeed, according to the shedding blood that you constantly court these tenour of your representation, allow your cuswars, but for the sake of extending the republic tom (so long as it clearly makes no claim to in which we see that God is worshipped, to the the prejudice of the catholic faith) to remain end that the name of Christ may be spread undisturbed, whether as to constituting priabroad through subject nations by preaching mates or as to other points; save that with reof the faith. For, as your outward deeds of spect to those who attain to the episcopate from valour make you eminent in this life, so also the among the Donatists, we by all means forbid inward adornment of your character, proceed them to be advanced to the dignity of primacy, ing from a clean heart, glorifies you in making even though their standing should denote them you partaker of celestial joys to come. For for that position 3. . But let it suffice them to we have learnt that your Excellency has done take care of the people committed to them, very many things of advantage for feeding the without aiming at the topmost place of the prisheep of the blessed Peter, Prince of the macy in preference to those prelates whom the apostles, so as to have restored to him no Catholic faith hath both taught and engendered small portions of his patrimony, which had in the bosom of the Church. Do you, therebeen denuded of their proper cultivators, by fore, most dear brethren, anticipate our adsupplying them with Datitian settlers. What- monitions in the zeal of the charity of the ever, then, with Christian disposition you confer Lord, knowing that the strict Judge will bring on him, you receive retribution for through into examination all we do, and will approve hope in the judgment to come. Wherefore we every one of us with regard not to the prehave thought fit to commend to your Eminence rogative of a higher rank, but to the merits of Hilarus', who is also the bearer of these pre- our works. I beseech you, therefore, love ye sents, that you may bestow on him (though one another mutually, having peace among ever with regard to justice) your accustomed yourselves in Christ, and with one purpose of affection in matters wherein he may intimate heart oppose ye heretics and enemies of the his need of your help. Now, addressing to Church. Be ye solicitous for the souls of you the greeting of our paternal charity, we your neighbours: persuade ali ye can to faith beseech our God and Saviour mercifully to protect your Eminence for the consolation of the holy republic, and to fortify you with the strength of His arm for spreading His name more and more through the neighbouring nations. EPISTLE LXXVII. TO ALL THE BISHOPS OF NUMIDIA. Gregory to all the Bishops of Numidia. If ever, most dear brethren in Christ, a troublesome mixture of tares intrudes itself among green corn, it is necessary for the hand of the husbandman to root it up entirely, lest the future fruit of the fertile corn should be obstructed. Wherefore let us too, who, how ever unworthy, have undertaken the cultivation of the field of the Lord, hasten to render the corn pure from all offence of tares, that the field of the Lord may fructify with more abundant increase. Now you requested through Hilarus our chartulary from our predecessor of blessed memory that you might retain all I See I. 77, note 2. 2" Chartularius. Qui chartas tractant, qui chartis deserviunt... Dignitas ecclesiastica etiam fuit." Du Cange. This Hilary is commended to Gennadius the Exarch of Africa, I. 75, and again mentioned as Gregory's Chartulary in Africa, II. 48: X. 37; XII. 28, 29. by the preaching of charity, holding before them also the terror of the future judgment; inasmuch as ye are appointed to be shepherds, and the Lord of the flocks expects from the shepherds to whom He has committed them the fruit of a multiplied flock. And if He should foresee an augmentation of His own flock through your bestowal of more diligent care upon it, He will assuredly adorn you with manifold gifts of the heavenly kingdom. Furthermore, addressing to you the greeting of fraternal love, I pray the Lord that He would make you, whom He has chosen to be shepherds of souls, worthy in His sight, and Himself so order our deeds here that He may accept them as they deserve in the future life. that the church of Saona for many years, since rty of these presen's, undisputed cardinal the death of its pontiff, has been thus entirely priest 5 in the Church of Saona, which has destitute, we have thought it needful to enjoin now been long deprived of the aid of a on thy Fraternity the work of visiting it, to pontiff. Do thou therefore so arrange and the end that through thy ordering its welfare order all things according to the injunctions may be promoted. In this church also and of the canons with vigilant care in the love. in its parishes we grant thee licence to ordain of God, that both thy Fraternity may rejoice deacons and presbyters; concerning whom, in having attained thy desires, and the Church however, let it be thy care to make diligent of God may be filled with answering joy for enquiry, that they be not personally in any having received thee as Cardinal pontiff. respect such as are rejected by the sacred canons. But whomsoever thy Fraternity has perceived to be worthy of so great a ministry, having ascertained that their manners and actions fit them for ordination, them, by permission of our authority, thou mayest freely promote to the aforesaid office. We desire thee, therefore, to make use of all the property of the above named church as though thou wert its proper pontiff, until we write to thee again. Be, then, so diligent and careful in all these matters that through thy ordering all things may, with the help of God, be salubriously arranged to the Church's profit. EPISTLE LXXIX. TO MARTINUS, BISHOP IN CORSICA. Gregory to Martinus, &c. EPISTLE LXXX. TO THE CLERGY AND NOBLES OF CORSICA. without a pontiff, yet as for us, we are both compelled by the charge of the office we bear love for you, to take thought for its governand bound especially by the charity of our ment, knowing that in its supervision lies at the same time advantage to your souls. For, if the care of a shepherd be wanting to a flock, it easily falls into the snares of the lier in wait. Accordingly, inasmuch as the church of Saona has long been deprived of the aid of a priest, we have held it necessary to constitute Martinus, our brother and Το those who ask for what is just it fellow-bishop, cardinal priest of the same 7, behoves us to lend a kindly ear, to the end but to enjoin on Leo our brother and fellowboth that the petitioners may find the remedies bishop the work of its visitation. To the they hope for, and that the anxious care of latter we have also granted licence to ordain a shepherd be not wanting to the Church. presbyters and deacons in it and in its And inasmuch as the church of Tanates, in parishes, and have permitted him to make which thy Fraternity was formerly adorned use of its property so long as he shall be with sacerdotal dignity, has for its sins been there, as though he were so taken possession of and ruined by hostile And so we admonish you by these present proper pontiff. savagery that no further hope remains of thy writings that your Charity receive the aforesaid returning thither, we appoint thee, by autho- visitor with all devotion, and shew him obedience in whatever is reasonable, as becomes elsewhere by Gregory, to denote the former in distinction from the latter. The occasion of this and the two following Epistles Sons of the Church, to the end that, supported will be seen to be as follows. The See of Saona in Corsica by your devotion, he may be able to accomhad been for some time vacant. It rested with the clergy and Jobles of the island see above, Ep. LXXX.), to elect a new plish all that is found to conduce to the adbishop; but they had failed to do so; and consequently Gregory remedied their neglect by himself filling up the vacancy. His vantage of the above-named church. right to do so would not be questioned there, Corsica as well as Sicily being among the Suburbicarian provinces which were under the acknowledged patriarchal jurisdiction of the See of Rome. Meanwhile he also commissioned Leo, the bishop of a neighbouring See (to whom this letter is addressed), to make a visitation of the Church of Saona, and exercise episcopal authority there, till the new bishop should take possession. There are several other Epistles, not included in this translation, appointing visitors of various churches. its 5 Cardinal bishops, presbyters, or deacons, meant formerly such as were regularly instituted and attached to some particular see, parish, or church, which constituted their title (titulas). They were then said to be incardinati, the act of so instituting them being called incardinatio. Cf. II. 37; XIV. 7. 6 See 1, 25, note 8. 7 See note under Ep. LXXIX. EPISTLE III. BOOK II. TO VELOX, Magister militum. We informed your Glory some time ago that soldiers had been prepared to come to your parts; but, inasmuch as your letter had signified to us that the enemy were collected and were marching hitherward, we for this reason have detained them here. But now it appears to be advantageous that a certain number of soldiers should be sent to you, whom let thy Glory be careful to admonish and exhort to be prepared for toil. And, when you find an opportunity, confer with our glorious sons Maurilius and Vitalianus, and do whatever, with the help of God, they may appoint you to do for the advantage of the republic. And, should you ascertain that the unspeakable Ariulph is making an incursion hitherward or to the parts about Ravenna, do you labour in his rear, as becomes brave men, to the end that your renown may by God's help advance still more in the republic from the quality of your labour. This, however, before all, we admonish you to do to release without any delay or excuse the family of Maloir, and Adobin, Vigild and Grussing 2, who are known to be with the glorious Magister militum Maurilius, to the end that the men of the aforesaid Maurilius, when they come to your parts, may without any impediment march along with them. I [In Colbert. and Paul. diac., Die. V. Oct. Indict. 10.] EPISTLE VI. TO THE NEAPOLITANS. Kal. Although the sincere devotion of spiritual sons in behalf of their mother Church needs no exhortation, nevertheless, it ought to be stirred up by letter, lest it should suppose itself slighted. On this account I approach your love with an admonition of paternai charity, that with many tears and with one accord we may render thanks to our Redeemer, who has not suffered you to walk along pathless ways under so perverse a teacher, but has made publicly known the crimes of your unworthy pastor. For Demetrius, to wit, who even before had not deserved to be called a bishop, has been found to be involved in transactions to such an extent and of such a kind that, if he had received judgment without mercy according to the character of his deeds, he would undoubtedly have been condemned to a most hard death by both divine and human laws. But since, being reserved for penance, he has been deprived of the dignity of the priesthood, we cannot suffer the Church of God to remain long without a teacher, since it is laid down by canonical rules that, on the death or removal of a pastor, the church should not be long deprived of the priesthood. Wherefore, I have thought it necessary to admonish your Charity by this present writing that neither delay nor the discord which has been wont to generate scandals ensue to hinder your election of a pontiff. But seek you out with all care such a person as all by common consent may rejoice in, and as is in no respect rejected by the sacred canons; to the end that the office which the most wicked of men had polluted by his evil administration may be worthily filled and administered by him, Gregory to the clergy, nobles, gentry, and whoever he may be, who, by the grace of commonalty 3 dwelling at Naples. Ariulph was the Lombard Duke of Spoletum, one of the principal cities in Italy occupied by the Lombards. For further reference to him cf. II. 29, 30, 46; IX. 98. He was at this time preparing, and suspected by Gregory of such intention, for an attack on Rome. Cf. Prologom. Velox (to whom this letter is addressed), and Maurilius and Vitalian (alluded to in it, and addressed in Epp. 29, 30), were Roman Generals (magistri militum) in command of imperial forces: but where they were is not apparent. From an allusion to Suana (or Soana) as within reach of the last two they may be supposed to have been somewhere in Tuscia. Apparently a familia of slaves belonging to Velox, but at this time with Maurilius. 3 Clero, nobilibus, ordini et plebi. Ordo seems to denote persons of official or other rai.k, above the commonalty, but below Christ, and with His approval, shall be ordained. the nobility. In some cases the corresponding address is to clero, 4 Sacerdotii; meaning here episcopacy. See I. 78, note |