Letter 2: GELASIUS TO COUNT TEIA

Gelasius to Count Teia. [1] If Eucharistus's conscience is secure, then either he ought not to have come here alone beforehand, while his accuser was detained by illness, or, once his accuser had come here, he ought rather to have remained here until, with his accuser most plainly refuted in his presence, he might most plainly prove his innocence to us. We, however, reserving justice in his case, although we understand that he is evading the hearing by his evasions, in which he could in no way deceive, have dispatched the defender Anastasius with a written order, so that, if he were confident he could clear himself, he might hasten to our examination, where, suitably freed from his accuser's charges, he might stand acquitted before us; but if he should not do this, he would know that he had confessed himself out of his own conscience. [2] Likewise: as to your saying that the words of Faustus accusing Eucharistus ought not to be brought forward before me, because Faustus himself had previously praised him, this man is all the more to be believed, who was able to learn of Eucharistus's crime more truly from that very intimacy. And this is shown to be true to such a degree that Eucharistus presumes in no way to come to confront Faustus; which, surely, if he were confident that he held his conscience free of Faustus's charges, he ought to have done even with no one ordering it. [3] Likewise: your nobility says that certain kinsmen of Faustus there have already been convicted. All the more confidently, then, ought Eucharistus to have hastened here, so that he might convict Faustus, just as he did those near to him, of contriving the falsehood that has often been spoken of. For it was not Faustus's kinsmen who raised a complaint against Eucharistus before us, but Faustus, stationed here, who accuses him. It is therefore no concern of ours if Eucharistus convicted those who had made no mention of him before us, or who now even decline to come to accuse Eucharistus, unless he convicts Faustus, who persists in accusing him, in our examination. But what has seemed good to your nobility, that you should do me an injury, I do not know, while you suppose that the case ought to be taken away from our judgment and transferred, at the wish of Eucharistus and his associates, to the bishops stationed within the province; which cannot by any reasoning whatsoever be done. [4] Likewise: we admonish your nobility more and more, that you deign to abstain from ecclesiastical cases and affairs, and that you allow the rule of religion to be kept with all agitation ceasing, especially since there is no doubt that you are of another communion, and you ought not to involve your person, by any intent whatsoever, in matters that do not pertain to you, lest you compel us, as we said above, to refer all these things by a report sent to my lord and son the king; for, since he himself in his wisdom wishes to be in no way opposed to ecclesiastical cases, it is just that whoever lives under his reign should imitate what the magnificent king does, lest he be seen to strive beyond the king's will.

II. TEIAE COMITI GELASIUS. [1] Si conscientia secura est Eucharisti, aut solus huc ante venire non debuit, cum accusator eius aegritudine teneretur, aut postea quam accusator eius huc venit, hic potius debuit permanere, donec in praesenti accusatore suo manifestissime confutato suam nobis innocentiam manifestissime conprobaret. nos tamen eius causa iustitiam reservantes, quamvis intellegamus tergiversationibus eum suis audientiam declinare, in qua fallere omnino non posset, defensorem Anastasium cum praeceptione direximus, ut, si se confideret posse purgari, ad nostrum properaret examen, ubi convenienter ab accusatoris obiectionibus expeditus liber apud nos posset existere; quod si non fecisset, sciret de conscientia sua se esse confessum. [2] Item. quod dicis non apud me Fausti debere verba proferri accusantis Eucharistum, quia ipse eum ante laudaret, tanto magis huic credendum est, qui scelus eius ex ipsa verius potuit familiaritate cognoscere. quod in tantum verum esse monstratur, ut ad Faustum convincendum nullatenus venire praesumat: quod utique, si conscientiam ab obiectionibus Fausti liberam se habere confideret, etiam nullo mandante facere debuisset. [3] Item. dicit tua nobilitas nescio quos illic parentes Fausti iam fuisse convictos. tanto magis fiducialius huc Eucharistus properare debuerat, ut et Faustum sic ut proximos de mendacii concinnatione, quod dictum est saepe, convinceret. neque enim parentes Fausti contra Eucharistum apud nos querimoniam commoverunt, sed eum hic Faustus positus accusat. non ergo ad nos pertinet, si illos convicit, qui eius apud nos non fecerant mentionem aut nunc etiam ad accusandum Eucharistum venire dissimulant, nisi Faustum, qui in eius accusatione persistit, in nostra examinatione convincat. quid autem visum fuerit nobilitati tuae, ut mihi iniuriam faceretis, ignoro, dum putatis, quia de nostro iudicio causa deberet auferri, et ad episcopos intra provinciam positos pro Eucharisti et sociorum voluntate transferri: quod non poterit ulla omnino ratione fieri. [4] Item. nobilitatem tuam magis ac magis commonemus, ut se ab ecclesiasticis causis et rebus abstinere dignetur et permittas omni exagitatione cessante religionis regulam custodiri, praecipue cum te alterius communionis non dubium sit, nec personam tuam debeas rebus ad te non pertinentibus qualibet intentione miscere, ne nos conpellas, ut supra diximus, ad domnum filium meum regem haec omnia missa relatione referre, quia, cum ipse pro sua sapientia causis ecclesiasticis in nullo velit esse contrarius, iustum est, ut quicumque sub illius regno vivit, quod facit rex magnificus imitetur, ne videatur supra illius tendere voluntatem. III. [GELASIUS] THEODERICO REGI. [1] Magnificentia vestra perpendit sacerdotalis me officii necessitate constringi, ut apud clementiam vestram, quam constat omnia librare sapienter, intercessor accedam.