Letter 15: Having learned from a letter Natalis had sent to Bishop Serenus of the abbot's praiseworthy zeal for the Catholic...

Gelasius, bishop, to his most beloved son, Abbot Natalis. 1. Although, in accordance with the governance of the blessed apostle Peter, divinely instituted, whereby all the Churches are debtors to the vicar of his see, we have given suitable writings to my brothers and fellow-bishops appointed throughout Dardania, following the path of the ancient faith and communion, so that they may be able to guard against the contagions of the faithless and to keep an undefiled fellowship with us; nevertheless we have not failed to address your charity as well, desiring to do so, since we have perceived your zeal to be praiseworthy both in your solicitude for avoiding all that is harmful, and in retaining those things which pertain to Christian usefulness, namely from the letter which your charity sent to my brother and fellow-bishop Serenus. Accordingly, your charity has considered that you must labor together with the gospel of God, and that, with a view to eternal salvation, even all adverse things must be borne steadfastly: so that you may incur no loss of the heavenly kingdom, which God forbid; for unless you strive lawfully, you cannot attain to it. For the more, as the Lord grants, we must press on and keep watch, the more the enemy of the human race, now under the very end of the world, does not cease to press upon us more violently. 2. We indicate that nothing has been omitted which might apply, in conformity with the rules of the Fathers, a fitting remedy for the correction of those matters which the enemy has sown in the Churches of the East. But what are we to do? For with hardened ears they shun to hear the voice of truth, and so great a force of the raging disease has settled upon them, that they would rather have all who are healthy lie mortally sick along with them, than themselves recover health: now denying everything which we approve from their own documents, from their own subscriptions; now, when they have been convicted of their error by the manifest light of the facts, openly and plainly confessing it, yet they testify that they are unwilling to return to the way of pure confession and communion, but rather they expect us to become entangled with their own prevaricators. Wherefore, by the bounty of Christ's grace, we must act with great efforts, so that, since the matter at stake is eternal life, whether to be lost or to be held, we may indeed take pains, if by the Lord's working we can save any of them; otherwise, as the apostle says, looking to yourself, lest you also be tempted, let us strive to avert the destruction of those who wish to perish, and, what alone we ought to do, let us implore the divine mercy on their behalf, that they may come to their senses, away from the snares of the devil, by whom they are held captive at his will: so that, recovering their breath from a deadly obstinacy, and laying aside the useless languor of shame for the plague which they themselves also perceive they have humanly incurred, they may with free heart return to their senses to recover the everlasting remedies. 3. Having therefore learned these things which, as we have said, have been directed to the bishops of your regions, you yourselves also, the Lord protecting you, ought to be suitably instructed, and to preach the same with confidence to whatever provinces are adjacent. For there is nothing which we ought to dread, since it is certain that those whom He has granted to handle the weapons of His truth are not abandoned by the heavenly governor, nor do we see that anything whatever is to be borne by Him to the uttermost, since He willed us to despise even our own souls for the sake of their salvation. But in what way the integrity of religion may either prosper there, or what perhaps may be alleged, let your charity not omit to show us more often: so that, with Christ bestowing it, we may furnish the necessary aids by suitable responses. Subscription of the pope. May God keep you safe and sound, most beloved son!

Beati Ctelasii papae ad Natalem abbatem. (a.493.) • ^obatm, cujus laudabilem pro fide catholica fervorem ex epistola ad Sei'enum 'PWcopifln missa cognovity soUiciius pontifex hortatur, ut instructionem sedis apo- ^\ ui et ratio postiilant communicaverunt. Hic quippe notantur Acacius et f*^, sed maxiine Acacius, qui haereticae communionis contagione pollutua ^''^^ damnatos in eadem danmatione defunctus est. Mox G' cc Quod utique. ") Ita G* c'**; c' et communi, quod cum proximis verbis minus apte cohae- J^ Quorgum enim Gelaaius quam primum ad se referri vult, si qui apud Dar- *™°* deprehendantur Acaciani schismatis fautores, nisi ut ipse cum concilio l^ atque ipgis Dardanis prospiciat, quo pacto et subveniatur errantibus, et fides •^enrfa Bervetur. ) 6*a* m/ ad ecclesiarum praesules, alii editi ut eccfesiarttm praesules univer- ^ ^itatu, minus bene. Non euim in hac epistola fidei expositio tum ampla *ni<lttt integra adita est, ut universam veritatem in ea explanatam dicere liceat. «I8TOUE ROMAH. PONTIP. I. 22 1 r (a.493.) stoHcae ad poniifices regionis illius direciam in contiguis provinciis a^juvet^ et ipsum de ejusdem profectu cerliorem reddere saepius curei. Dilectisssimo filio Nutali abbati Gelasius epi- * scopus. 1. Quamvis pro beati Petri apostoli moderamine divinitus in- stituto, quo sedis ejus vicarii cuuctae sunt Ecclesiae debitores, ad fratres et coepiscopos meos per Dardaniam constitutos competentia scripta dederimus, antiquae fidei commmiionisque tramitem subse- quentes, ut cavere valeant contagpia perfidorum et nobiscum illiba- tum tenere consortium ; tamen dilectionem quoque tuam noii ' desti- timus *) desiderantes affari, cujus et sollicitudinem de noxiis qoibus- que vitandis, et in retinendis, quae ad utilitatem pertinent Christia- nam, laudabilem perspeximus esse fervorem, ex litteris scilicet; quas ad fratrem et coepiscopum meum Serenum tua caritas destinayil Proinde 'collaborandum si])i tua dilectio perpendit eyangelio Dei, et^) aeternae salutis intuitu ctiam adversantia quaeque toleranda constanter: ut nullum subeas, quod absit, coelestis regni dispendinm^. ad quod utique, nisi legitime certaveris, non potes pervenire. Tanto enim praestante Domino nobis est instandmn yigilandumque, quanto sub^) ipso fine jam mundi vehementior humani generis hostis in- sistere non quiescit. 2. Nihil significamus omissum, quod aut correctione *) rerum, quas in ecclesias Orientis seminavit inimicus, patrum regulis eon- gruentem possit adhibere medicinam. Sed quid facimus? quia ob- duratis auribus vocem refugiunt veritatis audire, timtaque vis morbi saevientis incubuit, ut secum malint salvos quosque lethaliter aegro- tare, quam ipsi recipere saniiSitem: nunc inficiantes universa, quae ipsorum chartis, ipsorum subscriptionibus approbamus, nunc quum manifesta rerum fuerint hice convicti, palam aperteque fatentes «^ roreni, noUe se tanien reverti ad viam purae confessionis comma- nionisque testantur, sed nos potius exspectant suis praeyaricatoribiis impHcari. Quapropter largiente Christi gratia maguis studiis est agendum, ut, quia de vita peri^etua vel amittenda res agitur vel tenenda, demus oi^eram quidem, si aliquos ex ilUs operante Domino gg^salvare possimus: ajioquin, sicut ait apostolus, te ipsum casium cu- ') It^ Jo8. Blanch. ex N^. Matf. ot c*" desislimus. Mox Matf. seq. ci{fti$ solH-' citudinem . . . ex litteris siquidem. EPISTOLAE 8. 9. 339 stodiy perire yolentium nitamur declinare perniciem, et, quod solum (a.493.) facere debeamus, divinam pro illis exorare clementiam, ut resipi- scant a diaboli laqueis^ a quo capti detinentur ab ^) ipsius voluntate : ut ab obstinatione mortifera respirantes, *pestem quam se humanitus incidisse etiam ipsi sentiunt^ inutili verecundiae languore deposito^" ad recuperanda remedia sempiterna libero corde resipiscant. 3. His ergo cognitis, quae, sicut diximus, ad regionum vestra- ruin sunt directa pontifices, et ipsi protegente vos Domino debetis esse convenienter instructi, et provinciLs eadem quibusque contiguis ^) fiducialiter praedicare. Nihil est enim, quod pavere debeamus, quum certam sit a coelesti praesule non derelinqui, quos suae veritatis praestitit arma tractare, nec quidquam videamus') ei ullatenus ^^^'"ilLMh ferendmn^ quum ipsas animas nostras pro earum nos voluerit salute io,39. contemnere. Qualiter autem vel proficiat ibidem religionis integritas ^^^'^ vel quid forsitan asseratur, saepius nobis vestra dileetio non omittat oetendere: ut necessaria Christo tribuente subsidia responsis con- gruentibus ministremus. Subscriptio papae. Deus te incolumem costodiat, fili dilectissime !