Letter 18: tnit f of the bishops Dardaniae to Oelasium papam* IUius praecepta himself grato animo suscepisge nuntiani, atque...

The bishops of Dardania to Pope Gelasius. [Summary of contents: They announce that they have received his commands with a grateful spirit, and that they had even before avoided the company of Eutyches, of Peter, of Acacius, and of his followers (n. 1). They ask that he kindly hear the things which they had charged should be suggested to him through Trypho, and that, together with the said man, he send some one of his own to them (n. 2).] To the holy lord apostle and most blessed father of fathers Gelasius, pope of the city of Rome, the humble bishops of Dardania. 1. The most wholesome commands of your apostolate, delivered by Trypho, the religious man, our son, we have received with the devotion which is fitting, and we render the greatest thanks to almighty God and to your beatitude, because you have deigned to visit us with pastoral admonition and evangelical teaching, holy, apostolic, and most blessed lord, father of fathers. For it is our desire and our wish to obey your injunctions in all things, and, just as we have received from our fathers, to preserve inviolate the commands of the apostolic see, which has been conferred upon you by your life and merits, and to guard the orthodox religion, of which you are the preachers, with faithful and blameless devotion, so far as the understanding of our rusticity allows. For we have avoided Eutyches, or Peter [Peter the Alexandrian, the pseudo-bishop, who defiled himself by communion with Acacius], and Acacius, and all his followers and associates, as certain pestilential contagions, even before your injunction; and now much more, after the admonition of the apostolic see, it is necessary for us to abstain from that same pollution; and if any others either have followed or shall follow the sect of the same Eutyches, or of Peter and Acacius, or think that they should be mingled with their accomplices and associates, they are to be avoided by us in every way, who desire to serve the apostolic see blamelessly according to the divine commands and the statutes of the fathers. And if any, perchance by a depraved intention, which we neither suppose nor wish, should believe that they ought to be separated from the apostolic see, we profess that we are estranged from their company; since, as has been said, keeping in all things the commands of the fathers and following the inviolable institutions of the most sacred canons, we strive to obey that apostolic and singular see of yours with common faith and devotion. 2. And since your beatitude, out of the kindness innate in you, has granted us an occasion for making suggestions, we have charged certain things to be suggested to the aforesaid Trypho, the religious man, our son, the bearer of your precepts. And that your apostolate may deign to admit his suggestion, which, as we think, is just and reasonable, with willing spirit on behalf of our supplication, we entreat with just prayers, so that our supplication may merit its effect: that you order one from your angelic see to be sent to us together with the oft-mentioned religious man, so that in his presence those things may be ordained which the orthodox faith and the sincerity of your injunction demand. And the subscription: John, bishop of the most sacred church of Scopi, the metropolitan city, consenting to this rescript given by us, have subscribed with my own hand to all things which are contained above. Bonosus, bishop, as above I have subscribed. Samuel, bishop, as above I have subscribed. Verianus, bishop, through Valentinus the archdeacon, as above I have subscribed. Faustinus, bishop, as above I have subscribed. Ursinus, bishop, as above I have subscribed.

^tnit^f Episcoporum Dardaniae ad Oelasium papam* IUius praecepta se grato animo suscepisge nuntiani, atque Eutychvt^ Petri^ AcacU p. sectatorumgue ejus consortmm jam antea vitasse (n. 1). Petuni, ut quae Tryphoni mandaverant ipsi suggerenda, benignus audiat, et cum dicto viro atiquem e ndM ad ipsos destinet (n. 2). Domino sancto apostolo et beatissimo patri pa- Hrum Gelasio papae urbis Romae humiles epi- scopi Dardaniae. 1. Saluberrima apostolatus vestri praecepta. Tryphone viro reK- gioso filio nostro deferente, qua oportet devotione suscepimus^ ct maximas Deo omuipotenti et beatitudini vestrae referimus gratiaSy quod nos pastorali admonitione et evangelica doctrina visitare digna- tus es, doiniue sancte, apostolice et beatissime pater patnun. Desi- derii enim et voti nostri est, jussionibus vestris in omnibus obedirey et quemadmodum a patribus nostris accepimus, sedis apostolicae, quae vitae et meritis vestris delata est, praecepta intemerata ser- - vare, atque religionem orthodox^, cujus estis praedicatores^ fideli et inculpata devotione, prout nostrae rusticitatis sensns patituTy custodire. Eutychis eiiim vel Petri^) Acaciique et omnium secta- torum ejus atque consortium velut quaedam pestifera contagia ante vestram quoque vitavimus jussionem, et multo m^snunc post ad- monitionem sedis apostolicae et ab eadem nos poUutione necesae est abstinere, et si qui alii ejusdem Eutychis sectam vel Petri et Acadi aut secuti sunt aut sequentur, vel eorumdem sese complicibus atque ') Est Petrus Alexaiidrinus pseudoepiscopus , ctgus communione «e Aoaciui contaminavit. Moxque consortium idem est ac sodomm* EPISTOLAE 10—12. 349 coiisorbbas aestimant immiscendos; a nobis^ qui sedi apostolicae (a.494.) flecimduin divina praecepta et patrum statuta inculpati servire de- sderamuS; omni ratione vitandi sunt. Et si qui forte prava inten- faone; quod neque arbitramur neque optamus^ a sede apostolica se crediderint segregandos^ ab eorum nos "alienos esse consortio pro- iStemnr; quoniam; ut dictum est^ patrum in omnibus custodientes /nraecepta et inviolalHlia sacrosanctorum canonum instituta sectan- ies, apostolicae et singulari illi sedi vestrae communi fide et devo- tione parere contendimus. 2. Et quoniam suggerendi fomitem nobis pro insita sibi benigni- tate beatitudo vestra concessit, aliqua memorato Tryphoni viro reli- gioso filio nostro, praeceptorum vestrorum portitori, suggerenda mandavimus. Et ut suggestionem ejus, quantum arbitramur, justam et rationabilem pro supplicatione nostra libenti animo apostolatus vester dignetur admittere, justis precibus exoramus, quod suppli- (^atio nostra meretur efFectum: unum ex angelica sede vestra cum asepe dicto viro religioso ad nos usque praecipite destinare, ut sub ejus praesentia, quae fides orthodoxa et vestrae jussionis sinceritas postulat; ordinentur. Et subscripiio, Johannes episcopus sacrosanctae ecclesiae Scopinae metropoli- -tanae civitatis huic rescripto a nobis dato conseutiens, ad omnia qnae saperius continentur manu propria subscripsi. Bonosas episcopus ut supra subscripsi. Samnel episcopus ut supra subscripsi. Verianus episcopus per Yalentinum archidiaconum ut supra subscadpsi. Faustinus episcopus ut supra subscripsi. UTsinas episcopus ut supra subscripsi.