Letter 6: Licet among uarias s temporum difficultates continuis occupationibus implicati uix respirare ualeamus, for of the...

To his most beloved brother Honorius, Gelasius. Although amid the various difficulties of the times we are scarcely able to draw breath, entangled as we are in continual occupations, nevertheless, for the governance of the apostolic see, attending without cease to the care of the whole of the Lord's flock, which was committed to blessed Peter by the very voice of our Savior, [who said:] "And you, when you are converted, strengthen your brethren," and likewise: "Peter, do you love me? Feed my sheep!", we neither can nor ought to overlook anything that touches upon our solicitude, since we feel and speak with the blessed apostle Paul: "Who is weakened, and I am not weakened? Who is made to stumble, and I do not burn?" And so indeed a report at once sorrowful, dreadful, and scarcely credible has so overcome us that it has confounded, wounded, and afflicted our mind. For it has been announced to us that in the regions of the Dalmatias certain men have sown the recurring tares of the Pelagian pestilence, and that their blasphemy so prevails there that they deceive even the simple by the insinuation of their deadly madness. That error is indeed wicked, and the more pernicious for ensnaring inasmuch as it is the more cunning in deceiving through the color of verisimilitude; yet, with the Lord granting it, the pure truth of the catholic faith is at hand, drawn forth from the concordant judgments of all the fathers, which both lays bare the subtle poison of this deadly depravity and confers upon the human race, to be saved, a medicine compounded from the Scriptures. Therefore let no want of discernment in things not yet plainly distinguished trouble hearts, until both the hidden wound appears and the singular salvation shines forth: since by however great an art of deceit the spirit of perdition may be armed, by the holy sword of the chief Spirit it is both uncovered and slain. Wherefore, through your love, we admonish all the Lord's priests there with brotherly affection that, since with the Lord instructing you, you do battle against these new-fashioned errors, you ought by no means even to receive into your hearing a perversity long ago condemned throughout the whole world. And if it be rashly thought that this is to be done, what heresy, fittingly extinguished by our elders, would dare to provoke us again and openly contend, having taken up new strength afresh? Is it indeed permitted to us to dissolve what has been condemned by the venerable fathers and to take up again the wicked dogmas cut away by them? What, then, is the reason that we take great care that the ruin of any heresy, once cast down, should not strive to come again to examination, if we strain to restore things which were of old known, discussed, and refuted by our elders? Do we not ourselves—which God forbid, and which the catholic Church will never suffer—set before all the adversaries of truth an example of rising up against us? Where is that which is written: "You shall not pass beyond the boundaries of your fathers," and: "Ask your fathers and they will tell you, and your elders and they will speak to you"? Why, then, do we reach beyond the definitions of our elders, or why does it not suffice us, if we desire to learn anything in ignorance, [to learn] in what manner by the orthodox fathers and elders each several thing was either prescribed to be avoided or fitted to the catholic truth? Why are decrees not proved to be theirs? Are we either wiser than they, or shall we be able to stand with firm stability if we undermine those things which were established by them? Or perhaps you do not know that this heresy, of which we speak, was long since laid low by the apostolic see through Innocent of blessed memory, and thereafter through Zosimus, Bonifatius, Caelestinus, Sixtus, and Leo, by continual and unceasing judgments, and was condemned not only by the laws of the catholic Church but also by those of the Roman princes, on this condition, that its followers should nowhere in the world be permitted to have a place to live? All these matters are taught as much by the proceedings drawn up by the Church throughout each several region concerning their depravity as by the sanctions of public censure. Behold, [it would profit] any catholic ears to hear the teaching, to receive the questions, to weigh the snares, and patiently to admit the blasphemies—O if only they would take pains to learn the books and the replies of our elders against them! There it would be discerned in every way that there is absolutely nothing which was not both sifted by these men and ground to dust by those men with magnificent truth, and thus the faithful would be rendered instructed in refuting all their wickednesses, so that nothing further would be sought. But if perhaps certain things put forward from their notions have stirred untrained minds, then by the doctrines of the venerable fathers both all their madness is made public and it is shown by what remedies it may be cured, so that from these things, foreseen with God granting it, all that they have woven out of their series may appear to be both dangerous to those who follow them and foolish to those who apprehend them; so that, if anyone should think it must be resisted, he stands forth not so much as a contradictor of the judgments of the ancients, but openly and plainly professes himself an enemy to human salvation and to catholic doctrine. The more, therefore, ought the ever-watchful care of the shepherds to ward off the savagery of wolves from the sacred flocks, since whatever loss befalls the holy sheep condemns—which God forbid—the negligence of the prelates, just as the driving off of harmful beasts from the regenerated flocks will procure for the guardians a perpetual increase of rewards. Surely, if—as we rather hope—these things have been reported by false rumors, we desire to learn it as soon as possible, so that we who tremble at the affliction of the members of Christ may rejoice all the more at their stability. Given on the fifth day before the Kalends of August, in the consulship of Faustus, most distinguished man.

DILECTISSINMO FRATRI HONORIO GELASIUS. Licet inter uarias s temporum difficultates continuis occupationibus implicati uix respirare ualeamus, pro sedis tamen apostolicae moderamine 11 Cor. I 12. 18. 14 Gal. 8, 28 1 post caro lacunam indicaui; Thielus in eis quae sequuntur addi wwult docetur 8 huic V, corr. ras. αἱ man. post. ecclesia catholica Car. 7 uirilem V: uirilit « 8 quae scripsi: quam V, qua Thiel 13 sexum V, corr. οἷ: sexus p 22 occurrere zxeL. V 1 ? ων e ce Epist. XCVII 88 — XCVIII 4. 497 totius ouilis dominici curam sine cessatione tractantes, quae beato Petro saluatoris ipsius nostri uoce delegata est: et tu conuersus confirma fratres tuos, et item: Petre, amas me? pasce oues meas!, dissimulare nec possumus mee debemus, quae nostram sollieitudinem forma perstringat, cum beato Paulo apostolo sentientes atque dicentes: quis infir- matur, et ego non infirmor? quis scandalizatur, et ego non uror? ita quippe nos repente tristis horrenda et 2 uix eredibilis confecit opinio, ut mentem nostram confunderet sauciaret affligeret. nuntiatum nobis est enim in regionibus Dalmatiarum quosdam recidiua Pelagianae pestis zizania seminasse tantumque illic eorum praeualere blasphemiam, ut simplices quosque mortiferi furoris insinuatione decipiant. est quidem error ipse nefarius tanto pernieiosior ad subripiendum, quanto ad fallendum uerisimilitudinis colore uersutior: prae stante «tamen» domino adest fidei catholicae pura ueritas concordibus uniuersorum patrum deprompta sententiis, quae et subtile uirus funestae prauitatis exponat et humano generi saluando eonferat de seripturarum confectione medicinam. nullatenus igitur discretione rerum nondum abundantia corda conturbet, donee et occultum uulnus appareat et saluatio singularis eluceat: quoniam quantalibet arte fallaeiae spiritus perditionis armetur, saneto gladio spiritus principalis et dete- gitur et necatur. quapropter per dilectionem «tuam» cunctos ibidem domini sacerdotes fraterno commonemus affectu, ut, qui cum erndiente uos domino contra nouieios pugnetis errores, olim peruersitatem toto orbe damnatam nee ipso 2 Luc. 22, 33 3 Ioh. 21, 17 6 Cor. II 11, 29 l obilis V 2 delegatum V, corr. Bar. 13 tantamque Bar. praeualeret blasphemia V, corr. o* 16 tamen addidi: «sed» praestante p! 17 sententiis Bull. Taur.: sententi* V (man. 1); concordi..sententia p? 18 funestae οἷ: funesta et V 19 confectionem V, corr.o 90 discretione V; corr. Thiel ^ habundantia V 24 tuam add. p? 27 ipso recipere debeatis auditu scripsi; ipso recipere debetis aut V, ipsos (sic «) recipere debeatis auctores TÀtel 438 Gelasius I. ad Honorium episcopum, recipere debeatis auditu. quod 4si» temere putatur esse faciendum, quae non baeresis a maioribus nostris conuenienter extincta rursus prouocare nos audeat et palam nouis resumptis uiribus aperteque confligat? numquidnam licet nobis a uene- randis patribus damnata dissoluere et ab illis excisa nefaria s dogmata retractare? quid est ergo, quod magnopere praeca- uemus, ne cuiuslibet haeresis semel deiecta pernicies ad examen denuo uenire contendat, si, quae antiquitus a nostris maioribus cognita discussa refutata sunt, restauranda nitamur? nonne ipsi nos, quod absit et quod numquam catholica » patietur ecclesia, aduersariis ueritatis uniuersis contra nos resurgendi proponimus exemplum? ubi est, quod scriptum est: terminos patrum tuorum non ítransgredieris, οἷ: interroga patres tuos et adnuntiabunt tibi, et seni- ores tuos et dicent tibi? quid ergo tendimus ultra definita 1’ maiorum aut cur nobis non sufficit, si quid ignorantes discere cupiamus, qualiter ab orthodoxis patribus et senioribus singula quaeque uel uitanda praecepta sunt uel aptanda catholicae ueritati? cur non his probantur esse decreta? numquid aut sapientiores illis sumus aut poterimus firma stabilitate constare * &i ea, quae ab illis constituta sunt, subruamus? an fortasse nescitis hanc haeresim, de qua loquimur, et ab apostolica dudum sede per beatae memoriae Innocentium ac deinde Zosimum, Bonifatium, Caelestinum, Sixtum, Leonem continuis et incessabilibus sententiis fuisse prostratam nec tantum s ecclesiae catholicae legibus sed principum quoque Romanorum eo tenore damnatam, ut nec usquam terrarum uiuendi locum sectatores eius habere sinerentur? quae omnia tam gestis 18 Prou. 22, 98 14 Deut. 32, 7 1 si add. Thiel 3 nobis V, corr. o? | 8 contendat ex contendunt V 9 restaurare adnitamur o? [1 aduersariis er aduersarius V [06 ma- lorum V, corr. Car. 16 et 19 quur V 16 sufficiunt Thiel; ego sustuli wuulgatam post sufficit interpunctionem distinzique post ueritati 20 pote- remus V, corr. o 28 sede o: sed Υ 24 bonifacium V Xystum Thiel 26 ligibus V, corr. « 27 usque iterarum V, corr. o? Epist, XCVIII 5—10. 439 ecclesiae per singulas quasque regiones de eorum prauitate confectis quam censurae publicae sanctionibus edocentur. ecce, 8 quorum libet aures catholicas audire doctrinam, quaestiones accipere, tractare tendicuias et blasphemias patienter admittere, 5 0 si studerent aduersus eos maiorum nostrorum libros respon- saque cognoscere! illie modis omnibus cerneretur nihil esse prorsus, quod «non» et ab istis fuerit uentilatum et ab illis magnifi« ca » ueritate contritum, sicque de eunctis eorum nequitiis refutandis fideles quique redderentur instructi, ut nihil amplius 19 quaereretur. sed si forsitan ineruditos animos quaedam de 9 eorum sensibus proposita commouerunt, ita uenerabilium patrum doctrinis et omnis eorum publicatur insania et, quibus remediis curetur, ostenditur, ut ex his deo praestante praeuisis cuncta, quae de eorum serie texuerunt, et periculosa sectantibus 15 οὐ stulia deprehendentibus esse uideantur, ita ut si quis existimet reluctandum, non tam ueterum sententiis contradictor existat sed humanae saluti catholicaeque doctrinae palam se aperteque profiteatur inimicum. quo magis adtentius peruigil 10 eurà pastorum ἃ sacris gregibus luporum debet arcere 30 gaeuitiam, cum quidquid ouibus sanctis acciderit, detrimenti, praesulum, quod absit, damnet incuriam, sicut a regeneratis agminibus nocentium depulsio bestiarum custodum praemiis perpetuum procurabit augmentum. certe si, ut magis optamus, falsis haec rumoribus sint relata, quantocius desideramus 35 agnoscere, ut qui de membrorum Christi uexatione trepidamus, multo magis de eorum stabilitate laetemur. — Data V. Kal. Aug. Fausto u. c. cons. 9 quorumlibet « — 4 blapsphemias V 7 non add. Labb. 8 magni- fica Car.: magnifi V, magnifici a 18 prante (pro prante) V — 17 sa- lutis V 18 adtentius V: adtentius(que^ Hartel; Thielius adnotat 'hinc excidisse, uidetur comparationis membrum, quo eorum, qui pecora custo- diunt, in arcendis lupis uigilantia exponebatur'. quae quis. credet? 20 cum quidquid TÀiel: numquid quid V, ne si quid o? — 23 procura- uit V, corr. Thiel — ante si del. ut V aptamus V, corr. o 25 qui de V: quid a, unde qui editiones 421 fausto V: Albino Car.; cf. quae exposuit Thiel p. 26 . 440 Gesta de nomine Acaci