Letter 1030: The case of Bishop Blandus has been dragging on in a way that is fair to no one.

TO ROMANUS, PATRICIAN AND EXARCH OF ITALY. [Summary:] That he should grant that Bishop Blandus either be judged in synod or be allowed to return to his own church. Gregory to Romanus, patrician and exarch of Italy. Though there were no occasion at all for writing to your Excellency, we ought nevertheless, out of paternal charity, to be solicitous for the soundness of your safety, so that what we have desired to hear concerning you we may learn through a frequent exchange of messengers. Moreover, it has come to us that Blandus, bishop of the city of Hortensis [Orte], has now for a long time been detained by your Excellency in the city of Ravenna. And so it comes about that the Church is without a rector, and the people, like a flock without a shepherd, drift away, and there infants, on account of their sins, die without baptism. And again, since we do not believe that your Excellency has held him except for the cause of some probable transgression, it is fitting that, a synod having been held, it be made plain in public whether any crime is charged against him. And if such fault is found in him as may lead even to the degradation of his priesthood, it is necessary that another ordination be sought, lest the Church of God remain uncultivated and destitute in those things without which the religion of Christ does not allow it to be. But if your Excellency perceives the matter to be otherwise than what is said to be the case concerning him, let him be granted to return to his own Church, so that he may fulfill his office among the souls committed to him. In the month of March, in the ninth indiction. EPISTLE XXXIV. TO VENANTIUS, EX-MONK, PATRICIAN OF SYRACUSE. [Summary:] He rebukes Venantius for having laid aside the monastic habit; he exhorts him to come to his senses as quickly as possible; he instructs him whose counsels he ought to heed. Gregory to Venantius, ex-monk, patrician of Syracuse. Many among men have foolishly supposed that, if I had been raised to the office of the episcopate, I would refuse to address you and to correspond with you frequently by letters. But it is not so, for I am now compelled by the very necessity of my position not to be silent. For it is written: "Cry aloud, cease not, lift up thy voice like a trumpet" (Isaiah 58:1). And again it is written: "I have given thee as a watchman to the house of Israel; thou shalt hear the word from my mouth, and thou shalt announce it to them from me" (Ezekiel 3:17). From which announcement, namely, whether withheld or set forth, what follows for the watchman or the hearer is at once intimated: "If, when I say to the wicked man, Thou shalt die the death, thou dost not announce it to him, nor speak to him, that he may be turned from his wicked way and live, that wicked man shall die in his iniquity; but his blood will I require at thy hand. But if thou announce to the wicked man, and he be not converted from his iniquity and from his wicked way, he indeed shall die in his iniquity; but thou hast delivered thy own soul." Hence also Paul says to the Ephesians: "Clean are my hands this day from the dust" [cf. Acts 20:26], and therefore you may at that time feel it to be bitter, when you can no longer escape it by any weeping. Consider what is written: "Pray that your flight be not in winter or on the Sabbath" (Matthew 24:20). For the numbness of the cold hinders walking in winter, and according to the precept of the law it is not lawful to walk on the Sabbath. He therefore strives to flee in winter or on the Sabbath who then seeks to flee the wrath of the strict judge, when it is no longer permitted to him to walk. While there is leisure, then, while it is permitted, flee the chastisement of so great a terror; consider what is written: "Whatsoever thy hand is able to do, do it earnestly; for there is neither work, nor reason, nor wisdom, among the dead, whither thou hastenest" (Ecclesiastes 9:10). By the testimony of the Gospel, you know that divine severity convicts us concerning an idle word, and subtly demands an accounting for a useless word (Matthew 12:36). Consider, then, what you are to do concerning a perverse deed, if it reproves some in their judgment for their speech. Ananias had vowed monies to God (Acts 5:2 ff.), which afterward, overcome by diabolical persuasion, he withdrew (Causa 17, q. 1, can. 3); but by what death he was punished, you know. If, therefore, that man was worthy of the peril of death, who took away from God the monies he had given, consider with how great a peril in the divine judgment you will be worthy, who have withdrawn from Almighty God not monies but your very self, to whom you had vowed yourself under the monastic habit. (Consider the judgment of God, what he deserves who vows himself to God, and immediately, entangled in the desires of the world, has lied concerning what he vowed.) Wherefore, if you will hear the words of my correction as one bound to follow them, you will recognize in the end how gentle and sweet they are. Behold, I confess, I speak in grief, and bound by sorrow at your deed, I am scarcely able to utter words; and yet your own mind, conscious of its own action, scarcely suffices to bear what it hears; it blushes, it is confounded, it resists. If, therefore, it cannot bear to hear the words, then you may feel them to be bitter, when you can no longer escape them by any weeping. Weigh what is written: "We exhort you, brethren, that you receive not the grace of God in vain; for he says, In an accepted time have I heard thee, and in the day of salvation have I helped thee. Behold, now is the acceptable time, behold, now is the day of salvation" (2 Corinthians 6:1-2 ff.). But I know that, when my letter is received, at once friends gather, the lettered dependents are summoned, and in a matter of life counsel is sought from the patrons of death: who, while they love not you but your possessions, speak to you nothing but what is pleasing for the moment. For such, as you yourself remember, were once your counselors, who led you on to the crime of so great a sin. That I may say something to you from a secular author: with friends all things are to be discussed, but first concerning the friends themselves. But if in your own case you seek a man as counselor, take me, I beg, as your counselor. None can be more faithful to you for counsel than he who loves not your possessions but you. May Almighty God show to your heart with how great love and charity my heart embraces you, yet only so far as the divine grace be not offended. For thus do I pursue your fault, that I love the person; thus do I love the person, that I embrace not the vice of the fault. If, therefore, you believe that you are loved by me, present yourself at the thresholds of the Apostles, and use me as your counselor. But if perhaps in the matter you believe me to be too zealous for God, and suspect me on account of the ardor of my zeal, I bring the whole Church together at once into the counsel of this deliberation; and whatever it pleases all to be done wholesomely, in nothing do I contradict, but what is decreed in common, I gladly fulfill, and I subscribe to it. May divine grace guard you as one who fulfills what I have admonished. (Cf. John the Deacon, book III, c. 44 and 48.) EPISTLE XXXV. TO PETER, BISHOP OF TERRACINA. [Summary:] That he should restore the place formerly granted to the Jews. Those at variance with the Christian religion are to be drawn in kindly. Gregory to Peter, bishop of Terracina. Joseph, the bearer of these presents, a Jew, has intimated to us that from a certain place, in which the Jews dwelling in the fortress of Terracina were accustomed to gather for the celebration of their festivals, your Fraternity has expelled them; and that they migrated to another place for likewise observing their festivals, with you also knowing and consenting; and that now they complain that they have been expelled anew from that same place. But if it is so, we will that your Fraternity refrain from a complaint of this kind, and that they be allowed to gather, as has been the custom, in the place which, as we said before, with your knowledge they obtained for their congregating. For those who are at variance with the Christian religion must needs be gathered to the unity of the faith by gentleness, by kindness, by admonishing, by persuading, lest those whom the sweetness of preaching and the dread of the coming judge could invite to believe be repelled by threats and terrors. It is fitting, therefore, that they come together kindly to hear the word of God from you, rather than dread the austerity that is extended beyond measure. [Editorial apparatus in the source - footnotes by the editors and by Goussainville ("Gussanv.") - discusses: the identity of Romanus as third exarch of Italy, successor to Smaragdus under the emperor Maurice, who died in 598 at Ravenna, then the seat of the exarchs of Italy (the name "exarch" being applied because the exarch or prefect of Italy had his seat in the city of Ravenna; Longinus first bore the name of exarch, sent by the emperor Justin against the Lombards); the distinction between the prefect and exarch of Italy as separate offices; why infants died without baptism in the bishop's absence (because the bishop is the ordinary minister of baptism, and formerly only the cathedral church of a city had a baptistery; with extensive citation of Joseph Vicecomes on ancient baptismal rites, Mabillon, Tertullian's De Baptismo cap. 17, Ignatius's Epistle to the Smyrnaeans, the councils of Neocaesarea and Laodicea, and Augustine's Epistle 228 to Honoratus - the gist being that although laymen had the right to baptize in necessity, in practice they did not use it, whether deceived by hope of safety or deterred by fear; and the argument that just as a judge, leader, or shepherd is needed in practice, so too the bishop's pastoral care is needed for penance, good living, and baptism); textual notes on the title and readings of the Venantius letter, observing that Venantius, having cast off the monastic habit, had married an Italian wife (to whom there is a letter, book IX, 126) and had by her two daughters, Barbara and Antonina (to whom there is a letter, book XI, 34); that some Sicilian monks had so far descended into such wickedness as to take wives publicly; that Gregory adjured John, bishop of Syracuse (Epist. book XI, 35), to procure by exhortations, prayers, and threats that Venantius, near to death, return to his habit; that the Council of Chalcedon (can. 16) excommunicates monks who had married, and Gregory orders such to be recalled to the monastery (below, Epist. 42), though he was more indulgent toward this Venantius; and a note that Gregory had despaired of Venantius's salvation unless he withdrew from the marriage and put on the monastic habit again. Further textual notes mark certain phrases as glosses crept in from the margin, and correct corrupt readings in the printed editions from the Vatican and other manuscripts. The chapter heading reads: "Gregory, bishop, servant of the servants of God, to Peter..."]

AD ROMANUM PATRICIUM ET EXARCHUM ITALIE. Blandum : episcopum, aut in synodo judicari, aut in cclesium 5uam reverti concedat. Gregorius * Romago, palricio et Þ exarcho laliz. Scribeudi ad excellentiam vesiram $i causa onmino _ voce vide cap. 14 lib. u Dial. Sensus igitur est: Laogobardorum pacta, contractus, id es, JUra 0maia quz apud Romanos conslant ex paclis et contracli- bus, versamur in vi et lerro. Eeist. XXXIL (Al. 34). — * Erat hic prafecius D wilitum Seu slipatorum, qui uocte excubabant in pa- latio principis. Vide Siwocal., lib. uw, cap. 411. GUSSANV, + Eeisr. XXXIH (Al. 32). — * Tertius fuil ltaliz exarchus, in lecum Sivaragdi a Mauricio uuper. Sul- ſeclus. Moritur an. 398 Ravernz, ubi twrc tempo: is eral sedes exarchorum haliz. Ve ee Paulus Diaconus, in HisLoria Laugob., et Rubeus in Mistoria Kavenual. GUSSANVY. Appellatus est autem exarchus liavennsm, quia newpe exarchus sive pralectus Italiz sedew habebatl in ct- Vitale Ravenna. Priwus aulem exarchi nomen babuit Longinus, qui a Justino iwmperatore ad Wendam coulra nul!a snppeteret, nos tamen esse oportet charitate A mus, ne Ecclesia Dei in his sine quibus eam Chri- paterna de vesirz salulis incolſumilate $ollicitos, ut quod de vobis audire cyupimus, internuntiorym fre- quentia cognoscamus, Pratterea pervenit ad nos, Blandum episcopum Hortensis © civilatis longo jam tempore in civitale HQ Ravennate a vestra excel- lentia detineri. Et fit ut Ecclesia sine reclore, et populus, quasi sine pastore grex, deflual, et ibidem 1 infanies pro peccalis absque baptizwale mor-antur, Et rursus quia non credinys quod eum excellentia vestra, nisi pro aliqua probabilis exces$us causa tes nuerit, oportet ut habita 8ynodo palam fiat, si quod in eum crimen intenditur, Et $i talis in eo culpa re- peritur ,- que u5que ad degradationem gacerdolli perducalur, aliam necesse est ordinationem inquira- Stjana non palitur es8e xeligio, inculta ac destituta remaneat. Sin autem excellentia vestra aliter $8 habere quam de eoquod dicitur esse perspexeril, eur ad Ecclesiam $uam reverti concedat, ut officium Suum in commissis $ibj animabug adimpleatl. * Mense Martio, indictiong nona. EPISTOLA X XXIV. AD VENANTIUM EXMONACHUM PATRICIUM SYRACUSANUM. V exantium, quod monasticum habitum dimiserit, in« crepal ; ut quaniocius reaipiscat, horiatur j; quorums nam conxilia ipsi audiendg int, docet, | Gregorius * Venantio exmonacho pairicio Syracu- Sano. | Multi hominum $tulti putaverunt quod si ad ordi- Langolardos Ialiam misgus ext. Vide Paulum Dia- B nonuisi ex mandato episeopi celebratum, testis est connm, in Histor.. Langob. et Hieronymum Rubeym, in Hi-toria Ravennatensi. Gussanv. Hoc loco Gussan- viliens videtur ex htalie prafecto et exarcho unum eumdemque Summum const'tuere magistralum; sed perperam, cum alia 8$u0s gimul haberet exarchos el pr:eſectos, ut ex Gregarii epislolis planum fit. Supra, epistola 235, inscribitur _— lialie preposito, Seu prefecto. infra, in epizt. 57 et 38, Georgius lalize przſecius legitur, dum Romanus exarchus esl. Lib, v, epist. 1, ad Joannem Rayennalem episcopum 7 Sed per exccllentiss imum Romanum Patricuum et per ent» nenlissimum preſectum, alque per alios civilalts Sue nobiles viros, elc. Lib. v, episl. 40, legimus Grecorium reſectum labores vigiliarium et cuslgdize civitatis ig omana obsidione pertulisse, $cilicet przſectus erat urbis. De preſecto urbis, Cassiod., Var. lib. vi, for- mula 4 : Ditiani tuge nox solum Roma commizsa es, verum etiam intra centesjmnnu polextatem le protendere antiqua jura voluerunt... Tu cyam ex designatis pro- vinciis ab appetlatione cognoscis. A prafſecto anuune rationes exigebat urbanus preſeetus. lf., epist. 37 : Sed quo et gloriozus vir Maurilie exprefeclo ratiounes sas absque suspicione oppres8ionis expongwi, et predi- clus excellentissimus vir Domnus Georgius preſeclus raliones sine laceratione $u@ opinionis exsequatur. Vide episl. 21 lib, x. Multa adds Gussanvillezus de exarchis ecclesiaslicis quz yon $Sunt bujus loci. « Quare, absente episcop0, infanies sine baplismo moriebantur ? Quia baptismi ordinarius migisler est episcopus, et iu illa solum Civilalis ecclesia qua eptis £c:pus sedebat olim erat baplislerium ; hbodieque Fiore mize, Pivis, Parme, Patavii, Bononiz, eic., in $6lis ecclesi:e cathedralis haptisleriis infanies Sacris aquis inlipgui $olent. Ulrumgue probat Jasepbus Vicecomes, de antiquis bapt. rit, 2C cxrem., lib, 1, cap. 8; quod etiam observavit Mabillon., Itin. Ital. nun. 25. Inſautium vero baptismum celebrabat epi- $c0 us ipse, ut Yidere cst in, Sacram. Greguvril, cap. d:: Saubbato sancla., Cujus conRuetudinis, inquil laudaiug Vie-comes, lib. 1, cap. 28, ves{igium adhuc (Me livlay) durat, ubi inſantes hebdomada Pascha vel Pentecusles proxime antecedente in lucem editi, «ad precipuam urbis ecclesium deſerri jubentur, ut iis solemni ritu hajus ecclesiq archiepiscopus baplismum minizirel, a qua 80: lemuiiate quemcunque presbyterum, tam urbis quam dieces's abstinere caulum es! (Conc. prov. in}. Presby- lrros tavien prioribus Sx: ulis exira civiiales bapli- zaSSe, nutum ext ex Hieron., dialugo adversus Luci» ſeriauos; imo in ipsa episcopali urbe aliquauda baplizabaut; nox tamen aine., episcopi auciorilate , inquit Tertull., de Bapt., cap. 17. Se vlim baptisma C g Iguatius in epist, ail Smyrnenses : nou lice, inquit, absque episcopo bap{izare, llig jinquirit Gussanv. quam ob rem dicuntur infantes absque baptismo mori, cum quilibet utriusque $exns viator, ipso teste Pertujſiano, poluerit eos linguers } Argula in speciem quevlio, sed reipsa vana, cum Satis superque constel non Ca gemper fieri que fieri possent, quol exemplis planum liet. Sine judice potest quivis jus $uum cuique tri- buere, Sine duce milites generusi arimis inviructi posseut hosles (ugare; quivis Christianus a quovis eradito potest neces-aria discere, etiamsi pastor absit aut dormilet. Fingamus tamen nullum esse ju:licem, Slalim impune grassabuntur injusti; nulium ee du- cm, ſugabitur exercitus; nullum e586 pastorem, error, iguorantia, impietas invalegcent. Simili rationg quisque fidelis sine episcopi cura potest pcenitere, poles! bene vivere, potest baptizare in necessitate. At pauci penitent, pauci bene vivunt, pauci baplizant, nisi pastor iwmineat, Dilatio baptigni per cavones imperabatur; in tanla mora periculum, adde negli- gentiam ut propriz sic et alienz salutis. De Tertul- lavi mente uou disputo, quam fortasse lectur nom asSequelur, lib, de Bapl., cap. 17 et 18. Neocasa- riens!s concilii et Laodiceni canones non obtrudo. Unum dico : Laici jus habebant haptizandi in neces- . SHlale ; uSum non habebant, aut spe +auitatis decepli, aut tmore deterriti, ne ig CoROMCS Aausy lemeraric peccass5e Yiderentur. Vide conc. Paris. vi, cap. 29, ubi de abseulia sacerdotis, ac de hominibus sine con- ſessjone, et de infantibus sine baptisne plerumque moriuis. Gussany. Sed potissimum lege episl. 228 Auguslin. ad Hogoratumw, presertin uwuwm. 8, © ln Co(b, bac ad epistolam sequentew V enantio, etc. pertinent. Keisr. XXXIV (AL. 33). — ©* Sic legitur titulus epistolz in 0:unibus Vatic., Regiis, Corb., Anglic., Norm., nisi qued in uno aut allero e Vaticanis Syrecusano, Cieterum de cancellarij dignitate quam ei gratis conferum Editores, in omnibus Mss. tam epistolarum quam Joan. Diae. ia Viia $aneh Gregorik allum est Silentiun ; unde re>ecandam duximus Gus- Sau villei vwolam ad vocem Gaucellario. ldem Gussanyv. in priori nola abseeval in Codicibus Geweticensi et Audoens lvogi Venautio & Exarcho lakie. Lerie Codi- ces hos ob oculos babemu+, ubi aultun hujus tituli vesligiuma wimadvertimus ; imeubique legitur, queme- adwedun *in titulo expressimus; nec Fratellensis et Lyranus eum Germel. et Audoeno puguant, ut lingit vir dvctus. Venantus, abjecio ownachal: habity, ita-s licau duxerat uxorem, ad quam episl. lib. ix 12G, ac duas ex ilha filias Barbara ct Autoninam SUSCR= perat, ad quas epi>t. lib. x1 34, Ex epi>l. 42, infra, lulelliguuus wonuutlos Sicihn: wonaches, ad tal ne/as provilitzse, ut uiores publice sorlirentur. Joauncm Sy racu-auum episcopum, epigt. lb. xi 35, oblestatur Gregorius, ut horlationibus, precibus, minis, Veuaus nem episcopatus eveherer, » te alloqui et per epistolas A voverat (Act. v, 2, 8eq.), quas post, diabolica victus ſrequentare recusarem. Sed $4QJ non ita est, quia ipsa jam loci mel necessitate compellor, ut tacere non debeam. Scriptum quippe est : Clama, ne cesses, quasi tuba exalta vocem tuam (Iai. Lvin, 1). Et rursus scriplum est : Speculatorem dedi te domui [5rael, audies de ore meo verbum, et annuntiabis eis ex me (Ezech. m, 47). Ex qua videlicet annunliatione vel retenta vel exhibita, quid speculatorem vel audito- rem sequatur, protinus intlimatur : Si dicente me ad impium, Morte morieris, non annuntiaveris ei, neque locutus ſueris ei, ut averlatur a via sua impia, et vivat, ipse impius in iniquitale 8ua morielur ; zganquinem au- lem ejus de manu tua requiram. Si autem tu annuntia - veris impio, et ille non ſuerit conrersus ab iniquitate SANCTI GREGORIT MAGNI persuasione, Subtraxit (Caus. 17, g. 1, can. 3), Sed qua morle mullatus est, scis. Si ergo ille mortis pe- riculo dignus ſuit, qui eos quos dederat numinos Deo abstulit, considera quanto periculo in divino judicio dignus eris, qui non nummos, sed temetipsum Deo omnipotenti, cui te $ub monachico habitu devover>s, Subtraxisti. © (Considera judicium Dei, quod mereatur qui semetipsum Deo vovil, continuoque, mundi desi- deriis irretitus, mentitus est quod vovit.) Quapropler si correptionis mee 524 verba 4 seculurus audieris, quam Sint blanda et dulcia in fine cognosces. Fcee, ſateor, mcerens loquor, et facti tui tristitia addictus, edere verbavix valeo, el tamen animus tuvs actionis $L2 conscius vix suſlicit ſerre quod audit, erubescit, sua, ef a via 8a impia, ipse quidem in iniquitate s8ua B conſunditur, adversatur. Si ergo non valet verba ſerre morietur ; tu autem animam tuam liberasti. Hinc etiam Ephesiis Paulus dicit : Munde sunt hodie manus mee palveris, quid ſacturus est ad judicium Conditor:s ? Fateor tamen quia supernz gratis es8e misericor- diam maximam credo, quod te efſugere vitam con- Spicit, et tamen ad vitam adhuc reservat; quod Superbientem te videt, et tolerat; quod per indignos famulos $uos verba tibi increpationis et admonitionis administrat. Tantum est ut pensare s8ollicite debeas quod Paulus ait : Exhortamur vos, ſratres, ne in va- cuum gratiam Dei recipiatis ; ail enim, Tempore accepio exaudivi te, et in die g8alutis adjuri te. Ecce nune tempus acceplabile, ecce nunc dies zalulis (11 Cor. v1, 14,92, 8eq.). Sed scio quia cum epistola mea suscipitur, protinus amici conveniunt, lifterati clientes vocantur, et de tunc illam amaram sentias, cum cam jam nullis fleti- C causa vitz consilium a fautoribus mortis queritur : bus evadas. Pensa quod scriptum est : Orate ne fiat ſuga vestra hieme vel Sabbato -(Matth, xxiv, 20). Ad ambulandum quippe in hieme torpor ſrigoris obsistit, et juxla przceptum legis, ambulare in Sabbato non licet. Hieme ergo vel Sabbato ſugere conatur, qui iram districti judicis tunc appetit ſugere, quando ei jam non licet ambulare. Dum vacat ergo, dum licet, ani madvrersionem tanti terroris ſuge; pensa quod scri- ptum est : Omne quod potes! manus tua ſacere, inslan- ter operare; quia nec opus, nec ratio, nec sapientia, sunt apud inſeros, quo tu properas (Eccle. 1x, 10), Teste Evangelio, scis quia divina severitas de otios0 Sermone nos arguit, et de verbo inutili rationes $ub- tiliter exquirit (Matth. x11, 56). Pensa ergo quid fa- qui dum non le, scd res tuas diligunt, nulla tibi, nisi quz ad tempus placeant, loquuitur. Tales enim fue» runt, sicut ipse reminisceris, dudum consiliarii, qui ad tanti ſacinus te perduxerunl delicti. Ut tibi aliquid * secularis auctoris loquar, cum amicis omnia tractanda Sunt, sed prius de ipsis. Si vero in causa lua homi- nem consiliarium quzris, consiliarium, rogo, me Suscipe. Nullus tibi fidelior esse ad consilium potest, quam qui non tua, $ed te diligit. Omnipotevs Deus cordi tuo indicet, cor meum quanto te amore, quane taque charitale complectitur , in quantum tamen divina gratia non offendatur. Nam $ic culpam tuam insequor, ut personam diligam ; sic personam diligo, ut culpz vitium non amplectar. Si igitur a me amari ctura es de perverso opere, si quosdam in judicio yy te credis, apostolorum liminibus presentare, meque Su0 reprobat de Sermone? Ananias pecunias Dev tium morti proximum ad habitum suum redire, vel in extremis procuret. Monachos qui uxores duxissent excommunicat conc. Chalced., can. 16. Eosdem in monaslerium revocari jubet Gregorius infra, epist. 42. Fuit tamen erga Venantium hunc indulgentior. Inde $ancto Bernardo (cujus vo disputatum fuſt an vali- dum esset monachi matrimonium) Gregorium Mag. et Auguslini hbrum de Bono viduit. objecere nonnulli, quibus ob summam erga Sauctos Patres reverentiam vix res t lib. de Precep. et dispensat., cap. 17. Vide Horstii not. in epist. ejusdem Bernardi 76, et consule nosiros de Vita sancti Gregorii commenta - rivs. Certe Gregorium desperasse de salute Venantii, Nisi a conjugio recederet, ac monachum rursus indue- ret, ve! 'ex hc epistola mnauilestum es. consiliario utere. f Sj autem esse ſortasse in causa © Hwxc a Mss. absunt et pro glossemate, quod e margine in lexluin irrepsit, Sunt habenda. 4 Vitiose in Vulgatis, Securus audieris. lufra habent, aslrictus pro, addiclus ; el arersalur, pro adversatur ; quz restiluimus ex Mss. Vatic. et aliis mire inter $e consentientibus. T Hunc loeum corruperunt Editores omnes, qui le 489 - EPISTOLARUM LIB. 1. — INDICT. IX. — EPIST. XXXYT. 494) Dei nimius credor, et pro zeli mei ardore suspectus A Gregorius episcopus Þ servus servorum Dei Petro gum, cunclam $simul Ecclesiam in consilio hujus di- sceplationis adhibeo, et quidquid omnibus fieri salu= briter placet, ego in nullo contradico, sed quod in commune decernitur, Ietus impleo, et £ubscribo. Implentem qua monui gratia te divina custodiat. (Cf. Joan. Diac. lib. m1, c. 44 et 48.) EPISTOLA XXAXY. AD PETRUM EPISCOPUM TERRACINENSEM. Concessum prius Judwis locum restituat. A Christiana religione discordes benigne alliciendi. Gregorius Petro episcopo ® Terracinensi. Joseph (Ivo part. 1, cap. 28:), prisentium lator, Juda'us nobis insinuavit quod de loco quodam, in quo ad celebrandas festivitates snas Y Judzi in Ter- racinensi 5QH castro consistentes convenire consue- yerant, tua eos fraternitas expulerit, et in alium lo- cum pro colendis similiter festivitatibus suis, te quoque noscente et consentiente migraverint, et nunc de eodem loco expulsos se denuo conqueruntur. Sed 8 ita esl, volumus tua ſraternitas ab hujusmodi $e querela suspendat, et ad locum quem, sicut predixi- mus, cum tua conscientia, quo congregentur adepti $unl, eos, Sicut mos ſuit, ibidem liceat convenire. Eos enim qui a religione Christiana discordant, mansue- tudine, benignitate, adinonendo, suadendo, ad uni- tatem fidei necesse est congregare, ne quos dulcedo predicationis et preventus futuri judicis terror-ad credendum invitare polerat, minis et terroribus re- pellantur, Oportel ergo ut ad audiendum de vobis verbum Dei benigne conveniant, quam austeritatem quz Supra modum exlenditur expavescant.