Letter 1124: Gregory to all bishops of Numidia [the North African province, modern Algeria].

To all the bishops of Numidia. [Argument:] What he formerly refused, he now, out of reverence for the ancient custom, grants: that the senior bishop be by that very fact chosen as primate. He excepts the Donatist. He exhorts the Numidian prelates to peace, to the defense of the Church, and to solicitude for the souls of their neighbors. Gregory to all the bishops of Numidia. If ever, most beloved brethren in Christ, among the flourishing crops some troublesome intrusion of tares forces its way in, the hand of the cultivator must needs root it out entirely, lest the future fruit of the prosperous harvest be cut off. We too, therefore, who, though unworthy, have taken up the cultivation of the Lord's field, must hasten to render the crop pure and free of every scandal of tares, so that the field of the Lord may bring forth fruit with a more abundant return. For you have requested, through Hilarus our chartulary [an official keeper of records], [...] that it suffice for those bishops only to bear care for the people committed to them, but not also that those prelates whom the catholic faith has both taught and brought forth in the bosom of the Church should take precedence in attaining the summit of the primacy. You therefore, most beloved brethren, anticipate our admonitions with the zeal of the Lord's charity, knowing that the strict judge will bring forward for examination all the things we do, and each one of us [...]. [The judge] will approve [us] according to our deserts. I ask you, then, to love one another in turn with mutual peace in Christ, and to confront heretics and the enemies of the Church with one accord of heart. Be solicitous for the souls of your neighbors: persuade to the faith those whom you are able, by the preaching of charity, and also by holding before them the terror of the judgment to come, since you are appointed shepherds, and the Lord of the flocks awaits from those shepherds to whom he committed them the fruit of a multiplied flock. If he sees that the increase of his own flock has been provided for through more diligent zeal, he will assuredly adorn you with the manifold gifts of the heavenly kingdom. Rendering, moreover, this address of brotherly love, I pray the Lord, who has chosen you as shepherds of souls, to make you worthy in his sight, and may he himself so dispose these our acts that he may worthily receive them in the life to come.

AD UNIVERSOS EPISCOPOS NUMIDVIE. Quod prius nolebat, jam ex antiqui moris reverentia concedit, geniorem episxcopum eo ipso in primatem eligi. Donatistam excipit. Numidas antistites hor- latur ad pacem, ad Kcelesie deſensionem,, ad 80lli- citudinem de prorimorum animabus. Gregorius universis episcopis Numidiz. Si quando, charissimi in Christo ſratres', inter vi- rentes $eg-tes zizaniorum quzedam $e infert impor- tuna commistio, hanc radicitus necesse est cnltoris manus adimat, ne futurus ſ-cunde 8egetis ſructus possit intercipi. Et nos ergo, qui, licet indigni, do- miniei agri culturam 8nscepimus, ab omni zizaniorum ritis approbabit. Quzzso ergo, vosmetipsos invicem alterna pace diligtte in Christo, et hereticis vel ini- micis Ecelesiz uno. cordis intuitu obviate. De proxi- morum animabus estote $olliciti: ad fidem quos va- letis priedicatione charitatis, prztenso eliam terrore futuri judicij , $8uadete , quoniam pastores conslituti eslis, et Dominus gregum ab iis quibus commisit pas- toribus ſructum multiplicati gregis exspectat, Oui $i proprii gregis augmentaw, adhibito studio diligen- tiori, prospexerit, multiplicibus profeeto vos ccales- tis regni muneribus decorabit, Perzolvens preterea ſfraternz dilectionis alloquium , oro Dominum, qui vos animarum pastores, quos elegit, ante se dignos eſſiciat, et hic actus nostros auos in ſutura vita digne scandalo ingenuam reddere segetem ſestinemns , BR suscipiat, ipse disponat. quatenus ager Domini reditu abundantiori ructificet. Peliistis etenim per Hilarum * chartularium nostrum Suffici4t autem illis commissa'$ibi plebis tantummodo curam gerere, non antem etiam illos antistites quos catholica fides in Ecclesis sinn SG9 et edocuit ct genuit ad oblinendi cnlmen primatus anteire. Vos ergo, ſratres charissimi , admonitiones nostras zelo Ccharitatis dominice prevenite, scientes quod distric- tus judex ad exeminandum deducturus est cuncta quz gerimus , et unnmquemque nostrum non ex Hilarium hic atque in aliis epist. septem, Chartula- rium; in allis vero decem, alternis quasi vicibus, no-- farium appellat. Idem fuit in Romana Ecclesia Char- tularii et Notarii officium. bd Romani pontiſices emnium Ecclesiarum privile- gia illibata servare profitentur. Sic Leo M., epist. $4, ad Marcianum : Priviſegia Ecelesiarum, gancto- rum Patrum Canonibus inslituta et vencrabilis Synodi fixa decretis, nulla porsut improbitate convetli.... In quo opere, auriliante Christo, fide iter exsequendo ne- cease ext me persereruntem habrre ſamulatum. Evisr. LXXVIN (Af. 76). — * Insula maris Tyr- rheni notvssima, Grace Cyrnus dicta, inter Liguria ad Aquifenem et Sardiniam ad Austrum, a qua fr-to Viclb, pas8hn disjungitoy. Snvest nunc doMiviv reipublice Genuens!s. UUSSANV. | Ita Onsueverat Romanus episcopus in provinciis $1hi vt metropolitano snbdit's, ex quibus Corsica. Sed et nonnunquam exterarom nationum Leclesiis dele- abyt vititatorem. Joannes I FEeelesize Regens] in allia visitatorem dari przcepit, epist. 4, 5, 6. Ut de--