Letter 9013: A dispute has arisen involving the church's land agents [actores — the officials who managed the church's...

TO JOHN, BISHOP OF SYRACUSE. Let the stewards of his Church, together with Felix, choose judges without delay. Gregory to John, bishop of Syracuse. Felix, a man worthy of remembrance, has complained to us in his letters that the agents of your Fraternity have unlawfully and contrary to the order of law seized possessions which he had held, asking that what was taken from him be restored, and that he is prepared, [if] they should wish to plead the case with them, to stand in judgment without any delay. And if this is so, since you are not unaware of what legal reason requires, it is fitting that, all delay being set aside, you appoint the stewards of your Church, so that together with him they may choose investigators [...] who are able to take cognizance of and settle the question both of the impending matter and of the principal matter; lest, if it be delayed on any pretext, both he himself may seem to suffer prejudice, and the parties of the Church may seem not to have justice. Act therefore in such a way that with all speed the judgment may be chosen. For we wish the affairs of your Church to be conducted in such a manner that they neither sustain any loss against equity, nor be able to bring upon you any ill-will. LETTER XIV. TO FELIX IN SICILY. That he has written to Bishop John to appoint stewards of his Church, who may undergo judgment together with Felix himself without delay. Gregory to Felix in Sicily. Having received the letters of your Magnitude, we were saddened that you reported certain possessions, which you say you held, to have been unreasonably occupied by the agents of the Church of Syracuse. But we believe that this did not come to the notice of our brother and fellow bishop John. For surely, the truth being known, if anything was done unlawfully, it could have been amended. And therefore, since it has been decreed by legal provision that the cause both of the impending matter and of the principal matter be examined in one and the same judgment, and we cannot determine anything against a party that has not been heard, we have written to our aforesaid brother that he ought to appoint stewards of his Church, who may without delay undergo with you the judgment of the persons chosen; lest either you should lose your property without a hearing, as you complain, or the other party should seem to suffer prejudice. Let your Glory therefore raise no difficulties in the choosing of judges, nor put off proceeding to the case. For we are altogether certain of the character of our aforesaid brother and fellow bishop, that he will not refuse to do whatever reason may require.

AD JOANNEM SYRACUSANUM EPISCOPUM. Ecclesi@ cjus actores, cum Felice, absque dilatione , judices eligant. Gregorius Joanni episcopo Syracusano, Felix vir * memoraudus $uis nobis epistolis que- Slus esl fraternilalis veslr:e actionarios PossesSiones quas lenuerat jllicite ct contra- juris ordinem per- vasisse, pelens «blala $ibi restitui, et £e cum eis, 8 R fameu causam voluerint dicere, paratum esse in ju- C bus concinit Amalarius lib. iv de Eccles. Ullic., e. 26, unde miror in ed. legi comprobamur. » [In nonnullis exemplaribus Gratiani deest hc eausula, sciticel in Edit. Paris. an. 1542, in Venet. 1588, et quibusdam aliis perpancis; $ed maxima pars tam Mss. quam Eiitorum Gratiaui exemplarium eam continet; et merito, cum non alter potweril legere Gratianus quam legeral apud sanctum Grego- Hum, Nam in omnibus Mss. et Editis ipsius Regi>tri bac clausula cominetur ; et ita eam legerunt quot- quot. 6ecasione data hanc epistolam retulerunt, ut Iulra memorabimus; imo et ipse Jamesius, qui 4ul- dicio sine aliqua dilatione consistere. Quod si ita es, quia quid legalis ratio habeat non nescitis, opor- let ut, omni mora postposita, aclores vestra: Eccle- Siz depulelis, ut cum eo debeant eligere cognito- lam vellicandi Gratianum et correctores Romanos occasionem pretermitii!, eamdem clausulam retulit, utpote que in 8ex Mss. Anglicanis reperiatur. Unde apposite, scd prudenter $u0 znore, correctores Ro- mani clau-ulam hanc que in corruplis quibusdam exemp aribus deerat restituerunt, ex incorruptis nj- mirum Graiiani Codicibus, et ex purissimis $ancti - Gregorii ſoutibus. Neque vero monendos ea de re lectores Juxerunt, nempe quia corruptos illos Gra- tiani Codices aut non viderunt, aut, »i viderunt, lauquam rem notis indiguam contemnendos existi- Inaveruut. GU>SANy, 9 In omnibus ſere exemplaribus editis et in aliqui- bus Mss. lezitur e! ſrater nosler Eusebius ejusdem civi- latis episcopis. Hac autem vox Eusebius librariorum OSCilanua additi est, cum nuttus tine in civitate Conslaniinopol, fuerit episcopus nomine Eugebius ; S0li enim Joannes Jejunator ct Cyriacus tempore Sancli Gregorii sedem iliam tenuern:t, Sed neque In melioris n0iz Codd. mss. reperitur illa vox Euse- bius, $cilicel in Teller., Corb., Moiss., Rhem., Thuan., Reg., Lyr., Prat., Caru:, Clun., Anglicanis Sex, Vatic. numero 621 et 622, ex testimono emj- nent. Card. Bona 9 Septemb. 1670. Idem etiamr men- Jum irrepsit in Editiones Joaunis Diaconi, lib. u Vitze Sancti Gregorii, c. 21, ju quo reſertur bze epi Sltola, in cujus fine legitur Eusebius, cum tamen.ja mss. Codd. +jusdem Joan, Diaconi non habealur, ut In autiquissimo Codice monaslerii »ancti Petri ad montes Catalaunenses, in alio eliam antiquiss. SAh- cli Theodorici Rhemensis, in alio item 8ancliz Ma- riz Rhemensis, in alio monasterii Caroli loci, vulgo Chailly, in alio sancti Germani a Pratis, in alio dent que bibliothece congregationis - Oratorii Trecensis. Neque eliam reperitur hc vox apud Amalarium Fortunalum, qui totam hanc epistolam reſert in libro iv de Olliciis Eccles., c. 26, $ed nec apud Flaceum lilyricum in refutatione invective Bruni, pag. 64, Ubi citat eamdem epistolam. GUsSANY. P Non 0:1 nes Ecclesizz consueludines ex Romana petendas esse, ducet hac epistola. Accedit lib. olim X11, epist. 31, nundc lib. x1, epist. 64, responsio ad ins terrogalionem tertiam Auguslini, per quam vel ceci vident alleram misSarum consuetudifzem es8e in Ro- mana Ecclesia, alteram teneri in Galliarym Keclesis : nec Anglos esse cogendos imporiune ad Romanorum imilationem, etc. GUusSANV. Ev1sT. XI | Al. 402]. — ® In Vagic. B, vir magni- fiews, Consentiunt Norm. et alii. res, ” qui lam imminentis quam principalis rei quz- A corpus conslat humatum, Sanctuaria pro:dictorum stionem cognoscere valeant et finire; ne si qualibet - occasione dilatum ſuerit, et ipse pati prxjudicium, et parles Ecclesia non habere jus:itiam videantur. lia ergo agite ut &ub omni celerilate judicium eli- gatur. 942 Nam nos sic causas Ecclesiz vesire fieri volumus , ut nec dispendium contra #quitatem sustincat, nec ad vestram * possit aliquid invidiam 8ustinere. EPISTOLA XIY. AD FELICEM IN S$ICILIA. ' Se ad Jonnnem episcopum 8cripsisse, ut actores Keele- $i 8ur deputct, qui cum Felice ips0 8ine mora ju- dicium subeant. ; Gregorius Felici in Sicilia. Susceptis magnitudinis vestre epistolis, contrista- ti $umus quod ab actoribus Ecclesie Syracusanze quasdam possessiones, quas vos tenuisse dicitis, 0ccu- palas irrationabiliter indicasiis. Sed credimus quia hoc ad fratris et coepiscopi nostri Joannis notitiam non pervenit. Nam absolute poterat, cognita veritate, 8i quid illicite ſfactum est, emendari. Et ideo quia legali provisione decretum est ®* tam imminentis quam principalis rei causam in uno eodemque judi- cio cognosci, nec nos contra inauditam partem ali- quid possumus definire , przdicto fratri nostro scri- psimus ut actores Ecclesiz sua deputare debeat, qui vobiscum $sine mora electorum possint s1bire judi- cium ; ne avtl vos res veslras sine cognitione, sicut querelam ſacitis, amittere, aut pars allera videatur prejudicium sustinere. Gloria ergo vestra nullas in eligendos Þ judices diſficuliates interserat, vel dif- ſerat ad causam accedere. Nam omnino de supradicti ſratris et coepiscopi nostri moribus certj sumus quia facere quidquid rationis oro exezerit non recuset ©.