Letter 9160: The bearers of this letter have given me a full account of the zeal and energy you have shown in addressing the...

The bearers of this present letter, coming to us from the regions of Istria, reported to us such good things of your Glory that they vehemently kindled us to render thanksgiving to you. For we have learned that, amid the cares of the government of those regions enjoined upon you, you hold a particular solicitude for the winning of souls, and that you so hasten to recall the hearts of those who err back to the unity of the Church that, as far as it pertains to your desire, you would wish none there to remain cut off from the apostolic Church; and that so great a love for the blessed Peter, the chief of the apostles, has kindled you that you long with the utmost desire to restore to wholeness those within his fold, which has been handed over to him by the Lord of creation. Have therefore, glorious son, from so great and so excellent a work a fixed confidence concerning the divine recompense, in which not only our exhortation but also the apostolic word confirms you, since he who shall have brought back a sinner from the error of his way will save his soul from death and will cover a multitude of sins [cf. James 5:20]. For however great may be the abundance or indeed the prosperity of temporal things, it has its end in the limit of death. But this zeal which you have laid hold of concerning the winning of souls holds the fixed certainty of its own hope, namely the recompense of eternal life. Having therefore first set forth the affection of a paternal greeting, we exhort your Glory that you may more zealously carry through the zeal for the unity of the holy faith which the very Author of unity has bestowed upon you, and that, recalling all whom you are able from the error of their schism into the bosom of mother Church, you may continually cherish them with exhortation; accomplishing this also, that those whom the Lord shall have granted through you to be restored to his fold you may so protect with the solace of your defense that there be nothing whereby those who are still placed in error, on returning, may be hindered from applying themselves to wholesome counsel. For while you carry on the causes of God upon earth, he himself disposes here also your acts with the help of his protection happily, and in the eternal life which you desire he stands forth as the rewarder for so great a good of yours.

LatoreB praesentium de liistriac* ad nos partibus venicntcs' tunta nobia bona vCBtrac gloriae rotulerunt, ut in reddcndum nos vobis gratiarum actionem vehementor accondcront. OognovimuB namquc, quod inter curas iniunctae vobis gubcmationis * illarum partium praecipuam de animarum lucris sollicitudinem habeatis, ct ita crrantium corda ad unitatem festinare vos occlesiac rcvocarc, ut, quaotum ad deBiderium vostrum portinet, nultum illic ab apostotica scgrcgatum rcmancre vclitis ecclesia tantusquc voa beati Potri apostolorum '^ principis amor accenderit, ut in ovili ipsius, cui a Domino' croaturao Bunt traditac. Bummo redintegrarc cum dcsidcrio cupiatis. liabe, glorioae fili, cx tanto talique opcrc fixam de divioa rctributionc'' fiduciam, in qua vob non aolum nostra adhortatio', scd ct^ apostolicus quoquc acrmo confirmat, quia is qui convcrti feccrit peccatorcm ab crrore viae auae salvabit animam eius a morte ct operit multi- IX, 159. ') esse codd. n. '') intliscretum edd. ') ita tcr. Moninuen; TBCtu etCl.2; fncti et (73; fnctum Val. A (ed. M). IX, 160 in UnJu: (iuiraro H* 1. •) lntriae VJ.2. *•) n|)OBloIura Ct. ") ad umnium C2.3. <t) retribaune C 1. =) Hdoratio t'i. ont. el C3. IX, Ij'J. De Manrentio, mag. mil. Netipolitaw), cf. ep. VIII, 12 n. I. I) An senior dvHati»? cf. ep. IX, 76 n. 2. 2) De navicitlario offi ridetur. la dtarUi aaec. VI (Maiini, pnp. dipt. h», 131) Sar:ennae naricularius quidam r(ir) h(onest\is) eommemorattiT. 3} Qiiodnam hoc deCTetum fueril, an propler heBum, an de annona decretum ail, neacimas. IX, 160. Oiilfari, mag. mil. (l»triae), aliug faisse rtdctur ac Ulfari diix Langdxtrdu», qui eonlra AffUutfHm rtflem reM/arii (FHjiI. dinc. IV, 3). I) Cf. e}>. IX, 14S n. 1. 2) Nola magislratui mditari huius limitia ffuberitationem ,GoogIe tudinein peccatorum. Quantalibet cnim sit tcmporaliB affluenda vcl certc proapcritas, habet finem suum tcrminum mortis. Hoc vero quod de animarum lucris apprehcn- dieds studium, tenct fixam spei suae certitudinem, aeternae sciltcet vitae retributionem. Fraemisso quapropter patemaeB Balutationis'' affectu hortamur gloriam vestram, ut pro unitate sanctae lidei zelum, quod vobis ipse unitatis auctor tribuit, Btudiosius pcragatia et, quosque' valueritis'', in sinum matris ccclesiac ab sciBmatis' sui revocantcs crrorc adhortationo'" continuo" foveatis hoc etiam peragentes, ut et quoe per voe suo" Uominus ovili redintegrari conccBserit ita defensioniB vestrae aolaciU protegatis, ut non sit, quod hi qui adhuc in crrore sunt positi revertentes ad aalubrc consilium valeant applicarc''. Dum cnim vos causas Dei in terra agitis, ipsc et hic actus vestros protcctionis suac feticiter ope disponiti ct in aetema vobia vita, quam cupitis, pro tanto bono' vestro retributor cxistit'.