Letter 141: Part of the papal correspondence surrounding the Acacian Schism (484-519), the major breach between Rome and...

Of Pope Hormisdas, to the orthodox at Constantinople. He admonishes them to turn away from and to flee those who reject the Council of Chalcedon and the letter of Leo concerning the faith. Hormisdas to the clergy, people, and monks living as orthodox at Constantinople. 1. If he who has offered a cup of cold water, observing the commandments of the Gospel, obtains the reward of his good purpose, with the Lord Himself, who taught these things, granting the recompense; shall not he who has delayed to announce the truth to so great a people of the faithful justly incur the penalty of damnation? Hence it is that, escaping the threat of the heavenly commandment (for what is fitting must be spoken in those matters which pertain to God, and not kept silent), and having also affection for your salvation, we have taken up the admonition of those things which present necessity demands, calling to witness all those who are concerned to preserve the Christian religion with the faith intact, that they may, with whatever strength they can, turn away from and flee those who reject the holy Council of Chalcedon and the letters of the blessed Leo written concerning the catholic faith; since these are the very men who, defiled by the wicked contagion of Eutyches and of Dioscorus of Alexandria, or rather of the Manichaeans, seem indeed in word to have a contest against the decrees of the Fathers, but in fact rise up manifestly against the incarnation of our Lord Jesus Christ. 2. Remember, most beloved, what things were attempted while Basiliscus was usurping the imperial rule of the palace, and call to mind the deeds of those times, whether seen or heard: how wicked was then the presumption of Timothy surnamed Aelurus, how shameless and monstrous, and how great a fervor for your faith showed itself throughout the whole world. The people of Constantinople gave proof of how purely it befits believers to preserve the mysteries of Christ. But would that those zealous efforts were a thing of the past, and that the present time did not call for similar ones! For again these same heretics raise up [their] wicked [head] from the depth in which they had been sunk and held fast. Therefore I ask, I exhort, I admonish your charity: separate yourselves from their councils and communion. Remember your former zeal, and show again the light of a spark of the spiritual fire in you, lest the cunning of the lost should seem to have driven out the simple affection of the truth in you. And let it suffice to have said these things, as much as pertains to the present necessity and to the caution to be commended against the impious. I hope, nevertheless, that if this admonition shall prove effective, it will be useful both to me and to you: for then God will be glorified in your salvation, and the fruit of our solicitude will appear. Given on the third day before the Nones of April, in the consulship of the most illustrious man Agapitus.

1:-|^'^.^^- Hormisclae papae acl orthodoxos Constantinopoli constitn Ut eo8, qui synodum Calchedonensejn et Leonis epistolam de fide declinant^ aversentur et fugianty admonet. Hormisda derO; populo et monachis orthodo: Constantinopoli consistentibus. ^o*^ 1. Si is, qui calicem aquae frigidae, mandata evangelica se^zua- tus, obtulerit, mercedem boni propositi ipso Domino, qui haec doci-rxi/;, restituente consequitur; nonne qui tanto populo fidelium veritatr«in annuntiare distulerit, juste poenam damnationis incurrit? Hinc Gsty quod interminationem mandati coelestis eflugiens, (quod decet, loqaen- dum est in his quae ad Deum pertinent, nec tacendum) habens quoque vestrae salutis affectum, admonitionem eorum quae praesens necessitas poscit assumpsi, omnes, quibus curae est fide integra Ghristianam religionem servare, contestans, ut eos, qui sanctam Calchedonensem synodum et beati Leonis de fide catholica conscri- ptas epistolas declinant, quibus possunt viribus aversentur et fugian t, : quando ipsi sunt, qui Eutychetis et Dioscori Alexandrini vel pofaus nefanda Manichaeorum contagione poUuti, verbo quidem advereu»^ constituta patrum videntur habere certamen, rebus autem cont^^* incarnationem Domini nostri Jesu Christi evidenter insurgunt. 2. Recordamini, carissimi, quae fuerunt Basilisco palatinam ) archen incubanto tentata, et temporum illorum acta vel visa t^^* audita recolite: quam scelesta tunc fuerit Timothei cognomed Aeluri, quam impudens et monstniosa praesiimptio, quantos e& per universum orbem fidei se vestrae fervor ostenderit, ProbaY-^^ 32 ') Vulg. palatinae arci, vel palatinae aulae, Praetnlimus CTun G' palatii archen, maxinio postqiiam infra epist. 50 n. 1 eodem loqnendi modo leginv Passim vos aestimet arches inclitae aceepisse titulos, Hic autem HonmBda iBi sibi vult: dum regale imperium Basiliscus injiate possideret. Eodem intellecio i cubator aulae Siculae Dionysius a Macrobio dictus est. De verbo incuhart m Simplicii epistolam 6 not. 7 edisaeruimus. Porro nonc HonniBda in mem- riam revocat, quod Basilisco tyranno contigisse narrat Evagriua hisl ecd. IHt Timotheus AeluruSy inquit, quum in urhem regiam venisset, persuasit BasiKieo, encyciicas litteras ad omnes uhique episcopos milteret, et ea quae CiMedone gtt fuerant et Leonis tomum anathemati subjiceret. Yemm ut idem scriptor ibid. c- ^ docet, mox idem tyrannus a populo monachisque regiae nrbia coactns eit, Hv" teras prioribus contrarias, quibua CalchedonenBiB synodos confiimabato, ndtteftf* EPISTOLAE 31 — 33. 807 Constautinopolitanus popnlus, quam pure deceat credentes Chri- a. 517. la servare mysteria. Sed transacta utinam studia fuissent, et nunc similia tempus expeteret! Rursum enim iidem haeretici t improbum de profundo, quo immersi tenebantur, attoUunt. le ideo rogo, hortor, admoneo dilectionem vestram: ab eorum conciliis et communione secemite. Recordamini zeli prioris, et re in vobis lucem scintillam ignis spiritualis ostendite, ne sim- an in vobis veritatis affectum perditorum astutia expugnasse se Leat. Et haec quidem, quantum ad praesentem necessitatem et mendam contra impios cautionem, dixisse sufficiat. Spero tamen, . si admonitio ista promoverit, et mihi et vobis utilis erit: ido et Deus in vestra salute glorificabitur, et fructus nostrae ntudinis apparebit. Data III Nonas Aprilis, Agapito viro cla- no consule.