Letter 24: Hormisdas to all bishops established in the provinces of the East.

Hormisdas to the orthodox bishops established in the regions of the East. Even if the diligence of my admonition were to be lacking, it would still befit you, mindful of your own office, not to omit negligently those things which it becomes all earnestly to observe for the salvation of their soul, so that the discipline of the heavenly commands might shine forth as present in us not by another's zeal but by our own purpose. For although he is not without praise who complies with good counsels, yet he is by so much the more excellent in the honor of wisdom who anticipates right things than he who follows established precepts, by as much as it is more illustrious to teach than to learn. Let each one recall in what calling he has been called by the Lord, and let him take heed of what is expected of him. It is a wretched thing to lie beneath the merit of one's profession, when that which is proclaimed in name is not displayed in action. We have merited great things, if we fulfill what the gifts granted demand. Let him who rejoices that he has been chosen to feed the sheep of the Lord's flock consider the judgment concerning the governance committed to him. Vigilant guardianship must be applied, watch must be kept unbroken; no place must be given to ravening wolves, nor must anything be left to chance, because the straying error of the sheep is the fault of the shepherds. He will come who will examine the accounts of the dispensation entrusted. It is indeed established that justice belongs to all, and that to no one lies open unpunished license for sinning; but who does not know that there are degrees of merits, and just as the rewards are not equal, so too the punishments are diverse? Stripes are multiplied for those who know; few scourges are read of for ignorance. But if it is so, as it must be reckoned beyond doubt to be, what becomes of that purpose in him to whom the errors of others also must of necessity be imputed? The Holy Spirit cries out through the prophet: O shepherds of Israel, do not the shepherds feed themselves? Do they not feed the sheep? [Ezekiel 34:2] It is certain that more is to be exacted from him to whom more is entrusted, and that we become liable by so much the more, the more abundant the grace by which it has befallen us to be honored. The good Master, teaching light through obscure things, truth through the riddles of similitudes, did not accuse the servant who, apart from increase, was the keeper of the talent handed over by Him of being unfaithful, but condemned him as useless. [cf. Matthew 25:30] Whence it is plain in what fear he ought to be who has lost the Lord's coin, if he was held culpable who preserved what he received without diminishment. Let no one be content with his own innocence, because to our God who discerns all things we owe, through the assiduity of preaching, an account also for another's purpose. Wide knowledge becomes teachers. The Christian faith does not love what is secret; whatever knowledge a man does not pour forth unto increase, he hides. The preaching of the word among all nations is enjoined upon the apostles [cf. Matthew 28:19], and how excusably can anyone keep silent about this to himself when these things have been committed to him? What does it profit anyone to preserve reverence for the ancestral rules, if he patiently accepts that these be shaken by others, that they be handled without honor? He shows a feeble affection who does not protect what he loves. Everywhere the holy ordinances are assailed by the faithless, and from time to time wickedness, revived, rises again from the excesses that had been suppressed. How, I ask, does he prove his piety toward God who dissembles such nefarious deeds? Let us recall with what a throng of catholic priests those councils on which we rely were learned to have been celebrated! How many were neither hindered by infirmity nor delayed by burdensome old age? The intervals of far-spread regions seemed slight, and the labors themselves were pleasant as a kind of consolation, while, with the spirit of the holy congregations governing wisdom, each age received what it might preserve. And he who knows that it has been enjoined upon him keeps silent about these things, while impious men persecute them after the perfidy has been condemned at its root: Lift up thy voice, thou that bringest good tidings to Jerusalem; lift it up, fear not! [Isaiah 40:9] Did not the teacher of the nations, having this before his eyes, so instruct his disciple that he should not cease to preach in season and out of season, admonishing: Take heed to thyself and to doctrine, continue in them; for in doing this thou shalt both save thyself and them that hear thee? [1 Timothy 4:16] Therefore, whether roused by the prophetic goads or instructed by the apostolic teaching, take up the care of saving preaching, love and vindicate the judgments approved by the pious and hostile to the faithless, and, returning to the rock upon which the Church is founded, absolve before the spirits of those Fathers also, whose venerable ordinances are being wickedly undermined, reckoning, when the Lord shall have come to that examination which is awaited, of what sort He was believed by the apostles, of what sort He was found to be by the doubting of certain tempters, of what sort He was promised by the foretelling angel, whether it be better to be rebuked by them or to be joined with their company, whether to confess the Lord such as He shall appear or such as He is denied to be by the impious. Let nothing draw you back from salvation; return to the way with swift steps. A fall does not weigh down the one who has stumbled, if he rise again. The teaching of the Lord's clemency is generous; the bonds of error are harmful, so long as they hold fast. Justice hates the obstinate; clemency cherishes those who correct themselves. Given on the third day before the Nones of April, in the consulship of Agapitus.

HORMISDA UNITERgiS EPISCOPIS IN ORIENTIS PARTIBUS C0N8TI- TUTis. Etsi admonitionis meae ciira desisteret, uos tamen proprii memores conueniret ofiTicii non neglegenter omittere, qnae enixe omnes decet pro animae suae salute seruare, ut mandatorum caelestium disciplina non alieno studio sed ipso nobis clareret inesse proposito. nam licet laude non careat, qui bonis consiliis obsecundat, tanto est tamen potior in honore sapientiae qui praeuenit recta quam qui sequitur instituta, quanto est illustrius docere quam discere. recordetur 2 unusquisque, in qua uocatione a domino sit uocatus, et quid ab eo expectetur aduertat. miserum est intra meritum iacere propositi, cum id, quod praefertur nomine, non ostenditur actione. magna meruimus, si quod indulta postulant impleamus. qui se ad pascendas dominici gregis oues gaudet adscitum, 3 cogitet de commissa sibi gubematione iudicium. peruigil adhibenda tutela est, continuanda custodia; non dandus lupis rapacibus locus, non uUis casibus relinquendus, quia neglectus error ouium culpa pastorum est. ueniet, qui rationes creditae dispensationis examinet. omnium quidem constat esse iustitiam 4 nec ulli impunitam licentiam patere peccandi; sed quis gradus nesciat esse meritorum et sicut non aequa praemia, ita diuersa et supplicia? multiplicantur scientibus plagae, pauca flagella leguntnr inscitiae. quod si ita est, sicuti esse non dubium g est aestimandum, quid in eo deceat esse propositi. cui alienos quoque errores necesse est imputari? clamat sanctus spiritus per prophetam: o pastores Israel, numquid semet ipsos pascunt pastores? nonne oues pascunt pa- 27 Ezech. 34, 2 sciliis F, corr, o 10 dicere F, corr. o 12 ab eo o: habeo F 15 ad- situm F, corr. p 16 comissa F 21 licencia F, corr. o pecandi F 23 et scripsi: est F, esse o 24 quod Bar.: quid F 548 Hormisda episcopis orthodoxis stores? certum est plus ab eo, cui plus creditur, exigendum et tanto magis nos obnoxios fieri, quanto effusiore gratia 6contigerit honorari. magister bonus et docens per obscura lucem, per similitudinum aegnimata ueritatem, seruum talenti a se traditi praeter augmenta custodem non arguit infidelem 5 sed condemnauit inutilem. unde in aperto est, in quo metu esse deceat eum, qui dominicum nomisma perdiderit, si culpatus est is, qui acceptum sine inminutione seruauit. nullus contentus sit innocentia sua, quia deo nostro uniuersa cernenti per praedicationis assiduitatem rationem quoque pro- 10 7positi debemus alieni. largam scientiam decet esse doctorum. non amat fides Christiana secretum ; quam quisque in augmenta non effundit, abscondit. per uniuersas gentes uerbi praedicatio mandatur apostolis, et quam excusabiliter hoc quisquam potest sibi tacere commissis? quid prodest cuilibet paternarum is reuerentiam seruare regularum, si concuti haec ab aliis, si 8sine honore tractari patienter accipiat? infirmum ostendit affectum, qui quod diligit non tuetur. incursantur passim sancta a perfidis constituta et rediuiua subinde de compressis excessibus resurgit improbitas. quemadmodum, rogo, pietatem 20 9in deum probat, qui tam nefanda dissimulat? recordemur, qua catholicorum frequentia sacerdotum illa, quibus nitimur, celebrata didicerimus esse concilia! quantos nec debilitas impediuit nec senectus onerosa tardauit? exigua uisa sunt spatiosamm interualla regionum et labores ipsi pro quadam 25 consolatione iucundi, dum spiritu sanctarum congregationum lOregente sapientiam aera aetas, quod seruaret, acciperet. et haec insectantibus impiis post damnatam in radice perfidiam tacet, qui scit sibi esse mandatum: exalta uocem tuam, qui euangelizas lerusalem; exalta, noli timere!? 30 5 cf. Matth. 25, 30 13 cf. Matth. 28, 19 29 Esai. 40, 9 Epiat. CXXIX 6 — CXXX 1. 549 Donne hoc ante oculos habens discipulum ita gentium doctor instituit, ut oportune inoportune euangelizare non cesset, admonens: adtende tibi et doctrinae, insta in illis; hoc enim faciens et te ipsum saluum facies eteos qui te audiunt? ergo uel propheticis stimulis excitatill uel nonnis apostolicae eruditionis instructi curam salutaris praedicationis adsumite, diligite et uindicate sententias probatas piis, infidelibus inimicas et ad petram, supra quam est fundata ecclesia, reuertentes apud illorum etiam uos patrum spiritus, quorum ueneranda constituta improbe labefactantur, absoluite, aestimantes, cum dominus ad illud quod expectatur examen aduenerit, qualis apostolis creditus, qualis aliquorum temp- tantium dubitatione compertus, qualis angelo praenuntiante promissus, utrum ab illis melius sit argui an cum eorum cohorte coniungi, utrum talem qualis uidebitur aut qualis ab impiis negatur dominum confiteri. nil uos reti*ahat al2 salute; uelocibus ad uiam redite uestigiis. lapsus ruentem non grauat, si resurgat. larga est dominicae doctrina clemen- tiae; noxia sunt erroris uincla, dum retinent. odit iustitia pertinaces, fouet clementia corrigentes. Data III. Nonas Apriles Agapito cons.