Letter 39: Hormisdas to John, Bishop of Constantinople.

Hormisdas to John, Bishop of Constantinople. We have indeed rendered, brother, a response appropriate to your letters under the freedom of the Church, and we have plainly expressed what in these matters we rejoiced over having been included, and what we passed over in silence; and although the now-frequent embassy, and now the long experience of your protracted engagement in the Church, may have instilled all these things into your understanding, it nevertheless helps to lay open our counsel still more broadly by a repeated explanation, because faith's firmness is well discussed when, in simple words, the desire for peace to be reconciled is set forth. For your longings, by which you testify that you are hastening toward ecclesiastical concord, we have always wished that those regions might possess; nor, content with the mere striving of our prayers, have we even resorted to entreaties. These things which we speak are strengthened by your testimony and by that of the world, since, in order that the restoration of catholic unity may come about, we submit our authority with the integrity of an inviolate faith. May divine compassion incline its ear to our prayers, so that what you believe must be requested, you may follow, and may love when it is offered. For us there is one solicitude in the matter, one safeguard: so to desire peace that thereby the ordinances of religion and of the venerable fathers may be preserved; since, of things which do not differ from one another in harmonious belief, it is fair that they should subsist under a like observance. But why do we delay any longer? You yourself know what the cause of unity demands; you yourself know by what road you ought to come to the fellowship of the blessed apostle Peter. You have the guide of your journey, whom you already assert that you follow: the assembly held at Chalcedon on behalf of religion. Now too, since you have testified that you embrace the same, the teaching of the blessed Leo will accompany you on your return. If these things are pleasing, let the defense of the condemned Acacius not be pleasing: this is the thing that holds back from completion the prayers of a good zeal. For those things were so arranged by the assembly of the venerable fathers against the enemies of God and of His law, that whoever should follow them in communion would even then incur the sentence passed in his own condemnation. They are not, therefore, novelties which we steadfastly pursue, but we preserve, by the fathers' just ordinance, the judgments made in those times. We exhort you therefore, brother, and, with the mercy of our God assisting, we knock at your mind, that, separating yourself from every contagion of heretics by condemning Acacius together with his followers, you may be fed together with us by participation in the Lord's body. If you proclaim all things together with us, why do you not condemn all things together with us? For then you embrace together with us the things we venerate, if together with us you shudder at the things we detest. Whole peace knows not to hold any difference, and the worship of the one true God cannot be genuine except in the unity of confession. Wherefore, greeting you with the affection of brotherly charity, we mark that your petition has been fulfilled, since you hoped it, through the most religious men we have sent: the bishops Germanus and John, the deacon Felix, the deacon Dioscorus, and the presbyter Blandus. These men, with what mandates they have been furnished, you will plainly recognize, if you consider, before their representations. They will receive your peace under that profession by which we have often written back. Fulfill therefore, dearest brother, our joy and your own, and send back to us through them the proclamation of your right faith, so that through you an example may be given to all.

HORMISDA lOHANNI BPISCOPO CONSTANTINOPOLITANO. Keddi- dimus quidem, frater, congruum litteris tuis sub ecclesiastica libertate responsum et, quid in his gratulati fuerimus insertum, quid taciturnitate praeteritum, euidenter expressimus, ac licet cuncta sensibus tuis nunc crebra legatio, nunc uSu in ecclesia diuturnae conuersationis tuae uetustas infuderit, iuuat tamen adhuc latius aperire nostrum repetita <ra>tione consilium, quia tunc bene de fidei firmitate disseritur, quando simplicibus 2 uerbis conciliandae pacis cupiditas explicatur. ^ desideria quippe tua, quibus te ad ecclesiasticam testaris festinare concordiam, ut haberent partes illae, semper optauimus nec sola uotorum ambitione contenti usi etiam precibus sumus. uestro sunt haec et mundi testimonio roborata, quae loquimur, quia ut catholicae unitatis reparatio fiat, auctoritatemnostramintemerata fidei integritate submittimus. inclinet orationibus nostris aurem suam diuina miseratio, ut quod creditis postulandum, sequa- 3 mini et ametis oblatum. nobis una causae soUicitudo, una custodia est ita pacem cupere, ut sic religionis, sic uenera- bilium patrum constituta seruentur; quoniam quae inter se consona credulitate non discrepant, aequum est, ut simili 4 obseruatione subsistant. sed cur diutius immoramur? scis 150. Dat ut ep. 148. Edd. Car, P 485; Bar. ad a. 519, 18; Collect. Concil.; BTA I 418; Thiel 845. 8 ionanni V 11 ac o>: hac V 14 adhuctacius F, sed t in 1 correcta uidetur repetita ra- tione o^: repetitacione V 15 dissceritur V 18 seper V uotum F, corr, Car. 19 uestra F, corr. 20 ut p-: et F 21 inteme- ratae Bar. 28 scis o^: sis F Epist. CXXXXIX 14 — CL 8. 599 ipse, unitatis causa quid exigat; scis ipse, qua uia ad beati Fetri apostoli debeas uenire consortium. habes itineris tui ducem, quem te iam sequi asseris, Clialcedone habitum pro religione conuentum. iam te quoque, quod idem amplecti testatus es, beati Leonis redeuntem dogma comitabitur. haec 5 si placent, Acacii defensio damnati non placeat: hoc est, quod boni studii a perfectione uota suspendit. sic sunt enim illa aduersum dei et legis eius inimicos uenerabilium patrum congregatione disposita, ut quisquis eos communione seque- retur, iam tunc latam subiret in sua damnatione sententiam. non sunt igitur noua, quae constanter exsequimur, sed tempo- ribus illis facta iudicia iusta patrum constitutione seruamus. hortamur itaque, frater, et mentem tuam dei nostri misericordia 6 adiuuante pulsamus, ut ab omni te haereticomm contagione Acacium cum sequacibus suis condemnando disiungens una nobiscum dominici coi-poris participatione pascaris. si nobiscum uniuersa praedicas, cur nobiscum non uniuersa condemnas? tunc enim nobiscum, quae ueneramur, amplecteris, si nobiscum, quae detestamur, horrueris. pax integra nescit aliquam habere distantiam et unius dei uera esse non potest nisi in confes- 8ionis unitate cultura. quapropter salutantes te fraternae 7 caritatis affectu petitionem tuam missis, sicut sperasti, religi- osissirais uiris Germano et lohanne episcopis, Felice diacono, Dioscoro diacono atque Blando presbytero signamus esse com- pletam. hi uero quibus fuerint mandatis instructi, ante allegationes eorum, si cogites, euidenter agnosces. hi pacem tuam sub ea, qua saepe rescripsimus, professione suscipient. imple ergo, frater karissime, gaudium nostrum et tuum ad 8 no3 per eos rectae fidei tuae remitte praeconium, ut per te uniuersis detur exemplum. 1 scis o*: sis V 3 quem p^: quo V 7 sic scripsi: si F 8 ila F 9 <in> communione o' 12 costitucione F 16 poBcaris F, corr. o 19 nesit F, corr. a 23 sq. Germanum et lo- hannem episcopos Felicem diaconum Dioscorum diaC atque Blandum presbyterum F, corr. 24 significamus completa F, corr, p 26 agnosses F 600 Hormisda lohanni, Celeri, Instiniano