Letter 10: MIGNE, PL. 69, c. 397-399.

To the most beloved brothers Gaudentius, Maximilianus, Gerontius, Justus, Terentius, Vitalis, and Laurentius throughout Tuscia Annonaria [a province of central Italy], Pelagius. Having received the report directed to us by you, conveyed by Jordanes, the defender of our church, we were greatly astonished that you, thus forgetful of the apostolic authority, should have wished your division from the universal Church to be confirmed even by my own consent—which God forbid—and that you, whose duty it was to restrain the people's ignorance by priestly teaching, should be willing, to the reproach of the apostolic see, to follow the judgment of the common people. Nor in saying these things do we grieve over our own injury, for, by the Lord's gift, it is our resolve, bearing all things in gentleness, to guard the bonds of fraternal peace; but, as we have said, I am vehemently amazed at your division from the general Church, which I cannot tolerably endure. For since the most blessed Augustine, mindful of the Lord's saying which placed the foundation of the Church upon the apostolic sees, declares that whoever has suspended himself from the authority or communion of those same sees is in schism, and shows that there is no other Church except that which is established upon the roots of the pontiffs of the apostolic sees—how do you not believe that you are separated from the communion of the whole world, if amid the sacred mysteries you withhold, according to custom, the commemoration of my name, in whom, although unworthy, you see the firmness of the apostolic see to abide at the present time through the succession of the episcopate? But lest perhaps among you, or among the flocks committed to you, any suspicion might remain concerning our faith, I desire your charity to know this most certainly: that I, by the Lord's gift, keep that faith which the sacred teaching of the apostles established, which the authority of the Council of Nicaea confirmed, which the decisions of the holy councils of Constantinople, of Ephesus the first, and of Chalcedon set forth; and that I have neither diminished nor added anything to the definitions of the aforesaid councils, nor changed anything in any respect, but, by God's favor, inviolably keep all the things that were written by them concerning the purity of the faith; subjecting nonetheless to the judgment of anathema whoever shall ever have consented to the weakening in any part, or, which God forbid, the bringing into doubt, in any way whatsoever, of the faith of the four above-written councils, or of the tome of the most blessed Leo, prelate of the apostolic see, which was confirmed in the Council of Chalcedon. Therefore your charity, fortified by this profession of our faith, should hasten—as it befits priests—to instruct the ignorance of men in the spirit of gentleness, and by every means to recall them from a perverse intent, and to restore them to the unity of the Church. But if anyone perhaps even after these things believes that some scruple remains in him, let him, ceasing from the insane tumult, hasten rather to come to us, so that, having received reasonable satisfaction concerning the things he doubts, he may, by God's favor, joyful, with the truth made known, be brought back to the universal Church. For we, according to the saying of the apostle, are prepared to give satisfaction to everyone who asks of us a reason for the hope that is in us, because we know that in nothing have we deviated from the holy fathers, the divine grace keeping us. May God keep you safe, most dear brothers. Given on the sixteenth day before the Kalends of May, in the sixteenth year after the consulship of Basilius, a most distinguished man.

MIGNE, PL. 69, c. 397-399. DILECTISSIMIS FRATRIBUS GAUDENTIO MAXIMILIA- NO GERONTIO lUSTO TERENTIO UITALI ET LAURENTIO PER TUSCIAM ANNONARIAM PELAGIUS. Directam a uobis 1 nem...-3); B fol. 72: (3). maximillia- 3 pelagius episcopis per tusciam annonariam pro titulo B, om. p serius misit papa ep. 21. Cf. F. L,anzoni, o. c., p. 563-564. Maximlllano: Kst veri similiter ille schismaticus episcopus de cuius excessibus queritur pontifex in epp. 65-67. Cf. ibidem p. 171-176. lusto: Nescio qua de causa eum decoraverit W. Gundeach, Epp. Avelatenses..., l. c., p. 80, 1. 10-11, titulo episcopatus Volaterrensis. Cf. supra. Terentio: Non alium fuisse quam Ter<en>tium schismaticum, qui cum Maximiliano coniunctus apparet in ep. 65,2, rem probabilem puto. Ita iam coniecit I,. DuchesnE, Hisioive p. 230. Quod ad eius omnino falsam identitatem cum martyre hunensi eiusdem nominis adtinet, Laurentio: Quem B. Gams, o. c., p. 747, cui accessit W. Gtjjtd- EACH, Epp. Avelatenses, l. c., ihid. (nom autem Duemmler, ut ait F. Lan- ZONI, o. c., p. 581) fecit episcopum Florentinum. Fum autem esse reor praesulem Centumcellensem ad quem papa misit ep. 43, p. 119. Tusciam Annonariam: Diversi diversos huic provinciae adsi- gnant limites auctores. Cf. J. Marquardt, Roemische Staatsvevwaltung, 1.1, Deipzig, 1873-1878, p. 236; HuEESEN, Etruria, in Pauly-Wissowa, t. VI, c. 724; I,. DuchesnE, Les evechds de VItalie et Vinvasion lomharde, in Mdl. d*Arch. et d^Hist., t. XXV, 1905, p. 367; F. SchnEidER, Die Reichsver- PEIvAGII I PAPAE relationem, defensore ecclesiae nostrae Iordane deferente, susci- pientes, satis mirati sumus ita uos apostolicae auctoritatis oblitos, ut diuisionem uestram ab uniuersali ecclesia meo etiam uolueritis, quod absit, consensu firmari, et quos decuit popularem ignoran¬ tiam sacerdotali doctrina conprimere, in contumeliam sedis aposto¬ licae plebis uelle sequi iudicium. Nec ista dicentes iniuriam nos- 2 tram dolemus, quibus, donante Domino, propositum est, in man¬ suetudine subportantes omnia, fraternae pacis uincula custodire; sed, sicut diximus, diuisionem uestram a generali ecclesia, quam tolerabiliter ferre non potero, uehementer stupeo. Cum enim 3 beatissimus Augustinus dominicae sententiae memor, quae fun¬ is damentum ecclesiae in apostolicis sedibus conlocauit: In schis¬ mate esse dicat, quicumque se a praesulis defensor eclesiae 5 apostolica apostolice 6 eclesia ai 7 docuit conprimare 9 ista] ex usto vel asto a^, dicentes] ex dientes a^, 11 subpor- tantes] coni.' subportantem ag, subportante a, uinculo (recte fortassis^ sed sensus vix servatur, etiam si interpungas post subportantesj 12 eclesia ai 13 potero] possum p (leg. possumus^ stupeo] codd.\ (sed leg. stupemus^ enim] om. B 14 quae] a* p'. qua a, a, B 15 eclesie i collocauit a^a^pB 15-16 schismate] ai ' scismate B, ex schism. (h. dei. postea) ex sismate py scismata 16 a praesulis] praesulem a,, a presule p waltung in Toscana, Rom, 1914, p. 9-10; F. I,anzoni, o. c., p. 563; 567. lam vero, cum dioecesis Volaterrana pertineat veri similiter ad istam regionem, huiusce confines vulgo admissi denuo definiendi videntur. 1. defensore ecclesiae nostrae Iordane: Quoad defensoris ecclesiae titulum et munus consuli possunt: I,. M. HarTmann, Defensor ecclesiae, in Pauly-Wissowa, t. IV, c. 2372; F. MarTroyE, Les adefensores ecclesiaei> aux et VI* silcles, in Rev. hist. droit. franc. et dtrang., IV ser., t. II, 1923, p. 597-622; B. Caspar, o. c., p. 335-336; B. FischER, Die Entwicklung des Instituts der Defensoren in der roemischen Kirche, in Ephem. Lit., t. XLVIII, 1934, p. 443-454. In mansuetudine... uincula custodire: Cf. Eph., 4,2-3. 2. ferre non potero uehementer stupeo: Hic pristinam rectamque lectionem fuisse corruptam fere certum est. Possum pro potero, servavit cod. p Agobardi. Potero autem neqiie bene cohaeret cum stupeo codd., neque ambae formae, singulari expressae numero, cum aliis sive antecedentibus sive seqq. formulis ubi pontifex semper plurali numero loquitur; demum clausula in rhythmo manca evadit, si cum codd. uehementer stupeo legitur. Quapropter teneo genuinam esse lectionem: ferre non possumus uehe¬ menter stupemus. Tamen, contra omnium codd. testimonium textum mu¬ tare non ausus s^um. 3. in schismate esse dicat: Augustini testimonium, alicuius forte deperditi textus, hucusque non inventum, me primum reperisse putavi in earundem sedium auctori tateuel communio¬ ne suspenderit, nec aliam esse manifestet eccle¬ siam, nisi quae in pontificibus apostolica- jg rum sedium est solidata radicibus, quomodo uos ab uniuersi orbis communione separatos esse non creditis, si mei inter sacra mysteria secundum consuetudinem nominis me¬ moriam reticetis, in quo licet indigno apostolicae sedis per succes¬ sionem episcopatus praesenti tempore uidetis consistere firmi- tatem? Sed ne apud uos forte uel apud greges qui uobis commissi 4 sunt, de fide nostra aliqua possit remanere suspicio, hoc dilectio¬ nem uestram certissime nosse desidero, me illam donante Domino custodire fidem, quam sacra apostolorum doctrina constituit, quam Nicenae synodi firmauit auctoritas, quam Constantino- politanae, Ephesenae primae et Calchedonensis sanctarum synodo¬ rum explanauere sententiae, nec quicquam de praefatarum synodo¬ rum definitionibus uel imminuisse me aliquid uel auxisse aut in aliquo permutasse, sed omnia, Deo propitio, quae ab illis de fidei puritate conscripta sunt, inuiolabiliter custodire, anathematis nihilominus iudicio subdens, quisquis uel ad suprascriptarum quattuor synodorum fidem, uel ad beatissimi Beonis praesulis apostolicae sedis thomum, qui in Calchedonensi est synodo con¬ firmatus, aliqua ex parte uel infirmandum quoquo modo, uel in dubium, quod absit, deducendum, aliquando consenserit. Hac 5 igitur dilectio uestra fidei nostrae professione munita, ignoran- earumdem p B comunione B 18 manifestet esse Ui p, manifestet [esse om.] B ecle- Ux 19 pontificalibus p 20 solidata] ex silidata Uz 21 conmunione B separatis Ui 22 mei] me Ux 23-24 per successionem] (cf. ep. 24, l. 70) ap B. pro successione 24 episcopus Ux firmi-] fraterni- B 27 desidero] ex desiderio praefator, praefatorum Ux synoda- 33 aliquo] ex aliqo <2^ 35 nihilominus] ex nihilhominus uel ad] scripsi ^uel... uel saepiss. scribit Pelagius): uel om. Ux Us, ad om. a^, suprascriptarum] ex supra scripturam vel suprascriptaram 36 ad beatissimi] habeatissimi a beatissimi ex a beatissimo a^, 37 in] om. Ux a^ cal- chidonensi sinodo flg Enarr. in Ps. 86 (Migne, PB. 37, c. 1101-1102). Ibi tamen de sedibus apostolicis non agitur in sensu quo hic textus. Adlegatio ad litteram pro¬ stat in ep. 24,18, p. 77-78. secundum consuetudinem: Videlicet diptychorum recitandorum in canone sacrificii. Quendam episcoporum ab illis secludere idem valebat quam consummata communionis cum illo ruptura. Cf. H. Beceercq, Diptyques, DACB., t. IV, c. 1056-1058; G. BoviNi-Ph. Oppenheim, Dittico, in Enc. CattoL, t. IV, c. 1759-1763. 3. —p. PEI<AGII I PAPAE tiam hominum, sicut sacerdotes decet, in spiritu mansuetudinis edocere festinet, et a praua intentione modis omnibus reuocare atque unitati ecclesiae reddere. Quod si quis forte etiam post 6 haec aliquem sibi superesse credit scrupulum, ab insano tumultu desinens, ad nos magis uenire festinet, ut ex his quae dubitat rationabili satisfactione percepta, laetus, Deo propitio, cognita ueritate, uniuersali reformetur ecclesiae. Nos enim secundum apos- 7 toli sententiam: Parati sumus ad satisfactionem omni poscenti nos rationem de ea quae in nobis est spe, quia in nullo nos a sanctis patribus, custo¬ diente nos diuina gratia, cognoscimus deuiasse. Deus uos in- 8 columes custodiat fratres carissimi. Data XVI Kalendarum 9 Maiarum anno XVI post consulatum Basili uiri clarissimi. ominum 43 eclesiae 44 credit] ex crediti 47 eclesia a-i 48 -toli] -toli- cam 49 ratione 50 spe] fide 52 XVI] XV Ui 53 maiarum] martia- rum vel martii (?) XVI] ag (cf. epp. 5, l. 49; 9, l. 31): XV basilii 7. apostoli sententiam: 1 Ptr., 3,15. 9. Data XVI Kal. Maiarum anno XVI: Codd. corruptam habent notationem anni quo litterae datae fuerunt. Tempus vero quod propugno fulcitur insuper ordine quo haec epistula prostat tam in Coli. Avelatensi quam in Coli. Britannica (Varia I, B, 16-20, [P. Bwaed, o. c., l. c., p. 574]). In ambabus enim est sequens epistularum ordo: 8, 9, 7, 10, 11; 8 (deest 9), 7, 10, 11. In eo quod adtinet transpositionem epp. 7 et 8, 9, iudicio auctoris adquievi; verum has litteras, quas auctor legens: XVI Kal. Mai. a. XV, posuerat in primo loco, quasi datas. ipso die consecrationis Pelagii, rec¬ tiore — ut reor — ordinatione disposui. Contra eam lectionem mihtant, cum ordo ipse litterarum in serie epistularum, tum quod nulla omnino in eis fit adlusio ad recentissimam pontificis consecrationem, quae tamen advertitur iam in ep. 1 (in illa hypothesi, post hanc, serius conscripta), tum denique, quod mirum haud parum videretur tam cito, iam ipso die ordinationis papae, antequam illa episcopis vel posset nuntiari, coepis¬ se querelas et seditiones antistitum. Lectioni codd. a^ a^\ XV Kal. Mart. a. XV, obsistunt et prima et secunda rationum supra adlatarum, et duratio satis certa pontificatus Pelagii. Cf. L. DuchESNE, Vigile et Pilage ..., l. c., p. 428-429, n. 3; B. Caspar, o. c., p. 774. Contra, admissa lectione selecta, iam epistula optime consonat et suo loco in serie litterarum, et tempori quod eam condecet habere post ep. 9, datam idibus m. aprilis, et, vel par- tim, causas et fines inlustrat sequentis ep. 11 unmevso populo Dei. Praesens epistula fuit itaque data die 16 vel 17 aprilis a. 557, cum lectio XV Kal. codd. «1 «3 non sit absolute respuenda. EPISTUI,AE 10,5-9; 11,1 Ad omnem suspicionem circa sedis Romanae orthodoxiam obte¬ rendam, Pelagius suam fidei professionem omnibus orbis fidelibus mittit. Decreta quattuor conciliorum doctrinamque in canonibus apostolicis con¬ tentam, nec non et quidquid in favorem fidei sui praedecessores, et praecipue S.Leo, constituerunt, Omnino tenet; itaque venerabiles episco¬ pos Theodoretum et Ibam tamquam orthodoxos habet.