Letter 3: Anastasius II, bishop of Rome, to Lawrence, bishop of Lignido, greetings.

(A.D. 497.) Of Pope Anastasius II, to Laurentius of Lignidum [Lychnidus]. Having been recently raised to the pontificate, he sends, as a medicine of orthodoxy and according to the custom of his predecessors, a profession of faith to the churches. 1. In the great length of your love's letter you have filled us with great joy in that part in which it was said that, in the church of Thessalonica or likewise in the others, the letter of our predecessor concerning the transgressions of Acacius having been read out, all alike pronounced anathema upon him, and that no one mingled himself in the communion of that prevaricator. Wherefore, since you admonish us with brotherly affection that we ought to administer, as it were a certain medicine of the faith, to the bishops throughout Illyricum or to others, although this was done most abundantly by our predecessor of blessed memory; and since it is the custom of the Roman Church that a priest [bishop] newly constituted should set forth in advance the form of his faith to the holy churches, I have taken pains to renew these same things in too brief a compass, so that, according to the statutes of the fathers, the reader may recognize in this our letter, on account of its brevity, without distaste under what faith one ought to live. 2. We confess, therefore, that our Lord Jesus Christ, the only-begotten Son of God, was indeed before all ages begotten without beginning from the Father according to His deity, but in the last days was incarnate of the holy Virgin Mary and made perfect man from a rational soul and the assumption of a body, consubstantial with the Father according to His deity, and consubstantial with us according to His humanity. For the union of two perfect natures came to pass ineffably, on account of which we confess one and the same Christ, the only-begotten Son of God and of man from the Father, and the firstborn from the dead; knowing that He is indeed coeternal with His Father according to His divinity, according to which He is the maker of all things, and that He deigned, after the consent of the holy Virgin, when she said to the angel: "Behold the handmaid of the Lord, be it done to me according to thy word" [Luke 1:38], to build for Himself ineffably out of her a temple, and at once united to Himself that body which He did not bring down coeternal from His own substance out of heaven, but which He took from the mass of our substance, that is, from the Virgin. Receiving this and uniting it to Himself, God the Word was not turned into flesh, nor appearing as a phantasm, but unconvertibly and immutably preserved His own essence, and taking up the first-fruits of our nature united them to Himself. For in the beginning God the Word deigned, through His great goodness, to unite to Himself these first-fruits of our nature, because not mingled, but seen as one and the same in both substances, according to that which is written: "Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up" [John 2:19]. For Christ Jesus is destroyed according to that substance which He took up; and He alone raises His own temple: this He does according to the divine substance, according to which He is also the maker of all things. Yet He never departed from His own temple through the resurrection of our union, nor can He depart, on account of His ineffable kindness. But the same Lord Jesus Christ is both passible and impassible: passible according to His humanity, impassible according to His divinity. Therefore God the Word raised up His own temple, and wrought in Himself the resurrection and renewal of our nature. And this our Lord Christ our God, after He rose from the dead, showed to His disciples, saying: "Handle me and see, for a spirit hath not flesh and bones, as ye see me to have" [Luke 24:39]. He did not say "as ye say me to be," but "to have": so that, considering both Him who has and that which is had, you may regard not mingling, not conversion, not change, but a unity that has been brought about. For this reason He showed both the marks of the nails and the piercing of the lance, and ate with the disciples, so that through all things He might teach the resurrection of our nature renewed in Himself: and that, according to the blessed substance of His divinity, being unconvertible, immutable, impassible, immortal, needing nothing, perfecting all, He Himself permitted the passions to be inflicted upon His own temple, which by His own power He raised up, and through the perfection proper to His own temple wrought the renewal of our nature. But those who say that Christ was a subtle [insubstantial] man, or a passible God, or that He was turned into flesh, or that He had a body not united to Himself, or that He brought this down from heaven, or that it was a phantasm, or those who, calling God the Word mortal, say that He needed to be raised by the Father, or that He took up a body without a soul, or a man without sense, or that the two substances of Christ, confused according to a mingling, were made one substance, and who do not confess that our Lord Jesus Christ is two natures unconfused, but one person, according to which He is one Christ, one and the same Son: these the catholic and apostolic Church anathematizes. 3. These things, therefore, most beloved brother, are what you have demanded that I should send you as an antidote; for which reason nothing bitter, nor anything sweet but harmful to be guarded against, has shunned you. For we had also arranged to direct certain men from our own assembly, if the circumstance of the time had permitted it to be done: which we believe we shall do opportunely, when the correction of those parts shall, with the Lord's help, have been announced to us through a most complete legation. Hoping also concerning the mercy of our God, that to this our preaching the most clement and most Christian emperor may join his unanimity and his aid: so that, for the faith in which he is strong, he may restrain in those regions those who, by their petty disputes and according to the elements of the world, as the vessel of election foretold, contrive superfluous and vain things, being unwilling to be held by the salutary disciplines. But you, as the same apostle says, have not so learned Christ, if indeed you have heard Him and have been taught in Him, as the truth is in Jesus [Eph. 4:20-21], which truth he assuredly will be able to grasp who, as has already often been said, shall have observed the institutions of the orthodox fathers. May God keep you safe, dearest brother! [The editor notes that the letter's exordium is to be understood, namely that by which Clovis began to profess the Christian faith through the receiving of baptism; that since Anastasius assumed the pontificate in late 496 (24 November), Clovis's baptism is to be placed at the close of that same year, which Saint Avitus of Vienne (Letter 41) confirms by marking the day of the Lord's nativity as the day of the king's regeneration, so that the baptism should be said to have been received on 25 December 496; and that Fredegar and Hincmar err in writing that Clovis was baptized on the eve of holy Easter. The editor further notes that in both places the letter is inscribed under the name of Gelasius. Additional textual notes record manuscript readings: "novissimis" and "sancta Virgine" against the printed editions' "de sanctissima" and "sanctissimae Virginis"; the insertion of "statim" before "sibi univit" on manuscript authority, confirming Anastasius's agreement with what Gelasius calls the ineffable union of both natures from the very outset of Christ's conception; the reading "multam sibi bonitatem" against the editions; the reading "eam" (not "meam") substance, since Anastasius is accustomed to call Christ's human nature "ours," not "mine"; the reading "per resurrectionem unitionis nostrae"; the correction of a corrupt passage formerly printed as "perficiens omnes passiones, se permisit"; and the retention of "counitum" (not "cognitum"), by which word both the confusion of the natures is excluded and the persevering union of the body with the Word is fittingly asserted.]

(a.497.) Anastasii II papae ad Laurentium de Lignido^). J(l pontificaium recens assumptus pro medicina orthodoxiae et de more decessfh p. i rum suorum formidam fidei ad ecclesias mittit. I. In prolixitate epistolae dilectionis tuae magno nos gaudio ') Subauditur exordinm^ quo scil. Clodoveus Christianam fidem baptiami per- ce])tioue profiteri coepit. Atqui anno 49C jam labente (d. 24 Nov.) Anaataiiut poutificatum suscepit; igitur cum ejusdem anni exitu baptismus ClodoTei com> ponendus est. Cui aperte suHragatur s. Avitus VionnensiSf epistola 41 nataiem Domini diem regenerationis regis significans, ita ut baptismua iUe !die 25 Dec. a. 49G suHceptus esse diceudus sit. Hinc perspicuum est, et Fredegatium higt. c. 21 et Hincmarum ep. 4 c. 17 (^ad Ludov. reg. Germ.) et ep. 14 c 14 (ad pfo- ceres regni Franc.) falli, quum Clodoveum in vigilia sancti Pasrkae baptin^am scribunt. Utrobique autem iuscribitur Gehisii uomine. EPISTOLAE 1 — 3. 625 replesti in ea parte, in qua dictum est,.quod in Thessalouicensi (a. 497.) ^clesia vel in aliis similiter recitata epistola praedecessoris nostri ^^ e:xcessibus Acacii cuncti eidem anathema dixerint, nec quisquam ^mmunioni praevaricatoris sese miscuerit. Unde quia nos admones ^ectione fraterna, ut velut medicinam quamdam fidei episcopis per I ^»^yricum vel aliis ministrare debeamus, quamquam hoc copiosissime L ^attum sit a beatae recordationis praedecessore nostro; et quia mos ■ esl Romanae ecclesiae sacerdoti noviter constituto formam fidei suae )t ad sanctas ecclesias praerogare, haec eadem compendiosa nimis bre- j» Fit^te studui renovare, ut sub qua fide vivendum sit, secundum statuta patrum in-) hac nostra epistola propter brevitatem sine /astidio lector agnoscat. 2. Confitemur ergo, Dominum nostrum Jesum Christum Filium Dei unigenitum ante omnia quidem saecula sine principio ex Patre natum secundum deitatem, novissimis^) autem diebus de sancta vir- gine Maria eimidem incarnatum et perfectum hominem ex anima rationali et corporis susceptione, homousiou Patri secundum deita- teni; et homousion nobis secundum humanitatem. Duarum enim naturarum perfectarum unitas facta est ineffabiliter, propter quod nuum Christum eimidem FiHum Dei et hominis unigenitum a Patre, et primogenitum ex mortuis c<mfitemur; scientes, quod quidem coaeternus sit suo Patri secundum divinitatem, secundum quam opifex est omnium, et digiiatus est post consensionem san- ctae Virginis, quum dixit ad angelum: Ecce ancilla Domini, /2«/Luc.l,38. mihi secundum verbum iuum, ineffabiliter sil)i ex ipsa aedificare'*) templum, et statim sibi univit, quod non coaeternum de sua sub- stantia e coelo detulit corpus, sed ex nuissa nostrae substantiae, hoc est ex virgine. Hoc accipiens et sibi uniens, non Deus Verbum in carnem versus est, neque ut phantasma apparens, sed inconvertibiliter et incommutabiliter suam conservavit essentiam, primitias naturae nostrae suscipiens sibi univit. Nam principium Deus Verbum has nostrae naturae primitias per^) multam sibi boni- tatem unire dignatus est , quia non permixi us , sed in utrisque sub- •) Sic mss. Editi vero in novissiinis ... de sanctissima , et iufra, sanctissimae ffirginis, Deinde particulam staiim, ante sibi univit, ejusdem codicis auctoritate adjicimus, fovente K' stat sibi univit. Eo pacto confirmat Anastasius, quod Gelasius tract. in n. 2 vocat, sic nimirum Verbum homini unitum, ut utriusque naturae ineffa- bUiler unilio ab ipso conceptionis suae exortu mirabiiiter ac potenter exsisteret. ^) Ita mss. Editi multa sibi bonitate ... gui non permixtuSy sed in utriusque subsUifUia. SriSTOLAE KOMAN. PONTIF. I. -10 G2G S. ANASTASII II PAPAE (a. 497). staiitiis unus et ipse visus, secundujn quod scriptum est: Solvitttm- Jon.2,l9.^^j^^ /AVwe/, ef in tribus diebus resuscitabo illud, Solvitur enim Chri- stus Jesus secunduui eam^) substantiam, quam suscepit; et aohtom suscitat proprium templum : hoc ipse secundum diviuam substantiaiiii secundum quam et omnium artifex est. Nunquam autem per') re- surrectionem unitionis nostrae discessit a proprio templo, necc&c^ dere potest propter ineifabilem suam benignitatem. Sed est ipse Dominus Jesus Christus et passibihs et impassibilis : passibilis seci^' dum humanitatem, impassibilis secundum divinitatem. Suscita^^ igitur suum temphun Deus Verbum, et in se naturae uostrae resc»^' rectionem et renovationem operatus est. Et hanc Dominus Chrislrt^ j noster Deus, postquam resurrexit a mortuis, discipulis suis ostend^ 24,39. bat dicens: Palpate me et videte^ quoniam spiritus camem ei ossa n^ habef, guemadmodnm me videtis habere, Non dixit; quemadmodum m^ dicitis esse, sed habere: ut et qui habet et qui habetur considerans^ non permixtionem, non conversionem , non mutationem^ sed imita- tem factam respioias. Propterea et fixuras clavorum et fixionem lan- ceae demonstravit, et cum discipulis manducavit, ut per Omnia re- surrectionem nostrae naturae in se reuovatam doceret: et quia secundum beatam divinitatis substantiam iuconvertibilis , incommu- tabihs, impassibihs, immortalis, nullius indigens, perficiens^) omnes, passiones ipse permisit proprio inferri templo, quod virtute propria suscitavit, et per propriam perfectionem templi sui renovationem nostrae naturae operiitus est. Qui autem dicunt subtilem hominem Christum, aut passibilem Deura, aut in came versum, aut non cou- nitum"*) habuisse corpus, aut de coelo hoc detulisse, aut phantasma esse, aut mortalem dicentes Deum Verbum indiguisse, ut a Patre suscitaretur, aut siue aniina corpus, aut sine sensu hominem susce- pisse, aut duas substantias Christi, secundum permixtionem eonfu- sas, unam factam fuisse substantiam, et non confitentes Dominum nostrum Jesum Christimi duas esse naturas inconfusas, unam autem personam, secundum quod uims Christus, unus idem Filius: istoe anathematizat catholica et apostolica Ecclesia. 3. Haec ergo suiit, frater dilectissime, quae pro antidoto noe ^) cc meram, a' meam, littera w, qua antecedens vox deainit, perperam qaod antiquariis saepe accidit repetita. Certe Anastasins humanam Christi natnram nostram non meam appellare solet. ^) Ita mss. Editi post resuiTectionem unitionis nostrae naUtrae. UniUo aatoii pro re wiita liic accipitur. Mox K^ dignitatem (loco benignitalem). "») Ita corrigendum duximus, quod prius mendoae ac vitiosa interpmictioiie sic vulgatum erat: per/iciens omnes passiones, se permisil. Nuuc porro Dens Ver- bum eo modo perficiens omnesy quo superius omnium artifex praedicatur. ") cc cogniium. Retinendum cum a' counitum: quo verbo simiil exdoditar naturarum confusio, et corporis Verbo imiti perseverantia apte adstmitar. EPLSTOLAE 3. 4. 627 ^elbere mittere flagitasti; quod nullum amarum neque dulce noxium (a. 497.) ^idendum^®) refugit te. Nam et de uostro conventu disposueramus ^xiosdam dirigere, si ratio id temporis fieri permisisset: quod facere ^sredimus opportune, quum illarum partium correctio ad nos, juvante liomino, legatione**) plenissima, sicut confidimus fuerit nuntiata. Sperantes etiam de Dei nostri misericordia , ut huic praedicationi Bostrae clementissimus et Christianissimus imperator unanimitatem suam auxiliumque conjungat: quatenus pro fide, qua pollet, in illis r^onibus coerceat ^^), qui suis quaestiunculis et secundum elementa fflundi, sicut vas electionis ante praedixit, superflua vanaque concin- nant, nolentes contineri salutaribus disciplinis. Sed vos, sicut aitEph.4,'20. idem apostolus, non Ua^didicisUs Chrisliim, si tamen illum audistis et in illo docti estis, sicut est veritas in Jesum, quam utique ille apprehendere poterit, qui orthodoxorum patrum, sicut jam saepe dictnm est, observaverit instituta. Deus te incolumen custodiat, frater carissime!