Letter 28: Simplicius writes to Acacius on church matters, urging him to resist the pressures being brought to bear on the...

[Editorial heading] Of Pope Simplicius, to Acacius. 15 July. [Editorial summary] Simplicius indicates that he wonders at the silence of Acacius concerning the affairs of the Church (n. 1). [He indicates] that he was deterred from confirming the report prepared by the Egyptian synod, which had been made to him concerning John, bishop of the church of Alexandria, by the letters of the emperor (n. 2). That he had learned from those same letters that Peter Mongus was being designated for the governance of this church, a thing which is neither permitted nor can be allowed without danger to the catholic faith (n. 3). Wherefore Acacius is implored to resist, with all the strength by which he is able, such great evils and dangers as are imminent (n. 4). Bishop Simplicius to Acacius, bishop of Constantinople. Through Uranius. 1. We wonder, and likewise we grieve, that the care of charity and of the faith should be so neglectfully torn apart in the mind of your Affection, that, although the most Christian emperor, by the prompting of piety and religion, appointed faithful and skilled envoys to address us and to consult us concerning ecclesiastical causes, you yourself, forgetful both of mutual goodwill and of pastoral watchfulness, neither wished to address us, nor judged that we ought to be informed concerning those things which pertained to the safeguarding of catholic truth. And therefore, dearest brother, recognize that the things which, not without cause, you perceive to be blamed with frank affection, are to be weighed again with greater diligence. Accordingly, since the office delegated to you is pressing upon you, raise up your perceptions prudently, and keep vehement watch for the protection of the decrees of the synod of Chalcedon, lest through our negligence and sloth a deadly loss creep upon the flocks of the Lord. 2. Recently, from the Egyptian synod, which was both very large in number and supported by the communion of the catholic faith, and from almost the whole clergy of the see of Alexandria itself, a report was sent to us according to custom, [stating] that Timothy, our brother of holy memory and once our fellow-bishop, had died; and that into his place, by the harmonious will of the faithful, John had been substituted, for whom it was believed that all things requisite for the priesthood were established. [And] nothing at all seemed to remain, except that, while we gave thanks to our God and rejoiced that without disturbance a catholic prelate had succeeded into the ministry of the deceased, it should also, by the assent of apostolic moderation, receive the desired confirmation: when behold, while I was arranging such matters according to custom, the writings of the most tranquil prince were delivered to me, by which they declared that the aforesaid man, as one guilty of perjury, which was said not to be unknown to your Fraternity also, was unworthy of the priesthood. At once I drew back my foot, and I revoked my judgment concerning his confirmation, lest I should be judged to have acted too hastily against so great and so weighty a testimony. 3. But that thing made me not a little astonished, that by those same letters of his he should think Peter, who long ago had shown himself to be an associate of heretics, which we are confident was not hidden from the conscience of your Affection, and the very instructions by which he had been refuted, and whom there is no doubt still endures outside the common catholic [communion], and concerning whom it is certain that we have often written from that city to drive him out, was to be advanced to the governance of the aforesaid church; and [that] he should promise that this man would be in agreement with the definitions of the right faith, from whose fellowship, as I said above, he both lives as estranged as he is separated from his communion. To which [communion], if he now strives to return, he cannot enter except through satisfaction befitting the Christian rules, and accordingly he may not approach the summit of priestly dignity, but, desiring for his own soul the help of that remedy which after repentance is to be provided as is fitting to one reconciled, not aiming at the rank of highest honor, he who is long convicted of having been perverse may not, through the appearance of one returning, find a means of propagating his depravity instead of the remedy of sincere salvation. By doing this we rather draw such men away from error than urge destruction upon the faithful, and in that manner, violating the statutes of the synod of Chalcedon, we open the approach by a sacred conjoining to ravening wolves to range against the Church. Finally, by those very same men, together with whom he was once divided from catholic participation, the pontiff is said to be demanded, so that it may appear evidently enough that they do not desire the right faith, but seek in their own prelate the power of an abominable dogma; nor can a faithful peace thence be generated between them and those who think truthfully, whence grows the deadly damnation of heretical minds, and the wretched captivity of catholics follows. 4. Therefore, that you may wisely resist such great evils and dangers, in whatever manner you can, for the sake of the quality of the priesthood and out of regard for catholic preaching, you are bound by the greatest considerations on every side: nor is it lawful for your Affection to work the more sluggishly at that which you do not doubt pertains to the cause of your own soul, and to the regard for your honor and esteem. Therefore, with opportunities found, may you not cease incessantly to entreat the will of the most clement prince on behalf of the catholic faith, and to recall him diligently from those things which are harmful to Christian doctrine, and to inform him frequently according to these things which we command, and rather to press toward that part which is friendly to the truth; and, as the venerable apostle Paul instructed holy Timothy, in season and out of season, by beseeching, by suggesting, and by setting forth, you will in no way cease to plead, and from time to time to indicate to us truthfully what is being done or what ought to be done: so that you may show yourself a faithful servant in this multiplying of the talents entrusted to you by the dispensation of the Lord, if you do not cease to persuade for catholic unity and for the paternal definitions not only in the church over which you preside, but wherever you can. Given on the Ides of July, Severinus, most illustrious man, being consul. [The accompanying footnotes in the source are editorial scholarly apparatus, severely OCR-garbled and not part of the letter; their legible content cites parallel passages (Leo, Letter 149; Innocent, Letter 17; Gelasius; Liberatus, Breviarium c. 17; the Henoticon; and historical notes on Peter Mongus, Timothy Aelurus, Proterius, Dioscorus, and Zeno) and discusses the editor's textual corrections.]

^ '^^^f Siinplicii papae ad Acaciiiin. 15 .Tul. Mirari se significat Simplicius Acacii de rebus Ecclesiae sitentium (n. 1). Se ««evii- liujH synodi Aeyyptiae relationem ad Johannis Atexandrinae ecctesiae episeopum confirmandum comparatum litteris imperatoris ab ea re fuisse absterritum («. 2). Litteris 'iisdem se comperisse, Petrum Mongum ad huJMS ecclesiae regimen desii' nari, id quod nec liceat nec sine fidei catholicae discrimine possit admiiii (n. 3). Quare ut Acacius tantis malis ac periculis imminentibus omni qua valeai virittte obsistat obsecratur (n. 4j. Simplicius episcopus Acacio episcopo Constanti- iiopolitano. Per TJraniQm.^) 1. Miramur pariter et dolemus, ita in tuae dilectionis animo dissimulatani lacerare curam caritatis et fidei, ut quum Christianissi- mus imperator pietatis et religionis instinctu affandi me et de causis ecclesiasticis consulendi fideles atque sollertes internuntios destinaret, ipse et alternae gratiae et vigilantiae, pastoralis oblitus, nee alloqui nos volueris, nec de his, quae ad catliolicae veritatis custodiam per- tinebant, duxeris instniendos. Atque ideo, frater carissimey quae non immerito cernis libera affectione culpari, potiore diligentia re- pensanda'^) cognosce. Froinde delegatum tibi munus impendens, sensus tuos prudenter attolle, et pro tuendis Calchedonensis synodi ' constitutis vehementer invigilia, ne per negligentiam desidiamque nostram subrepatur gregibus Domini lethale dispendium. 2. Nuper ab Aegyptia synodo, quae et numero plurima et fidei catholicae esset connnunione suftulta, atque ab ipso omni prope- moduni clero Alexandrinae sedis ad nos ex more relatio^) missa pa- retieuH Alexandriam rediit, et Tiiiiotheus catliolicus inde Canopum secedete coactuH, uon nitji p08t Zenonis reditum ad Hedeni 8uani revocatas est. Aliqna igitur hic tinietur Alexandriao captivitas ea, quam Hub Basilisco passa 601, gravior. ') Haec verba ex G' U' supplemu», ubi ea hujus epiutolae iuBcriptio: ^mh- plicius eps ucavio per Uvunium. Ilunc auteni Uranium subadjuvam fiiisse, et Ze- nonis litteras, quae huic epistohie occasionem praebuere, detulisse, paiet ex hift gestorum de nomine Acacii n. 10 verbis: Johannes oeconomus cathoticut a eaihaHeiB ordinatur; qui quum de consuetudine majorum ad apostolicatn sedem synodica scrifta misissety superveniente Uranio subadjuva ct contra Johannem jam epitcopwa sacra principis de/erente, ab episcopatus illius confirmatione papa suspensus est. ^ *; Ci' repensnndo cognosci proinde, h repensunda, quae correctio non displi- cet. Hortatur enim Simplicius Aeacium, ut majori diligentia compenset, quod diutumo silentio deUquit. ') Huic mori praesertim parebant maximae et praecipuae ecclesiae; unde Leo epist. 149 n. 1 scribit, se BasiUi Autiocheni episcopi ordinationem quum BasiUi ipsius tuni episcoporum, qui eum ordinaverant, litteris cognoscere de- buisse secundum ecciesia.stinwi movem. Necpie huic officio Caleudionem ^usqne tefecit^ sanctae memoriae fratrem quondam et coepiscopum nostrum a.,482. obiisse Timotheum; inque ejus vicem consoua fidelium voluntate Jo- hannem, cui ad sacerdotium constare crederentur omnia^ subrogatum. [Et nihil] omnino restare videbatur, nisi ut Deo nostro gratias agentibus nobis atque gaudentibus^ ut sine strepitu^ quod catholicus in defimcti ministerium successisset antistes^ apostolicac quoque moderationis assensu votivam sumeret firmitatem: quum ecce secun- dmn consaetudinem mihi talia disponenti tranquilissimi principis seripta sunt reddita, quibus memoratum tamquam perjurii reum^), quod fraternitati quoque tuae non 'esse diceretur incognitum, sacer- dotio perhiberet indignum. Illico retraxi pedem, et meam revocavi super ejus confirmatione sententiam, ne quid contra tantum ac tale testimonium praepropere fecisse judicarer. 3. Sed illud me non mediocriter fecit attonitum, quod iisdem litteris suis Petrum, qui haereticorum socius dudum exstitisse pro- «vnodum defui88e, diBcimuB ex primiB duperioris epistolae 17 verbia. Superva caneom esset, hunc morem pluribus ezemplis asserere. At de Alexaudrina ec- <^e«ia, ntpote a s. Marco b. Petri discipulo fundata, specialem curam habentes Bomaiii pontifices, ut monet Julius epist. 1 n. 22, de episcoporum ejus ordina- done ae speciali jure monendos esse existimabant. Urbem adventum reddita fuisse, atque adeo antequum in ejus gratiam impera- tori Bcripsifiset. Xeqoe igitur de hoc perjurio constabat. RPISTOLAE KOMAir. PONTIF. I. 14 a. 482. betur et prineeps ^), quod eonscientiam dilectionis tuae memini] non latere instructionesque ipsas, quibus fuerit confutatua, n^ confidinius, quemque etiam dubium non sit adhuc extra commii] nem durare catholicani, saepeque nos de eodem ex illa urbe pelle scripsisse sil certum, ad praefatae ecclesiae regimen existimet ] vehendum: eumque promittat") rectae fidei definitionibus conyeiL a cujus utique, sicut superius dixi, consortio tam degit extrane quam ab eju? communione discretus est. Ad quam^) si nunc red eontendit, nisi per satisfactionem Christianis regulis competent< non potest introire, ac perinde non ad fastigium sacerdotalis digi * tatis accedere, sed medelae, quae post poenitudinem pra^benda ei consequenter aptari animae suae cupiens reconciliatus auxilium, n* gradum summi honoris afi^ectans, qui diu convincitur fuisse perversi ne per speciem remeantis non remedium sincerae salvationis inquin sed facultatem propagandae pravitatis inveniat. Quo facto n ®) qui scilicet, damnato Dioscoro et Proterio ordinato, iit in gext, de m Acacii (Gelas. tract. 1 n. 4) exponitur, statim se ab Alexandrina ecdesia, ci^ erat diaconus, una cum Timotheo Aeluro ejusdem ecclesiae presbytero separa' ideoque una cum eodem a Proterio , qui eos ad ministeria sua mouitiB revoa non poterat, damnatuR fuit. Hmic Rubinde jusRit Zeno ipse imperator teste Li rato breviar. c. 17, expelli tamquam haereticum et adulterum, Porro per trigi aunosj ait Qelasius tractat. 2 n. 7, famosus expuynator veritatis fuit. — Epiiito mox memoratae sunt Simplicii epist. 10—13. ') Hoc in se recepit Zeno, quia quum Alexandrinam sedem Petro re«ti juBsisset, dummodo Henotico suo subscriberet et Proterianos in communionem «iitet ret (Evagr.H. E. ni,12), utrumque ille spoponderat. Acacius vero, ait Libera brev. c. 17, promittente Petro facere unitatem nec adhuc implente legilima, noa ejus in diptychis recitari permisit. Simplicius, ita Petro aditum ad Ec^lcsiae commuuionem non patere, ut nuUa ex sacrorimi canonum praescripto supersit spes sununi sacerdotii alteriusve g dus ecclesiastici, quaecunque satisfactio praecesserit. Nostra lex esi Eedesi inquit Jnnocentius epist. 17 n. B, venientibus ab haereticis .. per manus impotii nem laicam tantum tribuere communionem^ nec ex his aliquem in clerieaiug kcmf vel exiguum subrogare, et n. 7 velut rem in Ecclesia constantem ponit, n^* p nitentiae remedium necessarinm est, ibi ordinationis honorem locum habere nom pm Hinc novissime Hilarus epist. 16 n. 2 decreverat, ne ki qui ex poeniieniibus n ad sacros ordines adspirare audeant, Vide etiam Siricii epist. 10 n. 8 , AugUft epist. 185 ad Bonifacium n. 44, Leonis epist. 18, Felicis H. epist. 13 cap. 2, ( lasii epist. 14 c. 3, Agapeti epist 2 n. 3. Ipse Zeno ad imperiiun revocatas regressus teste Fehce l\ epist. 1 n. 9 praecepit eos, qui a Petro aui Timiei^ haereticis fuissent ordinati^ si resipiscerent , ad communionem recipi^ non eikm male praesumpti gradus priviiegia admitti. Si hoc autem de iis est definittiiii, qi Petrus ordinaverat, quanto magis de ipso Petro, qui et haereticorum dux et pr ter Ecclesiiie leges ordinatus fuoriit. hujusmodi magis ab errore detrahinnis, quani peniiciem fidelibus a. 482. urogwnus, eoque niodo Calchedoiiensis synodi statuta violautes, adi- tm saeira copulatione *) grassandi in Ecclesiam lupis rapacibus ape- rimus. Denique ab eisdem ipsis, cuni quibus olim a catholica par- ticipatione divisus est, pontifex dicitur j)ostulari, ut satis evidenter appareat, non eos rectam fidem velle, sed in praesule proprio nefandi dogmatis quaerere potestatem; neque inter ipsos et veraciter sen- tientes pax inde possit fida^^) generari, unde haereticarum mentium crescit fnnesta damnatio, et catholiconim succedit miseranda ca- ptivitas. 4. Tantis igitur malis atque periculis pro sacerdotii qualitate rt catholicae praedicationis intuitu ut, qua potes, ratione sapienter obsistas, maximis undique rebus adstringeris : nec dilectioni tuae fas wt id segiiius operari, quod ad aniiiiae tuae causam, honoris aesti- niationisque respectum non dubitas pertinere. Opportunitatibus ergo repertis, clementissimi principis vohintatem incessabiliter pro fide tatholica supplicando, et ab his sedulo revocare, quae nociva sunt dogmati Christiano, et secundum haec, quae mandamus, infonnare orebro, inque eam partem, quae amica sit veritati, potius instare nondesiuas; et, ut sanctum Timotheum vonerandus apostohis Pau-^^g lus instituit, opportiuie, importune, obsecrando, insinuando expo- nendoque nuUatenus allegare cessabis, et nobis subinde, quae geran- tnr quaeve gerenda sint, veraciter indicare: ut creditorum tibimet dispensatione dominica talentonnn in hac multij)Hcati()Jie fidelis ser- TU8 ostendaris, si non tantum in ecclesia, cui praesides, sed ubi- *} h populatione f quod j)rimiim j)lacuit proj)tor 0]>ithotnra saeva. Sed nihil laQtandQin suasit illud Henotici apnd Liberatum brev. c. 17: CopuUimini ergo ^tali matri Ecclesiae eadein sapienles nobiscum. Ko enim resj)icer«) videtur Sim- puciog^ ideoque non immerito copulationem hanc sacvavi vocare, quae hipos cum o^ibtte copulare nitatur. *') Ita optime Bar. e. Gelasii tract. 2 n. 1 reBtituit, quum prius obtineret fatia. Hic praevertit ac refollit Simplicius, quod tum Acacius cum Petri pa- «onig praeteiebat. Ajebat enim Liberato brev. c. 17 teste, Petrum amalibem in f^J^* et posse eum in communionem comjregare. Quocirca j)Ontifex prius eumdeni *|^ilem esse nou negans iis, qni sectarentur haeresim ct Aeluri partibu» ad- ™*ti essent, inficiatur, iiiter hoB et veraciter sentientes fidam jjacem uUo modo ^^^^ p088e. Dum tamen Acucius de Johaimc; Talaja j^eUendo cogitabat, ut ^'Wem Liberatus loquitur, occurrerunt quidam a Petro volentes quasi fieri unitatem, ♦** J^mndiMsime susccpit Acacius et imperatori praesenfavit. Ilinc Acacio data *^oHenotici imperatoris nomine condendi, cujus notitiam ad Simplicium jam ""''^ pervenigBO, non id modo, quod proxime de saei^a copulatione praemisit, sed ft^waenunc disserit, manifeste indicant. Hoc tamen prudcnter dissimnhiuB, . ™ wtiu habet repellere, quod pacis specici tentiibatur. ('erte quantum haeretici ^P^ogo iUo pacis nomine priucipibus sohti sint imponere, jam ante s. Hilariua "«. contni Auxentium probarat, ac jiost^ni ekthesis Ileraclii et Constantis typus abunap confirmant. 14* a. 466. cunque poiueris, pro unitate catliolica et pro puternis definitionibus suadere nou renuas. Data Idibus Juliis Severino viro clarissiino (?onsule.