Letter 5: Miramur love tuam to have been miratam curam of the see apostolic, which more maiorum cunctis through mundum debetur...

Gelasius to his most beloved brother Honorius. We marvel that your Affection [a courtesy title] was amazed that the concern of the Apostolic See, which by the custom of our forebears is owed to all the churches throughout the world, has been anxious also for the faith of your region; and that, when it had been reported to it that certain men were striving throughout the Dalmatias to corrupt the catholic integrity and to bring back once more the poison of the Pelagian plague, already condemned by laws both divine and human, we did not think it ought in any way to be deferred, but rather, inquiring into these things more diligently, that either, if perhaps they had crept in, they might be healed at once, or, if the things bandied about were proved false, they might relieve our anxiety; for we judged it better that we should be seen to have wished to track down such matters too impatiently than to let ruin grow by concealing it. For we ought neither to suppress causes of this kind by silence nor to foster them by deferring, since, the Teacher of the nations saying, "In carefulness not slothful," and again, "He that ruleth, with carefulness" [Romans 12:11; 12:8], these passages would without doubt convict us as guilty, unless we made inquiry at once, even if the things had been spread abroad to no purpose; nor would it matter through whom these same reports had reached our ears, so long as, whoever and in whatever manner brought them forward, once they had penetrated our conscience, it ought not to have been the case that the pastoral watch was negligent in truthfully investigating these things, so that either at the very outset the gaping wolves might be met and opposed, or, if no wild beasts existed, the guardianship of the sheep might continue secure. From those who were of the household of Chloe the Apostle testifies that he had recognized the dissensions of the Corinthians [cf. 1 Corinthians 1:11], and he does not fail to write at once, so that he might either meet the quarrels at their birth as a devout healer, or rejoice over their well-being once it had been ascertained. And we recall that we too indicated this in the letter which was directed concerning this matter, namely that either we should resist the madnesses creeping in, or, if none of these things had happened at all, we should rejoice over the integrity of the catholic truth. Wherefore not only ought your Affection not to be disturbed by our vigilance, but, the greeting of the present address having been received, you should rather associate the diligence of your own carefulness with us, so that either, if such things have been attempted, they may straightway be corrected, or, lest they be attempted by any underhand means, by more attentive forestalling they may be unable to slip in. But concerning the matters about which those whom your Charity has sent wish to be more fully instructed, the following headings together with their responses will set forth. And since the aforesaid men professed that they assent to these things to such a degree that they affirmed they had also held the same from the first, but wished those points which had been called into question by some to be more clearly expounded, we have taken pains, as far as it could be done amid the occupations which scarcely allow us to draw breath, the Lord granting it, following the paternal footsteps, not to keep silent about what we have received concerning such matters. Whoever follows this rule of sober thinking with a faithful heart ought deservedly to be reckoned among the orthodox; but whoever shall have thought it must be refused, let him not doubt that he exiles himself from the apostolic teachings. Assuredly, if there is anything that can disturb the mind, let your Fraternity not fail to consult us confidently, so that, by the ministering grace of the Lord, brotherly conference may dispel the ambiguity of all obscurity.

DILECTISSINO FRATRI HONORIO GELASIUS. Miramur dilectionem tuam fuisse miratam curam sedis apostolicae, quae more maiorum cunctis per mundum debetur ecclesiis, pro uestrae i5 quoque regionis fide fuisse sollicitam, cumque ad eam perlatum esset, quod quidam per Dalmatias integritatem catholicam uitiare niterentur et diuinis humanisque legibus ante damnatum ] baec uero eic. usque ad finem om. RA — subundeque B 2 quam- uis inter columnas. add. V man. 3 8 quatinus V 4 fideliu V quis B 5 praeprope recens fuisse V 6 rectae B faciat B 7 ut B: et V scripsimus B pariter a cath. V — 8 innotiscant B: innoce- scat V 9. firmitas ex firmatas corr. V et insanis comp. B tribu- atur B Dat. Kal Febr. «post.» cons. Uiatoris ἃ. c. scripsi: DAT XL (pro xD) rkBR coxa viaronrs vo V, dat. X K. (v. e. Kal) cons. Uiatoris u. c. o?, data Calend. Febr. Uictore ἃ. c. cons. Car., data Calendis Februarii consulatu Uiatoris ἃ. c. Ttel contra usitatum. adferendé con- sulis morem; Data mr id maias p Ls. uiatore. uc. consule B, quae tem- poris nola utrum graue witium contraxerit an. forle ad aliam quandam epistulam pertinens errore huc inrepserit, ego quidem non diiudicauwerim. cerle p Ls. hic quoque ^il aliud. uidetur. significare 'quam post. cons.; litterüám enim C in. hisce subscriptionibus ἐδ, qui scripsit codicem, saepius sta, pinxit, ut. litterae 1, simillima sit. e 10 15 25 Epist. XCV 80 — XCVI 4. 399 Pelagianae pestilentiae denuo uirus inferre, non putauerimus ullatenus differendum, quominus haec diligentius inquirentes aut, si fortasse subrepserant, de proximo sanarentur aut an- xietatem nostram, si falsa probarentur iactata, releuarent, aestimantes melius nos uideri impatientius talia uestigare uoluisse quam crescere dissimulando perniciem: neque enim uel silentio premere causas huiusmodi uel differendo fouere - deberemus, cum dicente magistro gentium sollicitudine non pigri atque iterum qui praeest in sollicitudine reos procul dubio nos, nisi continuo quaereremus, etiamsi inaniter essent uulgata, conuincerent, nec interesset, per quos ad aures nostras eadem peruenissent, dum «quibuscumque quo»modolibet ista referentibus, postquam nostram conscien- tiam penetrarant, in his ueraciter indagandis pastorales ex- cubias esse non oportuerit neglegentes, quatenus uel e uesti- gio posset lupis inhiantibus obuiari uel nullis existentibus feris ouium custodia secura persisteret. 80 his, qui essent Chloes, Corinthiorum se dissensiones agnouisse testatur apo- stolus confestimque scribere non omittit, ut uel nascentibus iurgiis pius medicator occurreret uel de eorum comperta mox incolumitate gauderet. quod nos quoque litteris, quae super hac parte directae sunt, indicasse reminiscimur, ut scilicet aut inrepentibus obsisteremus insaniis aut, si nihil horum penitus accidisset, de catholicae ueritatis integritate laetaremur quapropter non solum dilectio tua nostra non debet uigilantia permoueri sed praesentis adloquii salutatione percepta nobiseum 8 Rom. 12,11 9 Rom. 12,8 18 cf. Cor, I 1, 11 1 putauerimus per anacoluthiam Gelasius, quasi antea. dixisset fuiase miratam quod cura ..fuerit sollicita 2. sententia requiritur aut inquire- rentur «ut? aut .. sanarentur. . releuarent aut inquirentes aut..sana- remus ..releuaremus, sed fortasse etiam hic anacoluthia statwenda est 4 falso Bar. 5 inuestigare Bar. 11 essent o?: cessent V interest Bar. 19 dum Qquibuscumque quo»modolibet scripsi: dum modolibet V, duminodo Kquibus?libet p?, dum,«quo^modolibet Bar. 14 penetrarent o 15 oportuerint V, corr. p? 106 inhientibus V, corr. Car. 18 cloes V sedis sensiones aggnouisse V | 400 Gelasii I. dieta aduersus Pelagianam haeresim potius industriam propriae sociare sollertiae, quatenus uel, si temptata sunt talia, protinus ceorrigantur, uel, ne qualibet obreptione temptentur, attentius praecauendo subintrare non ualeant. de quibus autem hi, quos tua caritas destinauit, plenius instrui uoluerint, sequentes tituli cum suis responsi- onibus intimabunt. et quoniam se his adquiescere praefati eatenus sunt professi, ut eadem se et primitus tenuisse firmarent sed a nonnullis in quaestionem uocata uellent mani- festius expediri, studuimus, quantum inter occupationes fleri potuit, quae nos minime respirare patiuntur, largiente domino sequentes paterna uestigia, quae de talibus accepimus, non silere. quam regulam sobrie sentiendi quisquis fideli corde sectatur, inter orthodoxos merito debeat aestimari; quisquis uero putauerit abnuendam, ab apostolicis sese non ambigat | exulare doctrinis. certe si quid est, quod ualeat animum per- mouere, fraternitas tua consulere fiducialiter non omittat, ut domini gratia ministrante totius discutiat obscuritatis ambiguum fraterna conlatio.