Letter 8: — Áudientes orthodoxam your of love in in Christ steadfastness atque thus you antiquae of the faith communionisque...

GELASIUS, BISHOP, TO ALL THE BISHOPS ESTABLISHED THROUGHOUT DARDANIA, OR THROUGHOUT ILLYRICUM. Hearing of the orthodox steadfastness in Christ of your beloved fellowship, and that you so cleave to the traditions of the ancient faith and of sincere communion that the neighboring contagions of the prevaricators in no way infect a mind devoted to Christian truth, we magnified the Lord; and we have taken care, with the whole eagerness of our heart, to address your charity by letters sent through the religious men our sons Cyprian and Macarius, deacons. For we live for the sake of the primacy of the apostolic see, whose solicitude, delegated by God, is owed to all the churches, if you stand fast in the Lord; and we triumph with great rejoicing, since we recognize that the Lord of Hosts has everywhere upon the earth left a seed of pure confession, which, not coming upon stony ground, has not withered in the heat of temptation, nor has it fallen near the way, exposed to the wandering enemies, nor has it rushed into thorns to be choked, but, scattered upon the good ground of your pious devotion by a heavenly sowing, has yielded fruit thirtyfold, sixtyfold, and a hundredfold, designating thereby, in a mystical manner of speaking, the perfection of the Lord's grain. Wherefore, with exultant spirits we more confidently incite you to keep your breasts wisely undefiled from the assault of the Eutychian pestilence, since he who shall have persevered unto the end, he shall be saved. The Lord is near: be anxious for nothing, since greater is he who is in us than he who is in this world; and let it be certain, as Scripture testifies, that the kingdom of the Lord is within us. And that you may beware of the harmful society of those who are placed in error, you are to receive into your fellowship none who communicate with such persons, by any underhanded deception; for just as in each heresy, when its author of depravity has been condemned, catholic integrity must avoid his successors and accomplices and likewise his followers, mingled together in polluted communion, so together with Eutyches, Dioscorus and likewise Timothy Aelurus and Peter of Alexandria and his communicant Acacius, as also Peter of Antioch, are altogether to be repudiated along with their partners; nor is anyone, even though he should promise to lay aside his depravity, yet consenting to the names to be recited, or in no way separated from communion with those who recite the same names, to be permitted in any manner whatever to enter the unspotted folds of the sacred flock, so that the Church of our God, which suffers no spot or wrinkle, may remain inviolate. Let there be absent, therefore, from the faithful of Christ the dread dealings of the viper's head, and let the death-bearing poisons be driven far from the heavenly pastures, so that the saving nourishment of that bread which descended from heaven may, by those who faithfully receive it, lead them to eternal life. That we may be able to provide for these things by mutual exhortation, let your beloved fellowship give diligence that it may not cease more frequently to disclose to us both the longed-for soundness of your charity and your steadfastness in the common faith, to the end that, rousing one another by mutual instruction, we may be able to find the reward of the Lord's lawful priests. Let your charity also vigilantly insist on making these same things known throughout the neighboring provinces, so that both those who stand fast in the sincerity of catholic communion may be strengthened by fitting addresses, and those who perhaps have strayed from the rectitude of this may be brought back to the integrity of Christian doctrine by wholesome admonitions. Let your fraternity know, moreover, that the prelate of the church of Thessalonica, though often incited by our exhortations, has been unwilling ever to shun the contagions of external communion, nor has he, with suitable profession, condemned before us the name of Acacius or of the rest of the like faithless ones and of those communicating with them. Wherefore it is manifest that he has not received the communion of the apostolic see, since unless to those purified with clean senses and from every plague of wicked society, we can neither nor ought we to offer the heavenly dealings of the blessed apostle Peter. Therefore one must act the more cautiously with the aforesaid man, lest by a feigned reconciliation with the apostolic see he steal upon catholic minds; which, just as he has not the power to deceive and circumvent by deceitful arts, so, being crafty, he cannot obtain. We have judged that our authority too, which has been directed to the pontiffs of the Dalmatias, should be directed also to you, to the end that you may know that we everywhere hold, in catholic truth according to the form of ancient tradition, a sentence consonant therewith; and if you should learn of any new movements arising, you ought, with fraternal solicitude, to lay them open to us, so that thereupon, the Lord granting it, we may procure such remedies as accord with the rules of the Fathers. And let no one at all persuade you that the crime of his prevarication was relaxed for Acacius; for he who, after he had deserved by the law of depravity to be cut off from apostolic communion, falling back into that fellowship, persisting in this same condemnation, died, cannot now, being dead, obtain the absolution which, while living, he neither sought at all nor merited; since to the apostles themselves it was delegated by the voice of Christ: whatsoever you shall bind upon earth, and whatsoever you shall loose upon earth. For the rest, concerning him who has been placed in the divine judgment, it is not lawful for us to decree anything other than that in which the last day found him; and therefore, unless his name be refused, together with the rest who share this error, you shall by no means whatever share with any one of them the purity of the Lord's table, which our forefathers always kept greatly separated from heretical pollution. But let no one attempt to circumvent you either, by saying that the contest is not about religion but about names, or that the apostolic see is treating not the cause of catholic communion and faith but is grieving over an injury, because it seems to have been despised by Acacius; for these and suchlike things, in order to deceive the simpler sort, those who are placed in error do not cease to scatter abroad. For you see, as has already been said above, that through the names of the prevaricators, if, which God forbid, they be believed to be recited in the church, the contagion of prevarication is also at the same time introduced. The apostolic see, however, so far does not grieve over an insult but defends the faith and sincere communion, that today it would, with full charity, receive all those who are seen to have burst forth into contempt of it, if they return to the integrity of the faith and of catholic communion, coming with the whole affection of their heart along the path of the paternal rules. Given on the third day before the Nones of August, in the consulship of Asterius and Praesidius [11 September 494].

GELASIUS EPISCOPUS UNIUERSIS EPISCOPIS PER DARDANIAN SIUE PER ILLYRICUXM CONSTITUTIS. — Áudientes orthodoxam uestrae dilectionis in Christo constantiam atque ita uos antiquae fidei communionisque sincerae traditionibus inhaerentes, ut mentem Christianae deditam ueritati nullatenus inficerent praeuarica- torum uicina contagia, magnificauimus dominum caritatemque uestram missis litteris alloqui per religiosos uiros filios nostros Cyprianum atque Macariüm diacones tota cordis auiditate eurauimus, quoniam pro sedis apostolicae principatu, cuius sollieitudo delegata diuinitus cunctis debetur ecclesiis, nos uiuimus, si uos statis in domino, magnisque gaudiis triumphamus, cum ubique terrarum dominum Sabaoth semen purae confessionis reliquisse cognoscimus, quod non in petrosa deueniens aestu temptationis exaruit nec uiae proximum cecidit uagantibus inimicis expositum nec in spinas inruit guffocandum sed in bonam terram piae deuotionis uestrae caelesti satione dispersum in tricesimum sexagesimumque 16 Thess. 1 8, 8 18 cf. Matth. 18, 5 sqq. 2 intentionibus V, corr. Bar. 4 perpenditis zxrL V 15) 375; Collect. Concil.; BTA I 285; Thiel 383; particulas tantum Bar. ad a. 494, 17. — 6 episcopus om. B siue per Illyricum V: et Daciam B; ut episcopis Dardaniae scriptam commemorat episiulqm Us. gilius in. constit. de tribus capit. ep. 83 ὃ 215 (p. 290, 20 84.) 8 nos B 9 communionis quem B mente ypi etiam adeditam in ueritatem B 10 inficere ut B 12 uestrae B reperligiosos trsp. B 18 macharium V abitate B 14 principatum B 1&8 deligata B 17 triumphamur B ubicumque B dominum V: deum B 18 quo B 20 in spinas scrípsi: in spinis V, spinis B 21 suffucandum B douotionis B 22 fatione V tricensimum B sexaginsimum quae B, correxi: sexa- gesimum V δ Epist. C 82 — CI 4. 465 fruetum centenariumque profecit, perfectionem scilicet fru- menti dominiei mystica locutione designans. quapropter 3 exultantibus animis confidentius incitamus, ut ab Eutychianae pestis incursu pectora uestra sapienter intemerata seruetis, 5. quoniam qui perseuerauerit usque in finem, hie saluus erit. dominus prope est: nihil solliciti sitis, siquidem maior est, qui in nobis est, quam qui in hoe mundo, regnum- que domini intra nos esse scriptura testante sit certum. ut 4 autem ab eorum, qui in errore sunt positi, noxia societate io caueatis, nullum talibus communicantem ad uestrum reeipiatis qualibet subreptione consortium, quia sieut in unaquaque haeresi cum prauitatis auctore damnato successores eius et conplices atque huiusmodi seetatores polluta communione permixtos eatholiea uitare debet integritas, ita cum Eutychete 15 Dioscorus simulque Timotheus Elurus et Petrus Alexandrinus eiusque communieator Acacius nec non etiam Antiochenus Petrus cum suis omnino sunt participibus abdicandi nee quis- quam, etiamsi prauitatem deponere se promittat, recitandis tamen nominibus consentiens perditorum uel eadem recitan- 30 tium minime communione discretus ad inmaculata sacri gregis ouilia quibuscumque modis est permittendus intrare, ut ecclesia dei nostri. quae maeulam rugamque non sustinet, in- uiolata permaneat. absint ergo a fidelibus Christi uiperei capitis dira commereia et procul a caelestibus pascuis morti- 35 fera uenena pellantur, ut salutaris alimonia panis illius, qui 5 Matth. 10, 22 6 Philipp. 4, 5 sq. 8 Luc. 17, 21 22 Eph. 5, 27 25 sq. Ioh. 6, 50 l proficit .B 2 desigiat qua pro 8 3 profidentius B eutyciane B 4 pectura B 5. quoniam JB: quoniam iam V 6 solli- citis V 7 est ante qui om. B quam er qui eorr. V — in hog V: hoc B 9 societati Β 12 successore V. 18 copliliis (eras. ice) B uiusmodi .B sectatoribus V 14 eutiehete V: eutyches B 158 dios- chorus B elluru B alexandrinus et petrus irsp. B 18 etiam se B omisso se post deponere 20 menime JB sacri gregis B: sacrilegis V, sacrilegis Car. 22 qui B 23 filidelibus ΒΒ uiperei B: uipere V 24 comnereia ΒΒ precul] B 25 ut V: et B XXXY. 80 -J 466 Gelasius L episcopis per Dardamiam etc. constitutis de caelo deacendit, fideliter hune sumentes ad uitam per- ducat aeternam. quae ut mutua ualeamus exhortatione pro- Spicere, det operam uestra dilectio, ut et sospitatem uestrae caritatis optatam et fidei communi instantia nobis crebrius aperire non desinat, quatenus alternis nos instructionibus er- s eitantes legitimorum domini sacerdotum possimus inuenire mercedem. per uicinas quoque prouincias haec eadem pate- facere uestra caritas uigilanter insistat, ut et qui catholicae communionis sinceritate subsistunt competentibus roborentur alloquiis et qui forsitan a huius rectitudine deuiarunt ad inte- :e gritatem dogmatis Christiani salubribus monitis reducantur. nouerit autem uestra fraternitas ecclesiae Thessalonicensis antistitem nostris adhortationibus saepius incitatum contagia communionis externae numquam declinare uoluisse nec apud »08 nomen Ácacii uel ceterorum similium perfidorum hisque 15 communicantium congrua professione damnasse. quapropter eum communionem sedis apostolicae non recepisse manifestum est, quoniam nisi puris sensibus et ab omni nefandae socie- iatis peste mundatis beati Petri apostoli nec possumus nec debemus caelestia praebere commercia. propterea cautius s» agendum est cum praefato, ne catholicis mentibus ficta apo- siolicae sedis reconciliatione subripiat; quam sicut dolosis artibus fallere et circumuenire non praeualet, ita subdolus non potest optinere. ^ auctoritatem quoque nostram, quae ad Dalmatiarum est directa pontifices, etiam ad uos credidimus 55 1 descendit de caelo trsp. B (de coelo descendens Vwlgata) fide- liter B: fideles V hanc Car. 2 exortatione B 8 uestram B 4 obtatam B fidei communis instantia V, correxi: dei communionis instantiam B ὅ denat B 6 domini om. B 7 per uicinas V: pro- uincas B 10 ad B: ab V 312 thesalonicensis B 18 adortationibus B 15 his que V 16 congruam professionem B 17 communione V 1 15 Epist. CI 5—10. 467 dirigendam, quatenus in ueritate catholica secundum formam traditionis antiquae tenere nos «consonam noueritis ubique sententiam, si quos uero nouos didiceritis motus exsurgere, nobis fraterna debeatis sollicitudine reserare, quo subinde, quae patrum regulis congruant, praestante domino remedia procuremus, nec quisquam omnino uobis persuadeat Acacio praeuaricationis suae crimen fuisse laxatum, quia qui, post- quam in collegium recidens prauitatis iure commeruit ab apostolica communione secludi, in hae eadem persistens dam- natione defunctus est, absolutionem, quam superstes nec quaesiuit omnino nee meruit, mortuus iam non potest impe- trare; siquidem ipsis apostolis Christi uoce delegatum est quae ligaueritis super terram et quae solueritis super terram. ceterum iam de eo, qui in diuino est iudicio con- stitutus, nobis fas aliud decernere non est praeter id, in quo eum dies supremus inuenit, atque ideo nisi eius nomine refutato ceterisque consortibus huius erroris eum nullo prorsus eorum participare debebitis mensae dominicae puritatem, quam maiores nostri semper ab haeretica magnopere seruauerunt pollutione diseretam. ^ sed neque uos quisquam circumuenire 10 pertemptet, eum dieat non de religione sed de nominibus esse certamen uel apostolieam sedem non causami communi- 18 Matth. 18, 18 30* 468 Libellus apocrisiariorum ecclesiae Alexandrinae onis catholicae fideique tractare sed iniuriam dolere, cur uideatur ab Acacio fuisse contempta, quoniam haec et huius- modi, quatenus simplices quosque decipiant, hi, qui in errore llsunt positi, spargere non quiescunt. uidetis enim, sicut supra iam dictum est, per nomina praeuaricatorum, si, quod absit, in ecclesia recitanda credantur, simul et contagium praeuaricationis induci. sedes autem apostoliea in tantum non contumeliam dolet sed fidem defendit. communionemque sinceram, ut hodie cunctos, qui in eius uisi sunt prorupisse despectum, si ad integritatem fidei communionisque catholicae reuertantur, secundum regularum tramitem paternarum toto cordis affectu uenientes et plena caritate suscipiat. Dat. III. Non. Aug. Ásterio et Praesidio conss.