Letter 5104: I return to the counsel I gave you previously: the way to overcome the shadow of your predecessor is simply to...

TO BISHOP JOHN. [Summary:] After the most worthless predecessor Anastasius, he so guides the Corinthians that he may wipe away all the stains of the preceding contagion. He grants the use of the pallium. He exhorts him to suppress simony in the places subject to him. Gregory to John, bishop of the Corinthians. After our God, to whom nothing is hidden, casting away from the governance of his Church that abominable plague of pollution, willed to bring you to its rule, it must be guarded against by you with great solicitude, so that, after the wounds and the various evils of the former pastor, the Lord's flock may find in your brotherhood consolation and a wholesome remedy. Let, therefore, the hand of your action so wipe away the stain of the preceding contagion that it may not allow any traces of that execrable depravity even to remain. Let there therefore be a praiseworthy solicitude toward your subjects. Let discipline be displayed with gentleness. Let correction be with discretion. Let kindness temper anger, and let zeal sharpen kindness; and let the one be so seasoned by the other that neither does immoderate vengeance afflict more than is fitting, nor again does laxity break the rectitude of discipline. Let the instruction of the people committed to you be the action of your brotherhood. Let them see in you what they may love, let them discern what they may hasten to imitate. Let them be taught to live by your example. Let them not, under your leadership, turn aside from the right path, but by following you arrive at God, so that you may receive as many recompenses from the Savior of the human race as you have won gains of souls for him. Labor therefore, most dear brother, and so direct the whole effectiveness of mind and heart to this, that in the future you may merit to hear: Well done, good and faithful servant, enter into the joy of your Lord (Luke 19:17). The pallium, moreover, as you requested through your letter, which we received through Andrew our brother and fellow-bishop, we have sent, so that it is necessary that you use it in the manner in which your predecessors used it [and] it is approved with the consent of our predecessors. Moreover, it has come to us that in those parts no one attains to sacred orders without the giving of a gratuity. If this is so, weeping I say, groaning I declare, that since the priestly order has fallen within, it cannot long stand even without. For we know from the Gospel what our Redeemer did through himself, that having entered the temple he overturned the seats of those selling doves (Matthew 21:12). For to sell doves is to receive a temporal gratuity for the Holy Spirit, whom God almighty, consubstantial with himself, bestows upon men through the imposition of hands. From which evil, as I said before, what follows is now intimated, since those who have presumed to sell doves in the temple of God, their seats have fallen with God as judge. Which error indeed is propagated among their subjects with increase. For he too who is brought to the sacred honor, already corrupted in the very root of his advancement, is the readier to sell to others what he bought. And where is that which is written: Freely you have received, freely give (Matthew 10:8)? And since the first heresy against the holy Church, the simoniacal, arose, why is it not weighed, why is it not seen, that in advancing him whom one ordains for a price one acts so that he becomes a heretic? Since, therefore, the holy universal Church utterly condemns this most wicked depravity, we exhort your brotherhood that, by all the means of your solicitude, you suppress with insistence so detestable and so monstrous a sin from all the places that are under you. For if hereafter we perceive any such thing to be done, we shall correct this not now with words, but with canonical vengeance, and we shall begin to hold concerning you another judgment, which ought not to be. Moreover, let your brotherhood know that formerly the pallium was not given except with a gratuity given. Because this was unfitting, a council having been held before the body of blessed Peter, prince of the apostles, we have forbidden, under strict prohibition, that anything be received, as much for this as for ordinations. It behooves you, therefore, that you consent that no persons be brought to sacred orders either by gratuity, or by favor, or by the entreaty of certain persons. For both the sin, as we said, is grave, and we do not allow this to remain without correction. The aforesaid Andrew, our brother and fellow-bishop, we received late on this account, because, with our brother and fellow-bishop Secundinus reporting, we learned that he had fixed [attached] our letters to himself in the execution of John, bishop of Larissa. And unless your good [report] of him, which we had heard, had persuaded us, we had no reason to receive him. Given the 15th day of the month of August, in the 13th indiction. [The following are the editors' notes accompanying this letter:] [Note on "sons of the Church"/"soldiers of the Church":] He is accustomed to call the lay sons of the Church "sons," but the clergy "soldiers" of the Church. See book VI, epistle 5, "lest therefore the sons of the Church," etc. Before the celebration of Mass the bishop used to sit in the secretarium, now commonly the sacristy, to receive the greetings of the faithful; and these having been dismissed, vested in the sacred garments, he proceeded to the altar. Hence that place was called the salutatorium. See Gregory of Tours, History book I, chapter 21; Cardinal Bona, On Liturgical Matters, book I, chapter 24, number 2. [Note:] Above, secretarium, etc., epistle 19 of book I. Gussanvillaeus [Gussanville]. [Variant readings, Epistle LVII (alias 55):] The Vatican D, Norman, and Corbie [manuscripts read]: "great effort must be exerted by you." The Vatican A, B, C [manuscripts read]: "you must strive greatly." [Variant:] The same [manuscripts read]: "let it allow no memory to remain." The Norman [reads]: "or let it allow a memory to remain." OF SAINT GREGORY THE GREAT EPISTLE LVIII. TO ALL THE BISHOPS THROUGHOUT HELLAS. [Summary:] He rejoices over the correction of Anastasius, whose fall [should be] a caution to them; let them obey John his successor. Let them not allow clergy to be ordained or promoted either for a reward given, or by anyone's favor or entreaty. Gregory to all the bishops appointed throughout the province of Hellas. Thanks to almighty God I render together with you, most dear brothers, who made the hidden wound that the ancient enemy had inflicted come to the knowledge of all, and restrained it from the body of his Church by a salutary incision. From which matter we must both rejoice and grieve. We must rejoice indeed over the correction of the crime, but grieve over the fall of a brother. But since for the most part the fall of one is wont to be the caution of another, let whoever fears to fall in this attend, let him not give an opening to the enemy, let him not think that what is done lies hidden. For Truth cries out: Nothing is hidden that shall not be revealed (Matthew 10:26). For this voice is now the herald of our action, and, with him himself as witness, it brings forth into the open by every means what is done in secret. Or who may strive to hide his deeds before him who is both witness and judge of them? But because sometimes, while one thing is attended to, another is not guarded against, it behooves that each ought to be solicitous against all the snares of the enemy, lest while he conquers in one he be overcome in another. For the earthly enemy too, who desires to invade fortified places, before fighting uses this method: he indeed sets snares secretly, and makes a show of the storming of one place [though aiming at] the whole, so that while there is a gathering to the defense of that place where the danger presses, other places about which there is no suspicion may be taken. And it happens that he who, recognized, was repulsed by the strength of the one resisting, obtains by stealth what he could not by fighting. But because in all these things there is need of the help of divine protection, let each of us cry out to the Lord with the voice of the heart, saying: Lord, do not put your help far from me, look to my defense (Psalm 21:20). For it is manifest that unless he himself has helped, and defended those who cry out to him, our enemy cannot be conquered. Moreover, receiving the letter of your charity through Andrew our brother and fellow-bishop, know that we have transmitted the pallium to John our brother, bishop of the Corinthians; whom it greatly behooves you to obey, especially since both the order of ancient custom defends this for him, and his good qualities, to which you yourselves bear testimony, invite [it]. For with certain persons relating it, I have learned that in those parts no one attains to sacred orders without the giving of a gratuity. If this is so, weeping I say, and groaning I declare, that since the priestly order has fallen within, it cannot long stand even without. For we know from the Gospel what our Redeemer did through himself, that having entered the temple he overturned the seats of those selling doves (Matthew 21:12). For to sell doves is to receive a temporal gratuity for the Holy Spirit, whom God almighty, consubstantial with himself, bestows upon men through the imposition of hands. From which evil, as I said before, what follows is intimated, since those who have presumed to sell doves in the temple of God, their seats have fallen with God as judge. Which error indeed is propagated among their subjects with increase. For he too who is brought to the sacred order, already corrupted in the very root of his advancement, is the readier to sell to others what he bought. And where is that which is written: Freely you have received, freely give (Matthew 10:8)? And since the first heresy against the holy Church, the simoniacal, arose, why is it not weighed, why is it not seen, that in advancing him whom one ordains for a price one acts so that he becomes a heretic? And therefore we exhort that none of you allow this to be done again; but neither by anyone's favor, nor by entreaty, let him dare to promote any persons to sacred orders, except him whom the quality of life and conduct has shown to be worthy for this. For if we perceive otherwise to have been done again, know that it is restrained by strict and canonical vengeance. Given the 15th day of the month of August, in the 13th indiction. [The following are the editors' notes accompanying this letter:] [Note on the indiction:] In two [manuscripts of] Tellier and in the Vatican D, indiction 14 is noted. But since in all the manuscripts, even the Vatican ones, which contain the epistles according to the order of the indictions, this epistle is found in the series of those written in indiction 13, we ought not to move it from its place. The same reasoning operates for the preceding epistle, which was written at the same time. [Note on the title, Epistle LVIII (alias 56):] This title is read in various ways in the manuscripts. In Vatican D, "to Archelais." In the Anglican [manuscript], "to the bishops appointed at Adrellada," or "Arellada"; which the Norman and Corbie also have, where: "to the bishops of the province of Arellada existing." In the Reginensis, "to the bishops appointed of the province of Arellada." In the three Vatican [manuscripts] which we have preferred, it has "throughout Hellas." Hellas is properly Achaia, which is near Corinth, from which it received the word of God. Hence Paul, 2 Corinthians 1:1: "To the Church of God which is at Corinth, with all the saints who are in all Achaia." Therefore perhaps Saint Gregory called them the bishops of Hellas, from ancient custom, [signifying that they were] subject to the bishop of Corinth. [Variant:] The printed editions: "whither each one [fears] to fall," etc.; a little after, "nothing hidden that shall not be revealed, and concealed that shall not be known." [Note on John of Larissa:] Read epistles 6 and 7 of book III on John of Larissa against Adrian, bishop of Thebes. Here in "execution" he signifies pursuing the commands of John of Larissa.

AD JOANNEN EPISCOPUN. Pos! nequissimum decessorem Anastosium , Corinthios 8ic regat, ut praecedentis contagii omnes abstergat macuias. Concedit pallii usum. Hortalur ut in 8ub- gectis 8ibi locis 8imoniam compescat. Gregorius Joanni episcopo Corinthiorum. Postquam Deus noster, cui nihil occultum est, de Ecclesiz s8vz gubernatione nefaiidam pollutionis pe- slem abjiciens, vos ad ejus voluit regimen adducere, * magna vobis pr:rcavendum ext $ollicitudine ut post vulnera Þ et diversa prioris mala pastoris iv ſrater- Nnilate veslra grex dominicus consolationem ac salu- bre medicamentum inveniat. Sic ergo pracedentis conlagii maculam manus vestre actionis abstergat, ul nulla exsecrandz pravitatis illius vesligia, © vel sinat manere. | Sit igitur erga $ubjectos s0llicitudo laudabilis. TY8g Exhibeatur cum mansuetudine disciplina. Sit cum discretione correptio. Iram benignitas mitiget, beni- guitatem zclus exacuat ; et ita alterum condiatur ex altero, ut neciimmoderala ultio plus quam oportet C aſſligat , nec iterum ſrangat rectitudinem discipline remissio. Instructio commissi populi ſraternitatis ve- $IrZ Sit actio. Videat in vyobis quod diligat, cernat quod imitari ſestinet. Exemplo vestro vivere docea- tur. A recto itlinere te duce non deviet, ad Deum vos Sequendo perveniit, ut tot ab bumani generis Salvatore rc::ibutiones accipias, quot Jucra ei ope- ratns fueris animarum. Labora itaque, ſrater charis- Sime, et ita totam mentis et cordis ad hoc efflicaciam dirige, quatenus in ſuturo merearis audire : EFuge, 8erve bone et fidelis, intra in gaudium Domini tui (Luc. xix, 17). Pallium vero, sicut per epistolam vestram, quam per Andream fratrem et coepiscopum nosfrum $usce- pimus , postulastis, direximus, quo ita vos uti ne- D . Þ Laicos Ecclesiz filios , clericos vero Eecclesie milites appellare $olet. Vide lib. v1, epist. 5, ne ergo filti Eccles @, etc. Ante missarum celebrationem $e- debat episcopus in secrelario , nunc vulgo 8acrislia , ſidelium $alutativnes excepturus ; quibus dimissis , Sacris veslibus indutus , ad altare procedehat. Inde locus i!Je salu/atorium dicebatur. Vide Gregorium Turon., Ilist. 1:b. 1, c. 21; card. Bona de rebus Li- turg., lib. 1, cap. 24, num. 2. © Supra, 8ecretarium, elc., epistola 19 lib. 1. Gus- SANV. EeisT. LVII [| AL 55 ]. — © Vatie. D, Norm. et Corb., magna vobis ope nitendum esl. Valic. A, B, C, magnopere vobis nitendum esl. © lidem, nullam sinat manere memoriam. Norm., vel 8inat manere memoriam. SANCTI GREGORII MACNI cesse est, sicut predecessores vestri usi , conceden- A Suprascriptum vero Andream ſratrens et coepisco- tibus nostris pradecessoribus , approbantur. Prezterea pervenit ad nos quod in illis partibus nullus ad $2crum ordinem sine commodi datione perveniat. Quod si ita est, fl-ns dico, gemens de- nuntio, quia cum $acerdolalis ordo intus cecidit, ſoris quoque diu $stare non poterit. Scimus quippe ex Evangelio quid Redemptor noster per Semetipsum fecerit, quia ingressus templam cathedras venden- tium columbas everlit ( Matth. xx1, 12). Columbas enim vendere est de $ancto Spiritu, quem Deus onmnipotens consubslintialem Sibi per impositionem manuum hominibus tribuit, commodum temporale percipere. Ex quo, ut pradixi, malo jaw invwitur quid sequatur, quia qui in templo Dei coiumbas ven- dere praxsumpserunt, eorum Deo judice cathedra ceciderunt. Qui videlicet error. in Subditis cum au- gmento propagatur. Nam ipse quoque qui 4 ad $a- crum honorem perducitur, jam in ipsa proveclus $ui radice vitiatus, paraltior est aliis venundare quod emit, Et ubi est quod scriptum est: Cratis accepistis, gratis date (Matth, x, 8)? Et cum prima contra san- ctam Ecclesiam $imonica beresis Sit exorla, cur non perpenditur, cur non videtur quia eum quem quis cum pretio ordinat provehendo agit ut hcereticus fiat ? Quia ergo hanc neſandissimam pravitatem 8an- cla universalis omnino damnat Ecclesia , hortamur fraternitatem vesiram ut tam deteslabile et tam im- mane peccatum de locis omnibus que $sub se sunt Sollicitudinis suz modis omnibus compescat instan- tia. Nam si quid tale deinceps fieri senserimus, jam non verbis, sed canonica hoc ultione corrigemus, et de vobis, quod non oportet, aliud incipiemus habere judicium. Novit autem ( Grat. dist. 400, cap. 5) ſraternitas vesira quia prius pallium nisi dato commodo non dabatur. Quod quoniam incongruum erat, * ſacto concilio ante corpus Zg9 beali Petri apostolorum_ principis , tam de hoe quam de ordinationibus (Grat. 1,9. 1, c. 116) aliquid accipere ub dis:ricla interdi- ctione veluimus. Oporlet ergo ut neque per commodum, neque per . gratiam aut quorumdam supplicationem aliquos au 8acros ordines consentiatis adduci. Nam et peccatum, Sicut diximus, grave est, et sine correptione hoc non palimur remanere. 4 In Vulgatis, ad sacrum ordinem. Et infra, et cum primo, pro, et cum prima. | © Concilii .hujus acta post omnes epistolas exhi- bebimaus. Joan. Larissxi contra Adrianum ſhebanum episco- pum lege epistolas 6 et 7 lib. im. I» ex>ecutione hic Significat Joannis Larissxi jussa ensequendo. Eersr, LVIE [AL 56]. — * Nic titulus divers0 modo in Mss. legitur. In Vatic. D, pr Arche!aidam. In Anglic. , episcopis Adrellada consitntis, vel Arel- pum nostrum ob hoc tarde suscepimus, quia renin- tianle ſratre el coepiscopo nostro Secundino didici- mus f epistolas nostras sibi cum in Joannis Larisszi episcopi exsecutione (inxisse. Et nisi bona veslra no- bis que audivimus 8uasissent, nulla illum habuimus ratiune SuscCipere. 6 Data die 15 mensis Augusti, in- dict. 13. | EPISTOLA LVYIiI. AD UNIVERSOS EPI*COPOS PER HELLADIAN. Gratulatur de Anaslasii correctione, cujus casus 8 illis cauiela, Joanni illius 8uccessori obediant, Non pa- tiantur, aut dato pramio, aut alicujus gratia rel up» plicatione clericos ordinari vet promoveri. Gregorius universis episcopis * per Helladiam pro- vinciam constitutis. . | Gratias omnipolenti Deo vobiscum, ſratres charis- Simi, reſero, qui latens vulnus quod antiquus hostis inuierat ad omnium fecit pervenire notitiam, et de Ecclesix: $uz corpore $aluliſera jllud incisione com- pescvit, Ex qua re et grudendum nohbis est, et dolen- dum. Gaudendum quippe de correctione farinoris, dolendum vero de casu fratris. Sed quoniam plerum- que allerius casus, alterius s0let esse caulela, Þ hoe quisquis cadere tlimet, attendat, aditum hosti non prabeat, non pulet latere quod agitur. Nam Veritas clamat : Nikhil occultum quod non revelabitur (Matth. x, 26).. llc enim vox actionis nostrz jam. przco es, et, ips0 lesle, modis omnibus adducit ad publicum quod agitur in Secrety. Aut quis actus $uns ante illum nitatur abscondere, qui corum et teslis et judex est ? C Quia vero nonnunquam dum aliud attenditur aliud non cavelur, oportet ut contra omnes hostis insidias quisque debeat esse $ollicitus, ne dum in uno vincit, Superetur in allero, Nam et terrenus hostis, qui mu- nita loca cupit invadere, pugnandi ante sic utitur : Latenlier quidem ponit insidias, et ad unius loci $6 expugnationem totlus ostendit, JYQ ut dum ad de- ſensionem loci jllius ubi instat periculum convenitur, loca alia de quibus nulla est suspicio capiantur, Et evenit ul qui cognilus resislentis virtue repulsus est, latens oblineat quod certando non potuit. Sed quia in his omnibus divine protectionis auxilio opts est, roce cordis singuli clamemus ad Dominum, dicentes : Domine, ne longe ſacias auxilium tuum a me, ad de- ſensionem meam respice (Pgal. xxi, 20). Manifſestum D namque es quia nisi ipse auxiliatus ſuerit, et ad se lada ; quod etiam habet Norm. et Corb., ubi : episco- pis Aretlada Provincia consistentibus. In Reg., epizco- pis Arellade constitutis provincie. In tribus Vatic., quo0s prztulimus, habetur per Heltadiam. Hellas est proprie Achaia, quz Corintho, a quo verbum Dei ac- cepil, vicina. Hinc Paulus, Il Cor. 1, 1 : Eccl-sie Dei que es: Corinthi, cum omnibus sanctis qui sunt in universa Achaia. Ideo forte Sanctus Gregorius dirit Helladizz episcopos, ex antiqua consueludine, epi- Scopo C: rinthi esse Subditos. Editi, quo quisque cadere, elc..; paulo post, nihil oper- tum quod non revelttur , et occultum quod non $cia- tur, —_ - —omuoeye womooey - = 3 YI ner 793 EPISTOLARUM LIB. VI. — INDICT. XIV. — EPIST. I. 7% clamantes defenderit, hostis noster vinci non po= A porale percipere. Ex quo, ut praedixi, malo innuitur terit. Przterea epistolam charitatis vestrix per Andream ſratrem et coepiscopum nostrum suscipientes, paliium Joanni fratri nostro Corinthiorum episcopo nos trans- misis$e cognoscite; cui vos magnopere convenit obe- dire, presertim dum hoc sibi et antique consuetudi- nis ordo deſendat, et bona ejus, quibus ipsi testimo- njum perhibetis, invitent. Quibusdam namque nar- rantibus (Grat. 1, g. 1, c. 117) -agnovi quod in illis partibus nullus ad sacrum ordinem 8ine commodi da- tione perveniat. Quad «i ita est, flens dico, gemens- que denuntio, quia cum sacerdotalis ordo intus ceci- dit, foris quoque dia $tare non poterit. Scimus quippe ex Evangelio, quid Redemptor noster per se- quid sequatur, quia qui in templo Dei columbas ven- dere presumpserunt, eorum Deo judice cathedrz ce- ciderunt. Qui videlicet error in $subditis cum aug- mento propagatur. Nam ipse quoque, qui ad sacrum ordinem perducitur, jam in ipsa provectus $ui radics vitialus, paratior est aliis vendere quod emit. Et ubi est quod scriptum est : Gratis accepistis , gratis date (Vatth. x, 8)? Et cum prima contra sanciam Eccle- siam simomaca hzresis sit exorta, cur non perpen- - ditur, cur non videtur quia eum quem quis cum pre- tio ordinat, provehendo agit ut bezreticus fiat ? Ideo- que hortamur ut nullus vestrum denuo hoe fieri pa- tiatur ; sed neque gratia alicujus, neque Supplicatione, aliquos ad sacros ordines audeat promovere, © nisi metipsum ſecerit, quia-ingressus in templum, cathe- B eum quem vitz et actionis qualitas ad hoc dignum dras vendentium columbtas evertit (Matth. xx1, 12). Columbas quippe veudere est de sancto Spiritu, quem 8ihi consubslantjalem Deus omnipotens per imposi- tiorem manuum bominibus tribuit, commodum tem- 1 In duobus Teller. et in Yatic. D notatnr indictio 14. At cum in omnibus Mss. etiam Vaticanis, qui epi- esse monstraverit. Nam si aliter factum denuo sense- rimus, districia et canonica illud noveritis ultions compesci. 4 Datum die 15 mensis Augusli, indi clione 13. © stolas secundum indictionum ordinem continent, hae epistola in serie scriptarum indictione 15 reperiatur, eam loco movere non debuimus. Eadem ratio mi- litat pro superiori epistola, quz eodem lempore scri- pla ſuit. —_