Letter 147: Part of the papal correspondence surrounding the Acacian Schism (484-519), the major breach between Rome and...

[Editorial summary: Anastasius Augustus to Pope Hormisdas. He commends the gentleness of Christ, so as to make Hormisdas out to be guilty, as it were, of excessive harshness.] Anastasius Augustus to Pope Hormisdas. Although silence is judged to be something great, nevertheless it is necessary that those who marvel at the mercy of God should continually frequent discourse. And because it is held unknown to no one that the beginning of the faith which our Lord and God, our Savior Jesus Christ, taught us excels in the remission of sins. For He Himself, through His own passion, cleansed all the sins of Adam, and this was the transaction of His humility, that He might free both the aforesaid one and all the brethren from the servitude of sin, willingly taking upon Himself the person of a servant. For the blessed apostle Paul taught us, writing to the Romans: Death reigned from Adam unto Moses, even over those who had not sinned. From this it has been in a certain manner declared to all, that out of the general dispensation or marvels each one ought to receive special examples, confirmed once for all by so great a command of the great law and by so pious a goodness; and all the teaching which He handed down to His disciples consists in this foundation. He put to flight sicknesses or the manifold kinds of sufferings, and He loosed the knot of sin by His own passion, as has been said; and, urging them to the fulfilling of like deeds, He instructed His disciples by deeds and by words. But if, as some endeavor to show, certain ones of these very apostolic men [conceal / dissimulate that they fulfilled] so pious a teaching through disobedience [...] [text disturbed; see editorial note] [Editorial footnote: that Christ therefore took on flesh so that He might mercifully free all; and thus, from this general cause of His incarnation, which He confirmed by miracles, deeds, and precepts, He gave us special examples, by which we might learn mercy.] [Editorial footnote: I would not believe that Anastasius, indeed not any man who glories in the Christian name, was of such impudence and impiety as to accuse the apostles of disobedience in fulfilling the commands of Christ. Wherefore it should rather be read "these very apostolic men" than (the alternative reading).] [Marginal note: the year 517.] ...; we are ignorant where the teaching of the merciful Lord and great God can present itself to us. But we do not believe on this account, so as to think those to be unmerciful who have learned mercy; rather, we restrain our entreaty from the present time by silence, judging it unreasonable to apply the kindness of prayers to those who are unwilling to be asked, contumaciously rejecting them: for we are able to bear being injured and being annulled, but we cannot be commanded. Given on the fifth day before the Ides of July at Constantinople, in the consulship of Anastasius (Augustus for the fourth time) and Agapitus.

Anastasii Augusti ad Hormisdam papam. iWum Christi mansuetudinem commendai, ut Hormisdam velut nimiae duritiae reum faciat, Anastasius Augustus Hormisdae papae. Etsi magnum aliquid taciturnitas judicatur, tamen necessarium est, admirantes Dei misericordiam assidue frequentare sermonem. Et quia initium fidei, quam nos Dominus et Deus Salvator noster Jesus Christus docuit *), in remissione peccatorum praecellit, nulli habetur ignotum. Ipse enim per propriam passionem omnia Adam peccata mundavit, et haec fuit negotiatio humilitatis ipsius, ut et praefatum et omnes fratres liberaret ex servitute peccati, voluntarie personam servi suscipiens. Nam beatus Paulus apostolus docuit nos scribens ad Romanos: Regnavit mors ah Adam usque ad Moysen ei in eos, Qui^^ hon peccaverunt. Ex quo est universitati quodammodo declaratum, ex generali dispositione sive mirabilibus specialia quemque^) exempla debere sascipere semel tanta magnae legis jussione et tam pia boni- tate firmata; et omnis doctrina, quam discipulis suis tradidit, in hoc firmamento consistit. Fugavit aegritudines sive multifaria ge- nera passionum, nodum peccati propria, sicut dictum est, passione resolvit; et agens ad implenda similia discipulos factis et sermoni- bus instruebat. Verum si, sicut aliqui nituntur ostendere, certi ex ipsis^) apostolicis tam piam doctrinam per inobedientiam implere Christum ideo camem suscepisse, ut oranes misericorditer liberaret; adeoque ex hac generali incarnationis suae causa, quam miraculis, gestis ac praeceptis firmavit, specialia nobis dedisse exempla, quibus misericordiara disceremus. ') Non crediderim Anastasium imnio uUum, qui Christiano nomiue glorietur, ejus impudentiae et impietatis exstitisse , ut apostolos in implendis Christi man- datis inobedieutiae argucrent. Quare legendum potius ipsis apostolicis^ quam a. 517. dissimulant; ignoramuS; ubi magisterium misericordis Domiui ei magni Dei nobis possit occurrere. Nos autem non ea credimiis ra- tione, ut immisericordes esse putemus, qui misericordiam didicenmi; sed postulationem nostram a praesenti tempore tacitomitate compri- mimuS; irrationabile judicantes illis precum adhibere bonitatem, qoi rogari se nolint, contumaciter respuentes ^) : injuriari enim et annul- lari sustinere possumus, juberi non possumus. Data Y Idus Julii Constantinopoli, Anastasio (Augusto IV)^) et Apapito yv. cccon- sulibus.