Letter 215: Part of the papal correspondence surrounding the Acacian Schism (484-519), the major breach between Rome and...

[Editorial summary: Of Pope Hormisdas to Justinian. He praises Justinian's reverence toward him. On account of the controversies that have arisen, he sets forth in a few words the mystery of the Trinity, until, once the legation he is awaiting has been received, he may expound it more fully.] Hormisdas to Justinian, the illustrious man. 1. In that your Highness deigns to display the goodwill of your heart toward me, you are doing a thing pleasing to God and befitting an upright conscience; but the rewards of this resolve are no small ones for you. The greater fruit from such goodness returns upon yourselves, for the honor that is paid to a bishop is not empty. It is beyond doubt, indeed, that the honor of the minister is the worship of the Lord, and that he who holds the person of the priest in high regard will receive the greater recompense from him whom the priest serves, since the Lord Jesus said to those who receive prophets in his name that their reward shall be rendered to them [Matthew 10:41]. And with me, indeed, your favor is of great weight, yet the more precious because, in whatever you graciously bestow of favor upon me, you show it in the defense of the Church. [a. 620.] 2. But that our discourse may be directed to that which your Highness desires: although both the most clement emperor and you yourselves promise that a legation is to come, and although it has been agreed with reason that we ought to await the presence of those who are to be sent regarding all these matters, nevertheless, because the zeal which you have declared yourselves to have concerning religion is welcome to us, it is no burden to give a foretaste by speaking, [namely] that there is no need that followers of their own intention rather than of reason should, by the impudent novelty of words, throw into confusion the stability of your faith. The Holy Trinity, the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, is one God. This is what Israel was commanded to adore, whose inseparable and undivided substance cannot be divided, cannot be separated by sacrilegious distinction, the property of each person being nonetheless preserved. These things, meanwhile, to be commended to your faith, mindful of the limit of an epistolary style, we believe sufficient in fitting brevity, to be discussed more fully when, with the empire of the most clement prince flourishing, it shall come to pass that we too, by God's favor, receive the promised legation, and, all things having been learned, with the help of our God, having rendered a reply, we shall send it back for the instruction of the whole community.

finMart) Hormlsdae papae ad Justlniannm. Iliius erga se reverentiam lcnidat. Propter exorias contentiones mysterium ts. p.11 Trinitatis paucis explicat, donec suscepta quam exspectat legatione ptemus illMd edisserat. Hormisda Justiniano viro illustri. ep. 99, 1. Quod celsitudo vestra animi circa me sui benevolentiam dignatur ostendere, facitis rem Deo placitam et rectae conscientiae congruentem; sed non parva sunt vobis^) hujus emolumenta propo- siti. Major in vos fructus de tali bonitate revertitur, neque enim vacua honorificentia est, quae defertur antistiti. Indubitatum siqui- dem est, quia honor ministri cultus est domini, et qui personam sacerdotis magni habet, majorem remunerationem ab eo cui sacerdos Matth. famulatur accipiet, dicente Domino Jesu iis, qui prophetas in houm * ' suscipiunt, suam mercedem esse reddendam. Et apud me qnidem magni est gratia vestra momenti, eo tamen pretiosior, quia quid- rii 25 die ordinatum esse tradit. Dioscorus vero has litteras quarta post orS- nationem ejus die tnittere se Bignificat. £x quo consequens est, ut ^osdem men- bIb, qui hoc anno bisextilis erat, 29 die missae sint. EPISTOLAE 111 — 113. 913 quid mihi gratiae dignanter impenditis, in ecelesiamm defensione(a.620.) monstratis. 2. Sed ut ad id, quod eelsitudo vestra desiderat, noster sermo dirigatur, quamquam et clementissimus imperator et vos promittatis^) ep. 108. legationem esse venturam, et id cum ratione convenerit, ut eorum qui dirigendi sunt super omnibus nos decuerit exspectare praesen- tiam: tamen quia gratum nobis est studium, quod circa religionem V06 habere declarastis, non gravat praelibare dicendo, non opus, ut stabilitatem fidei vestrae intentionis^) potius quam rationis sequaces procaci verborum novitate confundant. Sancta Trinitas Pater et Filius et Spiritus sanctus unus est Deus. Hanc Israel jussus ado- rare, cujus inseparabilis et indiscreta substantia non potest dividi, non potest sacrilega distinctione separari, servata tamen proprietate sua unicuique personae. Haec interim commendanda fidei vestrae, epistolaris stili terminum cogitantes, congrua credimus brevitate sufficere, plenius disserenda, quum florente imperio clementissimi principis^) promissam legationem et nos suscipere Deo propitiante contigerit, et cognitis omnibus cum adjutorio Dei nostri responso reddito pro universitatis informatione remittere.