Letter 26: When we hear of the excellent perseverance of Your Charity and recognize the path of true faith that you uphold...

Hormisdas to Bishop Possessor. Hearing of the excellent steadfastness of your charity, and recognizing the path of the right faith which you uphold without commotion, we render thanks to our God without ceasing, that you may both persist in this disposition and be able to furnish the rest an example for them to follow. These are heavenly gifts, these are the tokens of the divine bestowal, these are the judgments of God, which have refused to allow you to be separated from the catholic fellowship of the priests. Wherefore, dearest brother, we exhort you with these present words, that you persevere in that constancy in which you were chosen, and that you supply increases to your praiseworthy beginnings; for a good work, especially one that pertains to the doctrine of the faith, unless it always grows, seems to be diminished; and if any worldly tribulation should befall, then, setting the future rewards before our eyes, let us console ourselves with the apostolic admonition, saying: the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the future glory which shall be revealed in us [Romans 8:18]. Yet we hope for better things, because God, who through the blessed Apostle said: he has not permitted you to be tempted beyond what you are able [to bear] [1 Corinthians 10:13], he himself, of his own mercy, will, as he has always done, rescue from the snares of the adversaries those whom he has chosen to be his own. The little book of your beloved self concerning the confession of the right faith we have received through our legates returning, and in it we have recognized the sincerity of your fraternity, because that which it rightly believes it did not delay to proclaim under public attestation. Given on the third day before the Nones of April, in the consulship of Agapitus [3 April 517].

HORMiSDA possEssoRi EPI8C0P0. Optimam uestrae caritatis audientes instantiam et cognoscentes rectae fidei tramitem, quem sine strepitu uindicatis, deo nostro gratias sine cessatione persoluimus, ut et in ea dispositione persistas et ceteris, quod sequantur, tribuere possis exemplum. ista sunt dona caelestia, ista sunt diuinae tributionis indicia, ista sunt dei iudicia, quae te a catholico sacerdotum noluerunt separari 2 consortio. unde, frater karissime, praesentibus hortamur alloquiis, ut in ea constantia, qua electus es, perseueres et augmenta probabilibus initiis subministres, quia bonum opus, praecipue quod ad doctrinam fidei pertinet, nisi semper cre- uerit, uidetur imminui, et si tribulatio mundana contigerit, ante oculos nostros futura praemia ponentes apostolica nos admonitione consolemur dicentes: non sunt condignae passiones huius temporis ad futuram gloriam, quae 3 reuelabitur <in> nobis. meliora tamen speramus, quia deus, qui per beatum apostolum dixit: qui uos non dimisit temptari super quod potestis, ipse pro sua pietate, quos suos elegit esse, et de laqueis aduersariorum sicut semper 4 eripiet. libellum dilectionis tuae de confessione rectae fidei 19 Eom. 8, 18 22 Cor. I 10, 13 2'hisdem V sita F, corr. Thiel ISU Dat. (simul cum epp. 126. 128—130, 132) a. 517 die 3 Apr. per Ennodium etc. Edd. Car. P 466; Bar. ad a. 517, 27; CoUect. Concil.; BTA I 401; Thiel 805. 6 horii7s V 7 sq. tramitemque F, corr. &2 9 persolumus V, corr. o 11 ^re>tributionis Car. 13 fratres karissimi F, corr. 14 electus F; exorsus Bar. 18 occulos F 9 consolemur Thiel: consulimur F, consolamur 20 gloria F, corr. o 21 in addidi secundum Vulgatam, cf. p. 550, 25 23 ipsa F, corr. per sua pietate F, corr. o 25 eripi. et F, corr. Epist. CXXX 10 — CXXXII 3. 553 per legatos nostros remeantes accepimus et in eo sinceritatem taae fratemitatis agnouimus, quia, quod recte credit, sub adtestatio<ne> publica praedicare non distulit. Data IIL Nonas April. Agapito <cons.>