Letter 68: Part of the papal correspondence surrounding the Acacian Schism (484-519), the major breach between Rome and...

MEMORANDUM SENT BY BISHOP JOHN AND BY EPIPHANIUS, PRESBYTER OF THESSALONICA. If, for our sins, those bishops who have been brought here from this place should enter Constantinople, let us not say that they will see the emperor and by every means and in their own districts be restored (for they have carried off with them such great sums of money that they could blind, not men, but angels) - if therefore, which God forbid, they should enter, they will tell as many lies in our absence as the devil is able to invent. For if here, in our sight, they attempted many things and, with the Lord standing with us, were confounded, how much will they do in our absence? Therefore, that their malice may be scattered, command that, with us present, if it should come to a hearing on account of [our] sins, it may be established before all that we have died undeservedly and that they are working through the patronage of money; for we are able to convict them in all things in the sight of the senate, namely that they are thoroughgoing heretics. Then at last their deceit can be shown. Likewise it must be said: if they are not heretics, how is it that, two weeks before we had come, all the bishops took their stand together, so that none should hold mass outside the city but all from this place [should hold it here], in order that a multitude might be gathered together for the coming sedition and might be instructed according to their errors? And after they perceived that we were coming, they publicly preached that there must be haste with the little children, lest, with persecution coming, the infants should die as pagans; and then, as though for a second Passover, they baptized so many that they exceeded the customary festival. Likewise it must be said: if they are not heretics, how is it that they performed so many sacraments, so that they distributed baskets full [of the eucharist] to all, lest, with persecution looming, as they were saying, they should be unable to communicate? Likewise: if they are not heretics, after they had been accused in proceedings by Candidus, the most distinguished man, vicar of the master of the praetorian soldiers, in the court of the prefects, and they recognized that imminent danger was about to come upon them, why again, as though men about to be condemned, as if wishing once more to come to the aid of the little children, did they once more, even when refuted, carry out so many baptisms, so that they truly showed themselves heretics to all? At which matter the great and magnificent authority of the prefects was most gravely indignant. Likewise: if they are not heretics, how is it that, when we had been hidden in the baptistery, having taken counsel among themselves through the night, as though wishing to free us from danger, they wanted to put us aboard a ship, so that by this occasion they might throw us headlong into the sea; and when we had answered through the deacons Demetrius and Andrew, 'All men know that we are with you: how can we sail by night? But if you are truly taking counsel for our safety, let it be ordered that tomorrow, secretly, five or six senators, who fear danger to their property or their safety, be summoned together with Candidus, count and vicar of the master of the soldiers: let these themselves also know where we are being transferred, and we will do what they order; but if [it is to be done] alone and in secret, this we will not do' - then they, finding no result for the moment, fell silent, and on another day again stirred up a sedition of the people, from which, by God's will, we barely escaped?

INDICULUS QUI DIRECTUS EST A lOHANNE EPISCOPO UEL AB EPI- PHANIO PKESBYTERO DE THES8AL0N1CA. Si pro peccatis nostris isti, qui hinc adducti sunt, episcopi Constantinopolim fuerint ingressi, non dicamus, quod impera- torem uisuri sunt modis omnibus et suis locis restituentur (tantas enim pecunias secum detulerunt, ut non homines sed possint angelos excaecare) — si ergo, quod absit, ingressi fuerint, tanta falsa per nostram absentiam dicturi sunt, quanta potest diabolus inuenire. nam si hinc in conspectu nostro plura temptauerunt et domino nobiscum stante confiisi sunt, 2 quanta facient per absentiam nostri? ut ergo eorum possit dissipari malignitas, iubete nobis praesentibus, si ad audientiam pro peccatis uentum fuerit, ut constet apud omnes nos imme. rite mortuos esse et illos patrocinio pecuniae laborare; nos enim eos in omnibus in conspectu senatus conuincere possu- mus, quod haeretici perfecti sint. tunc demum eorum potest 3 raonstrari fallacia. item dicendum: si haeretici non sunt, quomodo ante duas hebdomadas, quam nos uenissemus, statu- 12 abducti Bar. 14 suis] ss F 17 abscentiam F 18 hic cod.AngeUe., sed cf. p. 643, 2 20 abficentiam F 21 iubete nobis praesentibns] 'supple eoB audiri' Thiel 22 immeritf F: immerito Car. 23 pec- cunie F 27 ebdomadas F Epist. CLXXXV 4 — CLXXXVI 5. 643 erunt omnes in unum episcopi, ne quis missas foras ciuitate teneret sed hinc omnes, ut et multitudo esset seditioni futurae congregata et doceri possit secundum errores eorum? qui postquam senserunt nos uenire, publice praedicauerunt festi- nandum esse cum paruulis, ne persecutione ueniente pagani morerentur infantes, et tunc uelut <ad> alterum pascha tantos baptizauerunt, ut consuetam festiuitatem superarent. item 4 dicendum: si haeretici non sunt, quomodo tanta sacramenta confecerunt, ut canistra plena omnibus erogarent, ne imminente, sicut dicebant, persecutione communicare non possint? item: si haeretici non sunt, posteaquam accusati sunt gestis a Candido u. s. uicario magistri militum praetorianorum in iudicio prae- fectorum et sibi maturum periculum cognoscerent adfuturum, qnare denuo tamquam damnandi, uelut subuenire iterum paruulis cupientes, tanta rursum et confutati exercuerunt baptismata, ut uere cunctis se haereticos ostendissent? ad quam rem satis et magnifica potestas praefectorum grauissime indignata est. item: si haeretici non sunt, quomodo, cum in 5 baptisterio absconsi essemus, consilio inter se habito per noctem uelut de periculo liberare nos uolentes in naue mittere uoluerunt, ut hac occasione mari praecipites darent, cumque nos respondissemus per Demetrium et Andream diacones ^omnes nos apud uos esse cognoscunt: quomodo per noctem nauigare possumus? sed si uere pro nostra salute consuletis, crastina die secrete quinque uel sex senatores, qui periculum substantiae uel salutis suae metuunt, una cum magistri militum uicario Candido comite iubeatur aduocare: cognoscant et ipsi, ubi transferimur, et facimus quod iubent; sin autem soli secretim, hoc non facimus", tunc illi non inuenientes effectum 1 ciuitatem p 2 hic Thieh sed cf. suprap. 642, 18 3 fort. posset 6 niore- renturo^: memorantur F ad add.o^ pasca V 9 conficerunt F 9 «g. imminens . . persecutio F, corr, 10 possent cod. Angelic. 11 acusati V 12 praetorianorum Bar.: pt (== praeter) V 19 absconditi o con- ailium . . habitum F, corr. Thiel 20 naui o 24 consulitis Car, 27 iubeat F, correxi: iubete o» 28 iubetis Thiel 29 effectu F, corr. Car. 644 lustinianns Hormisdae; Instinianns Hormisdae ad horam tacuerunt et alia die itenim seditionem populi com- mouerunt, unde uix deo uolente euasimus?