Letter 24: Simplicius writes to Acacius urging him once more to act before the emperor in defense of the Chalcedonian decrees.

Of Pope Simplicius, to Acacius of Constantinople. [Summary:] That he should see to it that, through the emperor, Peter Mongus be sent far away from the region of Alexandria. Simplicius the bishop, to Acacius the bishop of Constantinople. Recently indeed, at the request of those who had been sent to us by our brother and fellow-bishop Timothy, prelate of the Alexandrian church, I made known by letter to your beloved self our common joy, and I recorded that we likewise rejoiced over the fruit of that most pious work, namely that a catholic priest had been restored to the said church; which now too we have hastened to signify, so that you might recognize that joys do not love silence. Therefore, ever exulting and desiring that the vows of our common prayers be joined together, I urge you, dearest brother, that, now that affairs have been set in order through the most merciful and most Christian prince with God as their author, the watchfulness of diligence be not wanting; but that Peter, cast down from the honor not owed to him, be not permitted to dwell in the Alexandrian region, but far beyond the borders of the country, just as we also have demanded, you should request by frequent representation that he be banished, lest he seduce any of the unskilled [the simpler sort] by the persuasion of his depravity and turn them aside from the path of catholic truth. But whatever [Footnote 1: G' and the common reading have "infirmiores" (the weaker). That it ought to be read "infirmioris" is clear from the foregoing letter 11, where the same heretic is written to have infected certain men of slender faith at Alexandria.] [Footnote 2: that is, lest any of the simpler sort, or as we read in the next letter, lest any of weaker faith.] [Heading: LETTERS 12-14. 201] you shall obtain from the most religious Empire, let the care of your beloved self bring it to my knowledge, and grant that we be partakers of the proceedings pertaining to the safeguarding of evangelical doctrine. Given on the sixteenth day before the Calends of November, in the consulship of that most illustrious man.

^i^Oci. Siniplicii papae ad Acacium CoustantinopolitAnum. [/i Acacuis Petrum Mongum procul ah AlexandHna regione per imperatorem , amandari curet. Simplicius episcopus Acacio episcopo Constan- tinopolitano. Proxime quidem dilectioni tuae, petentibus his, qui ad nos a fratre et coepiscopo iiostro Timotlieo i^lexandrinae ecclesiae antistite directi fuerant, commune gaudium litteris indicavi, et de fructu piissimi operis, quod catholicus memoratae ecclesiae sacerdos est restitutus, pariter nos gaudere memoravi; quod nunc quoque signi- ficare properavimus , ut agnosceres gaudia silentium non amare, Unde semper exsultans et orationum communium cupiens vota so- ciari, hortor, frater carissime, ut rebus per clementissimuni et Chri- stianissimum principem Deo auctore compositis diligentiae soUici- tudo non desit; sed Petnis ab indebito sibi honore dejectus, in Ale- xandrina regione non sinatur habitare, sed procul extra terminoe patriae, sicut etiam nos poposcimus, frequenti eum postules sugge- stione relegari, ne quos imperitorum*) pravitatis suae persuasione seducat et a cathohcae tramite veritatis avertat. Quidquid autem ') G' et vulg. infirmiores. Legendum esse infirmioris, liquet ex superiori epi- stola 11, ubi idem haereticua Alexiindriae aliquos modicae fidei inficere Bcribitur. ') h. e. nc quos simpliciorum, seu ut in proxima epistola legebamus ne qmoi infirmioris fidei. EPISTOLAE 12 — 14. 201 de religioBissiino irapetrabis Imperio, cura tuae dilectionis ad meam a. 478. notitiam faciat pervenire, et nos actuum ' ad custodiam evangelicae doctrinae pertinentium det esse consortes. Data XVI Calendas No- Tembris Hlo viro clarissimo consule.