To the fathers of a certain Gallican synod gathered concerning the question of Easter. To the holy lords and fathers in Christ, or brethren — bishops, presbyters, and the other orders of holy Church — I, Columba a sinner, send greeting in Christ beforehand. 1. I give thanks to my God that on my account so many holy men have gathered together into one, to treat of the truth of faith and good works, and, as befits such men, with senses exercised to the discernment of good and evil, to judge with just judgment of the things to be discussed. Would that you did this more often!
And although, according to the canons, on account of the tumultuous dissensions of this age it is not always free for you to keep this practice once or twice a year, yet at least as speedily as possible — however rarely — this zeal ought above all to be in you, whereby the negligent, and such as have fear, and the zealous, might be provoked to greater progress. Behold, I say, thanks be to God, that even on my account, for the discussing of Easter, a holy synod has been brought about for you. May our Lord Jesus Christ, that Prince of pastors, grant that your council may avail to the profit of His Church; and may God Himself, who is wont to stand in the synagogue of the gods (Ps. 81:1), being present, inspire the hearts of His own, to follow His will wholly out of the strength of His commandments;
so that you may treat not only of the business of Easter alone (which has long since been ventilated, and long and variously judged by divers authors), but also of all the necessary canonical observances, which by many — what is more grievous — have been corrupted; and, since the day of judgment is now nearer than it was then, that you may enter upon some yet more rigorous counsel of evangelical religion and of apostolic tradition: for if you diligently inquire into the evangelical commandments, I do not wonder that in them things contrary to the morals of certain persons are found. But let it suffice to have signified that each one is to be conformed to the example of his Redeemer, and to the form of the true pastor;
who, first preaching humility, and joining the seven beatitudes to the poverty of spirit which comes first, so taught man to follow His footsteps that, by following righteousness, he might come to the true circumcision of the eighth day; because the eighth beatitude is bounded by martyrdom, in that not only by acting justly, but also by enduring for righteousness' sake, the martyr, desirous indeed of the heavenly kingdom, is crowned along with those who likewise contend. 2. Since, therefore, as it is written, 'He that saith he believeth in Christ ought himself also to walk even as Christ walked' (1 John 2:6) — that is, both poor and humble, and ever preaching the truth with persecution from men;
and again, 'They that will live godly in Christ shall suffer persecution' (2 Tim. 3:12); and because 'Faith without works is dead in itself' (Jas. 2:17, 20, 26), and the Lord answers the foolish who are content with faith alone: 'I know you not' (Matt. 7:23); and to those who believe well and say 'Lord, Lord' (ibid., 21) He has promised that they shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven. And since they can be neither His disciples nor worthy of themselves who have not renounced all things which they possess, let each one consider himself; and if he has steadfastly fulfilled or endured these things, lest he be a stranger to the disciples of our Lord Jesus Christ — for the son ought not to be degenerate, and the disciple ought not to preach things contrary to the Master.
For 'he who entereth not by the door into the sheepfold of the sheep, the same is a thief and a robber' (John 10:1). And he who flees the labor of chastising and of resisting the vicious is a hireling, not a son who shall ever abide in the Church. These things I have therefore briefly touched, so that, if you should be willing that we, as it were inferiors, should teach you, the fathers, you may have this voice of the true Pastor both in deed and in mouth, which His own sheep acknowledge: 'For they hear not the voice of strangers, but flee from him' (ibid., 5) whose voice they do not acknowledge — which, unless it be a voice of action, does not accord with the voice of the true pastor. Nor will a discourse uttered from the mouth of a hireling be able effectively to penetrate the souls of the disciplined, having this sign, that he himself first does not hear what is not heard from him.
And what the Master first despised in his deeds he cannot hand on by a bare word as an example for keeping. 3. Together, therefore, let us all, whether clerics or monks, first alike fulfill these true and singular canons of our Lord Jesus Christ, and so afterward, the swelling of pride laid aside, write of the rest as one. If we are all humble and poor for Christ's sake, voluntarily — He who for our sakes became poor, though He was rich (2 Cor. 8:9);
then afterward, through humility out of the earth of vices, and through the voluntary poverty of the evangelical admonition, the diverse covetous desires being laid aside and mortal cares thrust down, as it were the causes of diversity and discord being cut away, all the sons of God will have true peace and entire charity among one another, through likeness of morals and equality of one will. For diversity of morals and variety of traditions has greatly harmed, and harms, the peace of the Church; yet, if, as I said, the poisons of pride and envy and of vainglory be cured first, through the precept of our Savior who says by way of example: 'Learn of me, for I am meek and humble of heart' (Matt.
11:29) and the rest — let us first hasten to attend to the exercises of true humility, so that thereafter, without any scandal, all being perfect, hatred being done away, we may, like the disciples of our Lord Jesus Christ, love one another with our whole heart. And even if there be some diversity of traditions, as also concerning Easter, since the humble cannot contend, 'neither does the Church have such a custom' (1 Cor. 11:16); for they will quickly come to know the truer things who, with the same purpose and the same desire of acknowledging the truth, alike seek what they may more rightly follow — when no one is overcome save error, and when no one glories in himself, but in the Lord;
let us therefore seek together, I beseech you, O most beloved fathers and brethren, and let us see which tradition is the truer, yours or that of your brethren in the West. For all the churches of the whole West (as in the volume of my response which I have now sent you, though written three years ago, I indicated) do not hold that the Resurrection ought to take place before the Passion — that is, Easter before the equinox — and they do not exceed the twentieth moon, lest without the authority of the Old Testament they should perform the sacrament of the New Testament. But these things elsewhere; otherwise, what indeed those men think concerning Easter, or the pope, I have made known through three volumes, and I have moreover presumed to write this same thing to your holy brother Arigius in a short pamphlet. 4.
One thing, therefore, I beg of your sanctity: that with peace and charity you would bear with my foolishness, and my proud — as certain ones say — presumption of writing, which necessity, not vanity, has wrung from me, as my very worthlessness itself proves; and, since I am not the author of this diversity, and for Christ the Savior, our common Lord and God, I have come as a pilgrim into these lands, I beseech you through our common Lord, and by Him who is to judge the living and the dead (2 Tim. 4:1) I adjure you — if you would deserve to be acknowledged by Him who will say to many, 'Amen I say to you, I never knew you' (Matt.
7:23) of Him to be acknowledged — that it may be permitted me, with your peace and charity, to keep silence and to live in these woods beside the bones of our seventeen deceased brethren, even as until now it has been permitted us to have lived among you for twelve years, that we may pray for you, as we have done until now, as we ought. May Gaul receive us together, I pray — us whom the kingdom of heaven will receive, if we are of good merit. For we have one promised kingdom, and one hope of our calling in Christ, with whom we shall reign together (2 Tim. 2:11-12), provided that first here we suffer with Him, that we may also be glorified together with Him. I know that to many this loquacity of mine will seem superfluous; but I have judged it better that you too should know the things which we both here treat of and ponder among ourselves.
For these are our canons, the commandments of the Lord and the apostles: in these is our faith; these are our arms, our shield and our sword; this is our apology; these things have moved us from our fatherland; these things we strive to keep even here, though lukewarmly; in these we both pray and desire to persevere unto death, even as we have beheld our elders do. 5. But you, holy Fathers, see what you do toward these poor old veterans and aged pilgrims: as I judge, it will be better for you to comfort them than to disturb them. As for me, I have not dared to come to you, lest perhaps, being present, I should contend, against the Apostle's saying which says: 'Strive not in words' (ibid., 14); and again:
'If any man seem to be contentious, we have no such custom, neither the Church of God' (1 Cor. 11:16). But I confess the secrets of my conscience, that I believe more in following the tradition of my fatherland — according to the [reckoning of the Lord(?)], and the calculation of eighty-four years, and Anatolius, praised by Eusebius the bishop, author of the Ecclesiastical History, and by holy Jerome the writer of the Catalogue — to celebrate Easter, than according to Victorius, who wrote of late doubtfully, and, where it was necessary, defined nothing, as he himself testified in his prologue: he who, after the times of holy Martin and holy Jerome and Pope Damasus, after a hundred and three years, wrote under Hilarus. But do you yourselves choose whom you would rather follow, and whom you would better believe, according to that saying of the Apostle: 'Prove all things;
hold fast that which is good' (1 Thess. 5:21). Far be it that I should contend against you, that there should be a clashing, so that our enemies might rejoice over this contention of us Christians — namely the Jews, or heretics, or pagan gentiles. Far be it, indeed, far be it! Otherwise, it can be settled between us in another way: namely, that either each one remain in that wherein he was called (1 Cor. 7:20) with the Lord, if both traditions are good; or that, with peace and humility, without any contention, the books of both sides be read, and that those things which accord more with the Old and New Testament be kept without anyone's envy.
For if it be of God that you should drive me hence from this desert place, which I sought from across the sea for my Lord Jesus Christ, then it will be mine to utter that word of the prophet: 'If this tempest is upon you because of me, take me up and cast me into the sea, that this raging may grow still and leave you' (Jonah 1:12). Yet let it be yours first, after the manner of those sailors of the shipwreck, to strive to rescue me from the bowels of mercy, and to draw the ship to land, even as they did — heathen though they were — as Scripture relates: 'And the men strove,' it says, 'to return to the land, and they could not, for the sea went on and the wave rose ever higher' (Ibid. 1:13). Finally, at the close of my discourse, I suggest, though presumptuously, that since in the broad way of this world (Matt.
7:13-14), wide, and many that walk there hasten to the broad crossways, while only a few are found who go through the narrow gate and the strait way that leads to life, according to the Lord's precept — let these few, I pray, be rather sent on by you to life than hindered; lest perchance the word of the Lord smite you also, as it smote the Pharisees, when He said: 'Woe to you, Scribes and Pharisees, because you shut up the kingdom of heaven before men; for you neither enter in yourselves, nor suffer them that are entering to go in' (Matt. 23:13). VI. But someone will say: Do we then not enter into the kingdom of heaven? Why, you cannot — according to the grace of the Lord — unless you become as little children (Matt. 18:3), that is, humble and chaste;
simple and innocent in evil, yet prudent in good (Rom. 16:19), peaceable and harbouring no anger in the heart. But women, who often look upon these things and more often quarrel and grow angry over the goods of this world, can hardly fulfil all this. Therefore our brethren, having once renounced the world and cut off at the root the occasions of baser things and the kindling of strifes, judge that the naked can more easily fulfil the word of the Lord than the rich. For without these four things the kingdom of heaven is not entered, as St. Jerome bears witness of three, and Basil of the fourth, who, according to the force of the Gospel saying, set forth the manners of infants.
For an infant is humble; it does not remember a wrong done it; it does not, on seeing a woman, lust; it has not one thing in its mouth and another in its heart. He who keeps these things, as I have said, will keep them better at leisure, beholding that God Himself is Lord, than amid the seeing and hearing of diverse things. Let no one disparage the goods of silence; for unless they grow lukewarm, those in seclusion live better than those in public — save for the yet sterner life, which, though it brings, brings a greater reward. For where the fight is harder, there is found a more glorious crown. Therefore they themselves, as holy Gregory says, do not trust in the goods of solitude, who do not shun public evils. Hence St. Jerome, knowing this, bade bishops imitate the apostles, but taught monks to follow the perfect Fathers.
For the rules of clerics and of monks are diverse, and far separated one from another. Let each keep what he has undertaken; but let the Gospel be for all, and for both, that, as members of one body in one harmony, they may follow Christ the head of all through their own proper commandments, which have been shown by Him to be perfect in peace and perfect charity. And these two things cannot be perfectly accomplished save by the truly humble and by those who unanimously fulfil the commandments of Christ in spirit; the Lord Himself bearing witness: 'If you love me, keep my commandments' (John 14:15). 'This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you' (John 15:12). 'For by this shall all know that you are my disciples, if you love one another' (John
13:35). Then, therefore, can there be a sure union of minds, and peace and charity poured forth through the Holy Spirit into the bowels of believers, when all alike desire to fulfil the divine commandments; for in proportion to the measure of unlikeness in their actual pursuits, so great will be the breach of peace and charity among the imperfect. Therefore, that we may love one another in charity unfeigned, let us diligently ponder the precepts of our Lord Jesus Christ, and, having understood them, let us hasten to fulfil them, that through His teaching the whole Church may hasten to heavenly things with one onrush of exceeding fervour.
May His freely-given grace grant us this, that we may all loathe the world and love Him alone, and desire Him together with the Father and the Holy Spirit, to whom be glory unto the ages of ages. Amen. For the rest, Fathers, pray for us, as we also do — worthless though we be — for you; and do not reckon us as strangers to you, for we are fellow-members of one body, whether Gauls, or Britons, or Iberians, or any nations whatsoever. Therefore let us all, every nation, rejoice in the knowledge of the faith and the acknowledgment of the Son of God (Eph. 4:13); and let us all hasten to come together unto the perfect man, unto the measure of the age of the fulness of Jesus Christ;
in whom let us love one another, praise one another, correct one another, visit one another, pray for one another, that with Him we may reign together and exult together. Grant pardon, I pray, to my garrulity and forwardness, labouring beyond my strength, most patient and most holy Fathers and brethren, every one.