Pastoral Rule, Dialogues & Letters 448

Gregory to Gennadius, Patrician of Africa. We do not doubt that your Excellency recalls that two years ago we wrote on behalf of our brother and fellow-bishop Paul, that you should afford the supports of your dignity to him who desired to come to us, on this account, that he was said to be enduring the trouble of persecution from the Donatists; so that, after it was reported that he could have no aid there against them, once the truth was known, we might, in fraternal compassion, be able to give him counsel, and by a wholesome disposition consider what ought to be done against the madness of that pestilent presumption.

And as far as the aforesaid brother made known to us, not only did he deserve to have the comfort of no one, but he was even prevented by various hindrances from being able to come safely to the city of Rome. Yet to him, when we had caused your letter to be read over, he replied that he laboured not through the hatred of certain persons because he restrained the Donatists, but rather that he bears the ingratitude of many for the defence of the catholic faith; and he related many other things which, since a fitting time for speaking did not arise, we have judged it best to keep in silence.

Since therefore the matter treated is not of earthly things but of the salvation of souls, and your assertion and his differ, we could reply nothing precisely while the truth was undiscussed, because at the time when we received your Excellency's writings we were held by a sickness of the body. But when almighty God, if it shall please Him, shall have restored us to our former health, we shall search out the truth by diligent inquiry as best we can. And according to those things which we shall have been able to learn, we shall so dispose the cause, God having mercy, that the salvation of the souls for which you deign to strive together with us for the sake of your reward, may not only be repaired where it has already been lost by the erring, but also be preserved, by the protecting grace of our Redeemer, where it exists in the worshippers of the true faith.

But concerning the above-mentioned bishop, whom you assert to have been deprived of communion, we greatly wonder why it was not his primate, but your Excellency's letter, that announced this to us.