Pastoral Rule, Dialogues & Letters 706

Gregory to Augustine, bishop of the English. Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men of good will (Luke II, 14); because the grain of wheat, falling into the earth, has died, that it might not reign alone in heaven—by whose death we live, by whose weakness we are strengthened, by whose passion we are snatched from passion, by whose love we seek in Britain brethren whom we did not know, by whose gift we have found those whom, not knowing, we were seeking. But who can suffice to tell how great a joy has arisen in the heart of all the faithful, that the nation of the English, by the working of the grace of almighty God and by the labor of your fraternity, the darkness of errors having been driven out, has been suffused with the light of the holy faith;

that with a most whole mind it now tramples upon the idols to which before it lay subject in mad fear; that it prostrates itself with a pure heart before almighty God; that it is bound by the rules of holy preaching from the lapses of depraved conduct; that it lies subject in mind to the divine precepts, and is uplifted in understanding; that it humbles itself even to the earth in prayer, lest in mind it lie upon the earth. Whose work is this, save His who says: My Father works until now, and I work (John V, 17)? Who, that He might show that He converts the world not by the wisdom of men but by His own power, chose His preachers, whom He sent into the world, without letters; doing this also in this way, because in the nation of the English He deigned to work mighty things through the weak.

But there is in this heavenly gift, most dear brother, that which, with great joy, ought most vehemently to be feared. For I know that almighty God, through your love, has shown great miracles in the nation which He willed to choose. Whence it is necessary that concerning that same heavenly gift you both rejoice with fear, and fear with rejoicing. You should rejoice, namely, because the souls of the English are drawn to inward grace through outward miracles (Bede, Book I of the History of the English, ch. 31); but you should be greatly afraid lest, amid the signs which are wrought, the weak mind exalt itself in its own presumption, and, whence it is outwardly raised in honor, thence, through vain glory, inwardly fall.

For we ought to remember that the disciples, returning with joy from their preaching, when they said to their heavenly Master: Lord, in Thy name even the demons are made subject to us (Luke X, 17), straightway heard: Do not rejoice over this, but rather rejoice because your names are written in heaven (Ibid., 20). For they had set their mind on a private and temporal gladness, who rejoiced over the miracles. But they are recalled from private to common, from temporal to eternal gladness, to whom it is said: In this rejoice, because your names are written in heaven. For not all the elect work miracles; yet nevertheless the names of them all are held inscribed in heaven.

For the disciples of Truth ought to have no joy save in that good which they hold in common with all, and in which they find no end to their gladness. It remains, therefore, dearest brother, that amid those things which by God's working you do outwardly, you always inwardly judge yourself with subtlety, and understand with subtlety both who you yourself are and how great is the grace bestowed upon that same nation, for whose conversion you have received even the gift of working signs. And if ever you remember that you have offended our Creator, whether in tongue or in deed, always recall these things to memory, so that the memory of your guilt may press down the rising pride of your heart.

And whatever you have received or shall receive concerning the working of signs, count these as given not to yourself but to those for whose salvation they have been conferred upon you. But there comes to my mind, as I ponder this, what was done concerning one servant of God, even one eminently chosen. Surely Moses, while he was leading God's people out of Egypt, wrought, as your Fraternity knows, wondrous signs in Egypt. Fasting on Mount Sinai for forty days and nights, he received the tables of the Law amid lightnings and thunders, while all the people were sore afraid; he alone was joined to the service of Almighty God even by familiar converse (Exodus 19; 31); he opened the Red Sea; on the way he had a pillar of cloud for his guide; upon the hungering people he sent down manna from heaven;

and by a miracle he supplied flesh, even to excessive satisfaction, in the wilderness to those who desired it (Exodus 13; 14; 16). But when in the time of thirst they had come to the rock, he distrusted, and doubted whether he could bring forth water from it — water which, at the Lord's command, he opened in abundant streams. And how many miracles he wrought after these things throughout thirty-eight years in the desert, who could enumerate, who could search out (Exodus 17; Numbers 20)? Whenever a doubtful matter pressed upon his mind, running back to the tabernacle he sought the Lord in secret, and was straightway taught concerning it, God Himself speaking (Exodus 33 following). He appeased the Lord's anger against the people by the intervention of his own prayer;

those who rose up in pride and stood apart in discord he caused to be swallowed by the gaping chasms of the opening earth; as victor he pressed upon their enemies; he showed signs to the citizens (Numbers 26). But when at length they had come to the land of promise, he was called up into the mountain; and that fault which, as I said, he had committed thirty-eight years before, he heard that he had doubted concerning the bringing forth of water. And because of this he recognized that he could not enter the land of promise (Numbers 27). In which matter it must be considered by us how greatly to be feared is the judgment of Almighty God, who through that servant of His was working so many signs, yet was still keeping his fault so long a time in remembrance.

Therefore, dearest brother, if we recognize even him to have died on account of his fault after his signs — him whom we know to have been especially chosen by Almighty God — with how great a fear ought we to tremble, we who as yet do not even know whether we are among the chosen? But what should I say concerning the miracles of the reprobate, since your good Fraternity well knows what Truth says in the Gospel: Many will come in that day saying to me, Lord, in thy name we have prophesied, and in thy name we have cast out demons, and in thy name we have done many mighty works. But I will say to them, I know not who you are. Depart from me, all you workers of iniquity (Matthew 7:22; Luke 13:27).

The soul, therefore, must be greatly restrained amid signs and miracles, lest perchance it seek in them its own glory, and exult in the private joy of its own exaltation. For through signs the gain of souls is to be sought, and the glory of Him by whose power those same signs are wrought. But one sign the Lord has given us, in which we can both greatly rejoice and recognize in ourselves the glory of election, saying: By this shall it be known that you are my disciples, if you have love one for another (John 13:35). This sign the prophet sought when he said: Work with me, Lord, a sign for good, that they who hate me may see it, and be confounded (Psalm 86:17). But these things I say because I desire to lay low the soul of my hearer in humility.

But let your very humility have its own confidence. For I, a sinner, hold a most certain hope that, through the grace of Almighty God our Creator and Redeemer and Lord Jesus Christ, your sins have already been forgiven, and that for this reason you have been chosen, that through you the sins of others may be forgiven. Nor will you have grief over any guilt in the future, you who strive to bring about joy in heaven over the conversion of many. For our same Maker and Redeemer, when He spoke of the repentance of man, said: I say to you, there shall be greater joy in heaven over one sinner doing penance than over ninety-nine just persons who need no penance (Luke 15:7).

And if over one penitent there be great joy in heaven, what joy do we believe has been made over so great a people converted from their error, who, coming to the faith, condemned by penitence the evils they had done? In this joy, therefore, of heaven and of the angels, let us take up again those very voices of the angels which we mentioned before. Let us say, then, let us all say: Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men of good will (Luke 2:14).