教牧守則·對話錄與書信 第 404 章

Gregory to John, bishop of Constantinople. Just as the depravity of heretics is to be repressed by zeal for the right faith, so the integrity of true confession is to be embraced. For if one who faithfully confesses is despised in being believed, the faith of all is brought into doubt, and deadly errors are engendered from unwary severity. And hence not only are the erring sheep by no means recalled to the Lord's fold, but even those set within are cruelly exposed to be torn by savage teeth. This, therefore, dearest brother, let us weigh with subtlety, and let us not permit anyone who truly professes the catholic faith to be afflicted under the pretext of heresy, lest—which God forbid—we permit heresy to arise rather under the appearance of correction.

But we were greatly astonished why those who had been appointed by you as judges in the case of faith against John, priest of the Church of Chalcedon, neglecting the truth, gave credence to rumour, and were unwilling to believe one strictly professing, especially when his very accusers, being questioned what that heresy of the Marcianists was—the one they kept mentioning, from which they were contriving to make him guilty—answered by a plain profession that they did not know.

From which it is evidently recognized that they wished to burden his person, not justly and with regard to God, but against their own souls, out of mere ill-will. We therefore, a council having been held, as the tenor of the proceedings held before us shows, having subtly investigated and treated all that was necessary, since we were able to find the aforesaid priest guilty in nothing—especially because the little book which he presented to the judges delegated by you accords in all things with the sincerity of the right faith—for that reason, reproving the sentence of those same judges, we have declared him, by our definition, to be catholic and free from every heretical crime, by the revealing grace of Christ our God and Redeemer.

Since we have sent him back to your Holiness, it behooves you to receive him kindly, as he shows himself to all, and to bestow on him priestly charity, and to protect him from all disquiet, nor to permit anyone to busy himself in troubling him; but just as you defend others from oppression, so you ought not to withdraw your comfort from him. (Cf. John the Deacon, book 4, no. 36.)