教牧守則·對話錄與書信 第 453 章

Gregory to Gennadius, patrician of Africa. To those who desire to be commended before your Excellency by our letters, secure of your kindness, we do what is asked of us. For Ruferius the count, together with other fellow-citizens of his, having been summoned by you, as we have learned, to the African province, have asked that the support of our writings might benefit them with you. Wherefore, greeting your Excellency with fatherly affection, we ask that you suffer them in no way to be burdened by anyone in the minds of your people against justice;

but just as we know that you watch over those committed to you with a pious and discreet caution, so also that you dispose of these matters tranquilly, the Lord inspiring you, concerning the blessed, and treat more solicitously with caution concerning that island itself; lest, if an army be transmitted thither without a useful person who may govern it, help be furnished to the enemies by ill-advised arrangement. But since they assert that the tribune Anastasius, whom your Excellency had appointed there, conducted himself well and involved himself in no injury to the province, and whom even now, though removed, they bear grievously, let your Excellency command that he be sent thither again, and be strengthened by your exhortations;

so that he who has already given satisfaction by his good conduct may not be incited by anyone's persuasions to act wickedly; nor may he lose for the worse—which we do not wish—by acting to the contrary that judgment of so great men which he deserved to have from his good administration. Thus therefore we ask that your Excellency act so that your good, to which Africa bears witness, Corsica also may know. Gregory to Cyriacus, bishop of Constantinople. Our common sons, George the presbyter and Theodore your deacon, we have received with that charity which was fitting; and we rejoice that you have come from the care of ecclesiastical affairs to the governance of souls, for, according to the voice of Truth: He who is faithful in a little, will be faithful also in a greater thing (Luke XVI, 10). And well is it said to the good servant:

Because you were faithful in a few things, I will set you over many (Matthew XXV, 21). To whom also there is soon added concerning eternal recompense: Enter into the joy of thy Lord. But in your writings you narrate that you greatly sought rest. Yet by this you show that you have fittingly come to pastoral solicitude, since just as the place of governance is to be denied to those who desire it, so is it to be offered to those who flee it. And as it is written: Neither does anyone take honor to himself, but he who is called by God, as Aaron was (Hebrews V, 4). And again the same excellent preacher says: If one died for all, then all died, and Christ died for all.

It remains that those who live should now live no longer to themselves, but to him who died for them and rose again (2 Corinthians V, 14–15). And to the shepherd of the holy Church it is said: Simon, son of John, lovest thou me? Feed my sheep (John XXI, 17). From which words it is gathered that if he who is able refuses to feed the sheep of Almighty God, he shows that he loves not the Chief Shepherd. For if the only-begotten of the Father, for the fulfilling of the benefit of all, went forth from the secret of the Father to our public, what shall we say if we prefer our own secret to the benefit of our neighbors? Rest therefore is both to be sought by us from the heart, and yet at times to be set aside for the gain of many.

For just as we ought with our whole desire to flee occupation, so, if there be lacking one who may preach, it is necessary to take upon a willing shoulder the burden of occupation. This we are taught from the work of two prophets, of whom one endeavored to avoid the office of preaching, and the other sought it. For to the Lord who was sending him, Jeremiah answered, saying: Ah, ah, ah, Lord God, I know not how to speak, for I am a child (Jeremiah I, 6). And when Almighty God sought a person for preaching, saying: Whom shall I send, and who will go for us? Isaiah of his own accord offered himself, saying: Behold, I; send me (Isaiah VI, 8). Lo, from both a different voice outwardly came forth, but it did not flow from a different source of love. For there are two precepts of charity, namely the love of God and of neighbor.

Through the active life, therefore, Isaiah, desiring to profit his neighbors, sought the office of preaching; but through the contemplative life Jeremiah, desiring diligently to cleave to the love of his Creator, refused to be sent to preach. What therefore the one laudably sought, this the other laudably dreaded. The latter, lest by speaking he should lose the gains of silent contemplation; the former, lest by keeping silent he should feel the losses of zealous work. But this is to be subtly observed in both: that even he who refused did not fully resist, and he who wished to be sent first saw himself purged by the coal from the altar—lest either any unpurged person should dare to approach the sacred ministries, or he whom heavenly grace elects should, under the appearance of humility, proudly contradict.

With great desire I find you in your letters seeking serenity of mind, and, driving away disturbance, panting for the tranquility of thought. But by what reasoning your Fraternity can attain to this, I know not. For he who has undertaken to steer a ship, so much the more must he keep watch, the more he leaves the shore, so that at times he may foresee coming storms from signs; at times may overcome them as they come, either with the rudder straight, if they be small; or, if they swell violently, giving his flank to the oblique, may turn aside their onset; and often he alone keeps watch, when all those to whom no care of the ship is committed take their rest.

But how, having taken up the pastoral burden, can you have serenity of thoughts, when it is written: Behold, the giants groan beneath the waters (Job XXVI, 5)? For according to the voice of John: The waters are peoples (Revelation XVII, 15). And for the giants to groan beneath the waters is this: that whoever in this world exerts himself as it were by a certain mass of body in the order of power, feels the weight of so much greater tribulation, the more he has taken upon himself the care of peoples to be governed. But if the power of the Holy Spirit breathes upon the afflicted mind, straightway that which was done bodily to the people of Israel happens to us spiritually. For it is written: But the children of Israel walked through the dry land, through the midst of the sea (Exodus XIV, 29).

And through the prophet the Lord promises, saying: When thou shalt pass through the waters, I will be with thee, and the rivers shall not cover thee (Isaiah XLIII, 2). For the rivers cover those whom the actions of this world confound with disturbance of mind. For he who is held in mind by the grace of the Holy Spirit passes the waters, and yet is not covered by the rivers, because even amid the very throngs of peoples he so completes the steps of his journey that he does not submit the head of his mind to the actions of the world. I too, who unworthy came to the place of governance, conscious of my weakness, had at times resolved to seek more secret places; but, perceiving the judgments from on high to be against me, I bowed my neck to the yoke of the Creator with my whole heart, weighing this especially:

that whatever hidden places, without the grace of God, cannot save the soul; which at times we behold also in the very wanderings of the elect. For Lot in that same perverse city was just, on the mountain he sinned (Genesis XIX). But why do we say these things, when we know greater ones? For what is more delightful than paradise? what more secure than heaven? and yet man fell from paradise, and the angel from heaven, by sinning. Therefore his virtue is to be sought by us, and his grace to be entreated, without whom there is nowhere without fault, with whom there is nowhere without righteousness. Care therefore must be taken that the disturbance of thoughts do not overmaster the soul, for it can by no means be utterly driven away.

For whoever is in the place of governance, it is at times necessary that he even think earthly things, and bear the care also of exterior matters, so that the flock committed to him may be able to subsist for those things which are to be accomplished by it. But it must always be greatly provided for, lest this same care exceed measure, so that when it is freely admitted to the heart, it be not permitted to grow too much. Whence rightly through the prophet Ezekiel it is said: The priests shall not shave their head, nor nourish their hair; but shaving they shall trim their heads (Ezekiel XLIV, 20). For what, by signification, are the hairs on the head, but thoughts in the mind?

which, since they spring up insensibly above the brain, designate the cares of the present life, which with a negligent sense—because they at times come forth importunately—proceed as it were while we do not perceive them. Since therefore all who preside ought indeed to have solicitudes, and outward ones too, and yet not to lean heavily upon them: priests are rightly both forbidden to shave the head, and to nourish the hair, so that carnal thoughts concerning the life of their subjects they should neither cut off from themselves utterly, nor again relax too much for growing. Where also it is well said: Trimming they shall trim their heads, namely that the solicitudes of temporal care should both come forth as much as is necessary, and yet be cut back the sooner, lest they grow too immoderately.

While therefore both by administered outward provision the life of bodies is protected, and again by immoderate intention of the heart is hindered, the hairs on the head of the priest are both preserved that they may cover the skin, and cut back lest they close the eyes. Moreover we have received your letters, directed with full faith, and we give thanks to Almighty God, who keeps the seamless tunic woven from above, namely his Church, in the unity of grace by the vicarious confession of the faithful, from every rending of error, and against the flood, so to speak, of the perishing world's faults, builds an ark from many timbers, in which the elect of Almighty God may be preserved unto life.

For when we mutually transmit to one another the confession of our faith, and show our charity toward one another, what else do we do in the holy Church but smear the ark with pitch, lest the wave of error enter, and slay either spiritual persons as men, or carnal ones as animals? But since a right faith has been wisely set forth by you, it remains that without doubt you ought more prudently to guard the peace of hearts, on account of this, that Truth says: Have salt in yourselves, and have peace among yourselves (Mark IX, 50). And the apostle Paul admonishes, saying: Careful to preserve the unity of the spirit in the bond of peace (Ephesians IV, 3). Who again says: Follow peace with all, and holiness, without which no one shall see God (Hebrews

XII, 14). Which peace you will then truly have with us, if you decline the pride of a profane name, according to what the same teacher of the nations says: O Timothy, keep the deposit, avoiding profane novelties of words (1 Timothy VI, 20). For it is exceedingly iniquitous, if those who have been made preachers of humility should glory in the elation of a vain name, when the true preacher says: But far be it from me to glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ (Galatians VI, 14). He therefore is truly glorious who glories not in temporal power, but for the name of Christ in his own suffering.

In this therefore we embrace you from our inmost being, in this we recognize you to be priests, if, having driven away the vanity of words, you hold the place of sanctity with holy humility. For behold, at the appellation of an unspeakable name we are scandalized, and we keep no small complaints in our mind, and utter them in voice. But your Fraternity knows that Truth says: If thou offerest thy gift before the altar, and there rememberest that thy brother hath something against thee, leave there thy gift, and go first, be reconciled to thy brother, and then coming shalt thou offer thy gift (Matthew V, 23–24).

In which matter it is to be weighed that, since every fault is blotted out by the sacrifice offered, so great is the evil of scandal begotten in another's heart, that from him who has sinned the Lord does not accept even that very sacrifice which is wont to blot out sin. Take care therefore to wipe away with haste the scandal of your heart, so that Almighty God may be able to hold the sacrifice of your oblation acceptable. Moreover, since a right faith has been truly and subtly set forth by you, among those whom through the most holy general synods you have judged to be condemned, we find that you have condemned a certain Eudoxius, whose name in the Latin tongue we find placed neither in the synods, nor in the books of the bishops of blessed memory, Epiphanius, Augustine, and Philaster,

whom we know to have disputed especially against heretics, find it set down. But if anyone truly condemns him from among the Catholic Fathers, we without doubt follow his sentence. Yet if in your synodical letter you wished to condemn by name also those who outside the holy synods are condemned through the writings of the Fathers, your Fraternity has set down in its writings less than these; but if those whom the general synods reject, this one man more.

But among these things it is to be known that, in order that it may be lawful for us freely to confess the right faith, and to dispose all things which are to be done concordantly in peace, we must incessantly pray for the life of our most serene lords and for their own offspring also, that Almighty God may subject barbarous nations beneath their feet, and grant them long and happy times, so that through the Christian empire that faith which is in Christ may reign.