教牧守則·對話錄與書信 第 605 章

Gregory to Aregius, bishop of the Gauls. The affliction of your fraternity, which we have learned you had over the loss of your men, has cast upon us so great a cause of mourning that, since charity has made of the two of us one, we felt in your tribulations as if they were specially our own. But in this grief the discernment of your holiness, recalled to mind, has much consoled me — a discernment which becomes both to bear sadness patiently, and, over a death, in the hope of the other life, not to hold prolonged mourning. Yet lest any tribulation still keep its place in your mind, cease to grieve, cease to be sad. For it is unbecoming to be worn down by the weariness of affliction over those whom it must be believed have by dying arrived at the true life.

Perhaps those have a just excuse for long grief who know not the other life, who trust not that there is a passing from this world to a better estate. But we who have known, who believe and teach this, ought not to be too greatly saddened over those who die, lest what among others holds a semblance of piety be rather in us a fault. For it is in a manner a kind of distrust to be tortured with sadness against that very thing which one preaches, the Apostle saying: 'But we would not have you ignorant, brethren, concerning them that are asleep, that you be not sorrowful, even as the rest who have no hope' (1 Thess. 4:13).

This reasoning therefore being foreseen, dearest brother, we must be zealous that, as we have said, we be not afflicted over the dead, but spend our affection upon the living, that both our piety may be to their profit and our love to their fruit. Accordingly, by rebuking, exhorting, persuading, coaxing, consoling, let us hasten to be of profit to whom we can. Let our tongue be a soothing balm to the good, a goad to the depraved; let it beat down the swollen, soften the angry, sharpen the sluggish, kindle the slothful by exhortation, persuade the fleeing, coax the harsh, console the despairing: so that, since we are called leaders, we may show the way of salvation to those who walk. Let us be vigilant in our watch, and carefully fortify the entrances against the ambushes of the enemy.

And if ever error should lead a sheep astray through byways from the flocks committed to us, let us strive with all effort to recall it to the Lord's folds, that from the name of shepherd which we bear we may obtain not punishment but reward. Since, therefore, in all these things there is need of the help of divine grace, let us by assiduous prayers implore the clemency of Almighty God, that both He may grant us the will to work these things and concede the power, and may direct us in that way, with the fruit of good work, which the Shepherd of shepherds testified Himself to be; so that, without whom we can attain nothing, through Him we may be able to fulfill all things. Moreover,

our common son Peter the deacon has made known to us that your fraternity, at the time when you were here, requested that leave be granted to yourself and to your archdeacon to use dalmatics. But because, compelled by the infirmity of your men, you departed so hastily that neither the grief pressing upon you allowed you to linger longer, as was fitting and as the desired matter required, and we, being entangled in many affairs, the consideration of ecclesiastical reason would not permit that this new thing be granted inconsiderately and suddenly; for that reason the effect of the requested matter was prolonged.

But now, recalling to mind the goodness of your charity, by the tenor of this our authority we grant the things requested, and we have conceded that you and your archdeacon are to be adorned with the use of dalmatics, and we have transmitted the same dalmatics by the hand of our most beloved son the abbot Cyriacus. Moreover, in that synod which we have decreed to be gathered against the simoniacal heresy through our brother and fellow-bishop Syagrius, we wish your holiness to be present, and that the pallium which we have sent be granted to that same brother thus — if he shall first have promised to remove from the holy Church, by the definition of the synod, the unlawful things which we have forbidden.

Concerning which synod we wish your fraternity to announce to us in detail the whole order by written accounts running through it, so that you yourself, whose holiness is well proven to us, may render us more certain concerning all things. Gregory to Syagrius, bishop of Autun. Charity, the mistress of all good things, which savours nothing strange, nothing harsh, nothing confused, so exercises and strengthens hearts that nothing is grievous, nothing difficult, but all that is done becomes sweet.

Since, therefore, it is proper to charity to nourish concord, to preserve things well-ordered, to join things disjoined, to direct depraved things, and to make firm the other virtues by the safeguard of its perfection, whosoever inserts himself into its roots neither fails in verdure nor grows empty of fruits, because effectual work does not lose the moisture of fecundity. And therefore, most beloved brother, I much rejoice and greatly congratulate you in the Lord, that I find you thus endowed with that same charity by the testimony of many, so that both you yourself becomingly display what belongs to a priest, and you show yourself praiseworthily to be imitated by others.

Since, therefore, in the work of preaching, which for a long time I purposed to expend upon the nation of the Angles through Augustine — then provost of my monastery, now our brother and fellow-bishop — we have learned that you were, as was fitting, so solicitous and devoted a helper in all things, that by this matter your fraternity made me a great debtor to you: admonished by the consideration of so great a thing, lest I should seem to be unfruitful toward you, I could by no reasoning bring myself to postpone the petition of your fraternity. Accordingly, according to the desire of your request, we have, God being the author, provided that you be honoured with the use of the pallium, which you are to have within your church for the celebration of the solemnities of the Masses only.

Which, however, we have decreed is to be given to you thus: if you first promise, through the definition of the synod, to amend the things which we have commanded to be corrected. For we have believed it to be indeed worthy that, along with the gravity of mind by which we have learned you are strong — God being propitious to you — the more resplendent cultivation of the outward habit also should increase in you; especially since we judge that you have sought this not for the pomp of superfluous exaltation, but for the character and honour of your Church.

And lest we should seem in a manner to have conferred the munificence of this vestment bare, we have likewise provided that this too should be granted: that, the place and honour being in all respects preserved to its metropolitan, the Church of the city of Autun, over which Almighty God has willed you to preside, should rank after the Church of Lyons, and should claim for itself this place and order from the indulgence of our authority. But the other bishops we decree should, according to the time of their ordination — whether for sitting together in council, or for subscribing, or in any other matter of theirs — keep their own places, and claim for themselves the prerogative of their orders; because the order of reason altogether admonishes us

that with the use of the pallium we ought at the same time, as we have said, to bestow certain privileges. But since, together with the increase of honour, the care of solicitude also ought to grow, so that the ornaments of action may also befit the cultivation of the vestments, it behoves that your fraternity should the more strenuously exert itself in all its endeavours. Concerning the acts of your subjects, be vigilant; let your example, your instruction, and your life be a teacher to them. By the exhortation of your tongue let them learn what they should fear, and let them be taught what they should love; so that, while you shall have rendered the entrusted talents with multiplied gain, in the day of retribution you may be worthy to hear: 'Well done, good and faithful servant; enter thou into the joy of thy Lord' (Matt. 25:23; Luke 19).

Moreover, know that the care of gathering the synod — which we have written to be held by you and by our other brethren for the prohibition of unlawful things — pertains especially to your solicitude. Wherefore, since we know that our most excellent sons the kings of the Franks show you great affection, it is necessary that you act with all zeal and all effort, so that what we have commanded concerning the synod to be gathered may be accomplished by the vigilance of your fraternity, and that all things which we have written for the salvation of souls may there be decreed; so that through this you may both show your own zeal and how the unlawful things displease you, and we may be seen to have provided usefully, in that we have chosen your person for this before all others. (See above, letters 106 and 107.)