教牧守則·對話錄與書信 第 693 章

Gregory to Serenus, bishop of Marseilles. The beginnings of your letter so demonstrated the priestly benevolence in you, that a greater joy over your Fraternity arose for us. But their ending so disagreed with its beginnings, that such a letter might be believed to be, not of one mind, but of diverse minds. But from the fact that you doubted concerning the writings we sent to you, it appeared how incautious you are. For if you had diligently attended to the things which we admonished out of brotherly love, you would not only not have doubted at all, but would rather have recognized what it behoved you to do with priestly gravity.

For neither was Cyriacus, formerly abbot, who was the bearer of our writings, of such training or learning that either he himself would dare to add anything, as you suppose, or that you should take up this suspicion of falsehood concerning his person. But while you put off weighing the wholesome admonitions, it has happened that you are now culpable not only in deed, but even in questioning. For it had indeed been reported to us that, inflamed with inconsiderate zeal, you broke the images of the saints under this pretext, as it were, that they ought not to be adored. And indeed, that you forbade them to be adored, we altogether praised; but that you broke them, we blame. Say, brother: from what priest was it ever heard that he did what you did?

If nothing else, even this alone ought to have restrained you: that, despising the other brethren, you should believe yourself alone to be holy and wise. For it is one thing to adore a picture, and another to learn, through the story of the picture, what is to be adored. For what Scripture presents to those who read, this a picture presents to the unlettered who look upon it, because in it even the ignorant see what they ought to follow; in it they read who do not know letters. Whence, and especially for the heathen, a picture serves in place of reading. This ought to have been attended to above all by you who dwell among the heathen, lest, while you are incautiously inflamed with right zeal, you should generate a scandal to fierce minds.

That, then, ought not to have been broken which was placed in the churches not to be adored but solely to instruct the minds of the unlearned. And since antiquity, not without reason, has permitted the histories of the saints to be depicted in venerable places, if you had seasoned your zeal with discretion, you could without doubt both have obtained in wholesome fashion what you were aiming at, and not scattered the flock you had gathered, but rather have gathered together the flock that was scattered, so that in you the deserved name of shepherd might stand out, and not the guilt of a scatterer weigh upon you. But since, in carrying out this impulse of your mind incautiously, you acted thus, you are reported to have so scandalized your sons that the greatest part of them withdrew themselves from communion with you.

When, then, will you lead wandering sheep to the Lord's fold, you who cannot retain those you already have? Therefore we exhort you that even now you strive to be solicitous, and that you restrain yourself from this presumption, and that with fatherly sweetness, with all effort and all zeal, you hasten to recall to yourself the souls of those whom you know to be separated from your unity. For the scattered sons of the Church must be called together, and it must be shown to them by the testimonies of Sacred Scripture that it is not lawful to adore anything made by hand, since it is written: You shall adore the Lord your God, and Him only shall you serve (Luke IV, 8).

And then it must be added that, because you had seen that the pictures of images which had been made for the edification of an unlettered people—so that those who do not know letters, by gazing on the story itself, might learn what had been done—had passed over into adoration, you were on that account moved to command that those images be broken. And it must be said to them: If you wish to have in the church, for that instruction for which images were of old made, then I permit them by all means both to be made and to be kept. And make it clear that it was not the very sight of the story, which was displayed by means of the painting, that displeased you, but rather that adoration which had been improperly offered to the pictures. And in these words, soothing their minds, recall them to concord with you.

And if anyone should wish to keep silent about images, by no means forbid it; but as for adoring images, forbid it by all means. Yet let your fraternity carefully admonish this, that from the sight of the deed portrayed they may receive an ardor of compunction, and in the adoration of the one almighty holy Trinity may humbly prostrate themselves. All these things we speak both out of love for the holy Church and for your fraternity. Let it not be, then, that by my rebuke you be broken from your zeal for rectitude, but rather that you be helped in your pursuit of pious dispensation. Moreover, it has reached us that your charity willingly receives evil men into your society, so much so that you hold as a familiar a certain presbyter who, after he had fallen, is even now said to be engaged in the pollution of his iniquity.

This indeed we do not at all believe, for whoever receives such a man does not correct crimes, but rather seems to give license to others to perpetrate the like. But lest perchance he may have persuaded you by some deception or dissimulation to receive him and still hold him as welcome, it befits you not only to expel this man far from you, but even to cut away his excess by all means with priestly zeal; while those others who are reported to be depraved you should restrain from their depravity by fatherly exhortation, and strive to recall them to the way of rectitude. But if—which God forbid—you see them profiting in nothing by wholesome admonition, then you will take care to cast even these far away from you, lest their depravities seem in the least to be approved from the fact that they are received.

And lest not only they themselves remain uncorrected, but by their reception others also be corrupted. And consider how abominable to men, and how perilous before the eyes of God it is, if through the very one by whom crimes ought to be punished, vices should appear to be nourished. Therefore, most beloved brother, attend diligently to these things, and strive so to act that you may both wholesomely correct the depraved and not bring scandal upon the souls of your sons from the society of the wicked. (Cf. John the Deacon, Book III, chapters 30 and 45.) Gregory to Asclepiodotus the patrician. That prudent men, such as you are, cleave to kings, is a comfort to many. For while they understand that a more eminent place has been granted them for the profit of the soul, it is certain that they do not neglect occasions of reward wherever they find them.

With what affection, therefore, and with what devotion your Glory has expended itself with a zeal of piety in the causes of the poor, we have learned from the report of our most beloved son Candidus the presbyter. But since nobility in some manner lays this law upon itself, that it should reckon it owes what it freely bestows, and unless it increases in its benefits should count itself to have given nothing, greeting you with fatherly love, we confidently commend to your Glory the above-mentioned presbyter and the patrimony of our Church, that, fortified by your grace, it may sustain no troubles or burdens. May the care of good zeal so prosper in you that the interests of the poor may be nourished by your support, and that we may feel what we presume concerning your charity.

Increase the protections of your favor, for in the minds of the noble that good seems but half-full which is left without any addition. And since we have besought the most excellent kings of the Franks, our sons, that they may deign to hold this little patrimony under their care, may it, with your assistance, be fulfilled, so that what we ask may become yours; to the end that we, rendering thanks, may be able the more earnestly to pray for the well-being of your Glory, and that almighty God may recompense you the return of your good deeds both here and in the future. Moreover, we have sent a key from the most sacred body of blessed Peter, in which is contained a blessing from his chains, which, hung about your neck, may fortify you against all adversities.