教牧守則·對話錄與書信 第 779 章

Gregory to all the bishops of the council of Byzacium. Just as it is praiseworthy and discreet to show due reverence and honour to superiors, so it is a mark of rectitude and of the fear of God, if any of them stand in need of correction, to defer it by no connivance, lest—which God forbid—the whole body begin to be invaded by disease, if the languor be not cured in the head. For a long time ago certain things concerning our brother Crementius, your primate, were brought to us, which pierced our heart with no small sorrow. But, various tribulations pressing hard, and enemies especially raging round about, there was for us no space to inquire into them.

And since they are so grave that they ought by no means to be passed over undiscussed, we exhort your Fraternity with these words, that with all solicitude and vigour you ought in many ways to search out the substance of the truth, so that either, if they be so, they may be cut off by canonical vengeance; or, if they be false, the innocence of our brother may not long lie beneath the tearing of a nefarious reputation. Wherefore, lest any torpor of sloth be in the inquiry, we admonish that neither favour toward any person, nor partiality, nor blandishments, nor anything else whatsoever soften any of you toward discussing the things reported to us, or shake you from the path of truth; but gird yourselves priestly, for God's sake, to investigate the truth.

For if anyone shall presume in this either to be slothful or to show himself negligent, let him know that he is a partaker in the crimes alleged before the almighty Lord, by whose zeal he is not moved subtly to search out the causes of the nefarious deed. (See letters 58 and 59, indiction 2.)