Letter 3: To the most merciful Emperors, the Christian and most glorious princes Gratian, Valentinian, and Theodosius — from...

LETTER XI. They inform the Emperors what was done in the synod, and warn them not to let Ursinus creep in upon them, since he is the very author of the disturbances and is moreover held under accusation on an infamous charge. Finally they ask that the Emperors provide for the safety of the Roman clergy, and at the same time of all. To the most merciful Emperors and Christian princes, the most glorious and most blessed GRATIAN, VALENTINIAN, and THEODOSIUS, the Council which assembled at Aquileia. 1. Provision has indeed been made, most merciful princes, by the decrees of your Tranquillity, that the treachery of the Arians [the heresy denying the full divinity of Christ] can no longer either lie hidden or creep onward; and indeed we think that the effect of the Council will in no way be wanting to its decrees: for as far as the regions of the West are concerned, only two men were found who would dare to oppose the Council with profane and impious words — men scarcely accustomed to disturbing more than a corner of Riparian Dacia [a frontier province along the Danube]. 2. There is another matter which distresses us more, and which, since we have come together, had to be duly dealt with, lest the whole body of the Church, spread throughout the entire world, and the universe itself, be thrown into confusion. For although we have frequently agreed that Ursinus [a rival claimant to the Roman see, author of violent factions] has not been able to creep in upon your Piety — although he suffers nothing to remain quiet, and amid so many military necessities his importunate intrusion is attempted — yet, lest your holy mind and tranquillity of spirit, which longs to take counsel for all, be bent by the feigned flattery of an importunate man, we judge that you must be entreated and implored, if you deign to consider it worthy, not only guarding against things to come, but also shuddering at things past, which have already been done by his rashness. For if he obtains any path for his audacity, what will he not throw into confusion? 3. But if the pity owed to one man can bend you, much more should the prayer of all the priests move you. For which of us will be joined to him in the fellowship of communion, since he has tried to usurp a rank not due to him, nor could he by right attain to it; and since the office he importunately strove after he now most importunately labors to seek again? So often condemned for disturbances, he still goes about as though not to be dreaded for his past examples. He for the most part (as we have learned and seen in this Council) was coupled and joined with the Arians at the very time when he was laboring to throw the Church of Milan into turmoil, in a detestable assembly together with Valens: now before the doors of the Synagogue, now in the houses of the Arians mingling in secret councils, and joining his own followers to them; and since he himself could not openly come forth into their congregations, instructing and informing them how the peace of the Church might be disturbed: by whose frenzy he took fresh breath, because he was able to win the favor of their supporters and allies. 4. Since therefore it is written: A heretic, after one admonition, avoid (Titus III:10); and since another man also, speaking by the Holy Spirit, said that beasts of this kind must be shunned, and received neither with a greeting (II John 10) nor with intercourse: how can it be that we should not also judge him, whom we have seen inserted into their fellowship, to be a defender of treachery? And what even if this were lacking? Yet your Clemency ought to have been entreated not to allow the Roman Church — the head of the whole Roman world — and that most sacred faith of the Apostles to be thrown into confusion; for from there the rights of venerable communion flow out upon all. And therefore we ask and request that you deign to take away from him the opportunity of creeping in. 5. We know the holy modesty of your Clemency; that he may not thrust upon your hearing things unworthy of it, may not clamor with words foreign to the office and name of a priest, may not speak shamelessly to you: he who, since he ought to have a good testimony even from those who are without (I Timothy III:7), with what testimony his own fellow-citizens have followed him, may your Clemency deign to remember. For it is shameful to say, it is indecent to recount, with what foul reputation his disgrace has wounded him. Constrained by this shame at least, he ought to have kept silent; and if he had any conscience of a priest, he would have preferred the peace and concord of the Church to his own ambition and zeal. But, far removed from all modesty, through a man cut off [excommunicated], Paschasius, the standard-bearer of his fury, by letters sent, he sows disturbances, and tries to stir up gentiles and every kind of abandoned man. 6. We pray therefore that you may grant both to the Roman people, who after the report of the Prefect of the City hang in uncertainty, and to us priests, the security that has been denied us, by the casting-out of this most importunate man. And when this has been obtained, let us, before God the omnipotent Father, and Christ the Lord and God, celebrate our thanks in unbroken continuance.

EPISTOLA XI. Imperatoribus, quid in synodo actum fuerit, significant; eosque monent, ne Ursinum sibi patiantur obrepere, ipsum turbarum auctorem, nec non infami crimine accusatum asservantes. Rogant denique ut Romani cleri, ac simul omnium incolumitati prospiciant. Imperatoribus clementissimis, et principibus christianis, gloriosissimis ac beatissimis GRATIANO, VALENTINIANO, et THEODOSIO Concilium quod convenit Aquileiae. 1. Provisum est quidem, clementissimi principes, vestrae tranquillitatis statutis, ne Arianorum perfidia possit ulterius vel latere, vel serpere; etenim effectum concilii decretis putamus minime defuturum: nam quantum ad partes spectat occidentis, duo tantum reperti sunt, qui auderent profanis et impiis vocibus obviare concilio, vix angulum Ripensis Daciae turbare consueti. 2. Aliud est quo magis angimur, de quo, quoniam convenimus, fuit rite tractandum; ne posset totum corpus Ecclesiae toto orbe diffusum, et universa turbare. Nam licet frequenter convenerimus Ursinum non potuisse obrepere pietati vestrae (quamvis quietum nihil esse patiatur, et inter tot bellicas necessitates obreptio importuna tentetur), tamen ne sancta mens vestra, animique tranquillitas, quae omnibus consulere gestit, importuni hominis simulata adulatione flectatur, deprecandos vos et obsecrandos, si dignanter ducitis, aestimamus, non solum praecaventes futura, sed etiam praeterita, quae jam ipsius temeritate gesta sunt, perhorrescentes. Nam si aliquam viam nactus fuerit audaciae, quid non ille confundat? 3. Sed si unius miseratio vos inflectere potest, multo magis vos precatio omnium moveat sacerdotum. Quis enim nostrum ei communionis societate jungetur, cum indebitum sibi gradum usurpare conatus sit, nec jure ad eum potuerit pervenire; et quem importune affectavit, importunissime 811 repetere moliatur? Turbarum toties damnatus, incedit adhuc quasi praeteritis non perhorrescendus exemplis. Qui plerumque (sicut in hoc concilio cognovimus, et vidimus) cum Arianis copulatus atque conjunctus erat eo tempore, quo turbare Mediolanensem Ecclesiam coetu detestabili moliebatur cum Valente: nunc ante Synagogae fores, nunc in Arianorum domibus miscens occulta concilia, et suos eis jungens; et quoniam ipse aperte in eorum congregationes prodire non poterat, instruens et informans quemadmodum pax Ecclesiae turbaretur: quorum furore respirabat, quod eorum posset fautores et socios emereri. 4. Cum igitur scriptum sit: Haereticum post unam correptionem devita (Tit. III, 10); cum et alius vir sancto locutus Spiritu, dixerit declinandas hujusmodi bestias, nec salutatione recipiendas (II Joan. 10), neque congressu: quomodo fieri potest, ut eum quem societati eorum insertum vidimus, non etiam assertorem perfidiae judicemus? Quid etiam si deforet? tamen totius orbis Romani caput Romanam Ecclesiam, atque illam sacrosanctam Apostolorum fidem, ne turbari sineret, obsecranda fuit clementia vestra; inde enim in omnes venerandae communionis jura dimanant. Et ideo petimus et rogamus ut obrependi ei adimere dignemini facultatem. 5. Scimus clementiae vestrae sanctum pudorem; ne auditu vestro indigna ingerat, non aliena ab officio et nomine sacerdotis interstrepat, non inverecunda vobis loquatur: quem cum habere oportuerit testimonium etiam ab his qui foris sunt (I Tim. III, 7), quali testimonio et cives proprii prosecuti sunt, clementia vestra meminisse dignetur. Pudet enim dicere, inverecundum est recensere quam turpis fama ejus convicio sauciaverit. Quo saltem pudore constrictus conticescere debuisset; et si haberet aliquam conscientiam sacerdotis, pacem Ecclesiae, concordiamque ambitioni suae et studio praeoptaret. Verum longe alienus ab omni verecundia, per abscissum hominem Paschasium, signiferum furoris sui, missis litteris, serit turbas, gentiles 812 quosque ac perditos homines concitare conatur. 6. Oramus igitur, ut jam et populo Romano, qui post relationem praefecti Urbis pendet incertus, et nobis sacerdotibus securitatem interdictam importunissimi hominis abjectione tribuatis. Quo impetrato, apud Deum omnipotentem Patrem, et Christum et Dominum Deum gratias jugi continuatione celebremus.