Letter 10036: When our common son the presbyter Veteranus came to the Roman city, he found me so weak from the pains of gout as to be quite unable to answer your Fraternity's letters myself. And indeed with regard to the nation of the Sclaves , from which you are in great danger, I am exceedingly afflicted and disturbed. I am afflicted as suffering already in...

Gregory to Maximus, Bishop of Salona. When our mutual friend the priest Veteranus arrived in Rome, he found me so weakened by gout that I could not personally answer your Fraternity's letters. Regarding the Slavic nation [the Slavs, who were pressing into the Balkans and threatening the Dalmatian coast], from which you face such great danger -- I am both deeply grieved and alarmed. Grieved because I already suffer in your suffering. Alarmed because the Slavs have begun entering Italy through Istria. As for Julian the scribo [military secretary], what can I say? Everywhere I look, our sins are finding us out -- we are harassed by foreign nations from without and by corrupt officials from within. But do not be crushed by all this. Those who live after us will see worse times -- so much so that they will look back on our days as happy ones. As far as your power allows, stand up for the poor and the oppressed. Even if you cannot accomplish much, the very devotion of your heart, which Almighty God has given you, is enough for him. As it is written, "Rescue those being led away to death; hold back those staggering toward slaughter" (Proverbs 24:11). But if you say, "I am not strong enough" -- he who sees into the heart understands. In all you do, seek to please the one who sees into the heart. And do not omit anything that might please him. Know this with certainty: no one can please both God and wicked men. Consider yourself to have pleased Almighty God in proportion to how much you have displeased crooked people. Yet let your defense of the poor be measured and dignified, so that no one mistakes principle for pride.

Book X, Letter 36 To Maximus, Bishop of Salona . Gregory to Maximus, etc. When our common son the presbyter Veteranus came to the Roman city, he found me so weak from the pains of gout as to be quite unable to answer your Fraternity's letters myself. And indeed with regard to the nation of the Sclaves , from which you are in great danger, I am exceedingly afflicted and disturbed. I am afflicted as suffering already in your suffering: I am disturbed, because they have already begun to enter Italy by way of Istria. Further, of Julian the scribo , what shall I say, seeing that I see everywhere how our sins find us out, so as to cause us to be disturbed by the nations from without and by judges from within? But be not at all saddened by such things, since those who shall live after us will see worse times; so much so, that they will regard us as having had happy days in comparison with their own. But, so far as your Fraternity has power, you ought to oppose yourself in behalf of the poor, in behalf of the oppressed. And, even if you should be unable to do any good, the very devotion of your heart, which Almighty God has given, is enough for Him. For it is written, Rescue them that are drawn unto death, and forbear not to deliver them that are ready to be slain Proverbs 24:11. But if you should say, My powers are insufficient, He who sees into the heart understands. In all that you do, then, desire to have Him Who sees into the heart well-pleased with you. But whatever there is whereby He may be pleased omit not to do. For human terrors and favours are like smoke, which is snatched by a light breeze and vanishes away. Know this most assuredly, that no one can please God and bad men. Let, therefore, your Fraternity esteem yourself to have pleased Almighty God in such degree as you know yourself to have displeased froward men. Yet let your defense of the poor itself be moderate and grave, lest, if anything be done too rigidly, men should think you actuated by the pride of youth. But our defense of the poor must needs be found of such sort that both the humble may feel protection and oppressors may not easily find what out of a malevolent disposition they may blame. Attend, then, to what is said to Ezekiel, Son of man, unbelievers and destroyers are with you, and you dwell among scorpions Ezekiel 2:6. And the blessed Job says, I have been a brother of dragons, and a companion of owls Job 30:29. And Paul says to his disciples, In the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom you shine as lights in the world Philippians 2:15. We ought, then, to walk all the more cautiously as we know that we are living among the enemies of God. Further, with regard to the Photinianists, let your Fraternity pay the utmost attention; and, as you have begun, study how to recall them to the bosom of holy Church. But, if any should wish to come to me, and to receive an explanation, let them first make oath that they will not permit their followers to persist in their error even after an explanation has been received. And then let your Holiness promise them that they will suffer no wrong from me, but that I will give them an explanation. If they should acknowledge the truth, let them accept it; if they should not acknowledge it, I will dismiss them unharmed. But, if any of them should wish to come to us against you, let your Fraternity by no means detain them; for, when they come, they shall either accept an explanation, or assuredly they will not see that land any more.

Gregorius Maximo episcopo Salonitano. Ad Romanam veniens urbem communis bilius presbyter Veteranus ita me podagrz doloribus debi- lem reperit, ut ſrateruilatis tuz epistolis per me re- spondere nullatenus valuissem. Et quidem de Scla- verum gente, quz Yobis valde imminet, LQGSG * aſſjigor vehementler et conturbor. Aſſligor in bis gue Jam in yobis patior ; conturbor, quia per [s(riz adi- tum jam ad ltaliam intrare coeperunt. De Juliano au- tem Scribone quid dicam, quando ubique video quia nobis peccala nostra respondeai'f, ut et foris a genti- bus, * et inlus a judicibus conturbemur ? Sed nolite docent, eumque ignavie et limidilatis argquuntl, [ji sunt quedam secta Theodosjanorum ; Themistins enim, qui eorum sectz et disciplinz princeps ſuit, unam in Christo naturam conjunctam fuisse tradidit. Gre- gorl's Turonensls In prolog. historia expouit aliter hrc Clristi verba : Neque filius, nisi 80l:s pa'er ; Con tenditque per filium imelligi debere Christianum po0- pulum, quia nempe lilio priexposuit angelos. Refcio, non censeo. GUsSANY. + Recent. Edit. mutarunt perpentite, qu-d legi- tur 14 omnibus Norim., Vatic., Rhem., Corb., etc., it perperdt, quia planior videbatur 8e:8us, EeiST. ANXVI. — * Recriiores, etinins @ perrersls Judicibus. Umnes Mss. no>tri et vet. Ed. sUuaserunt - expungere perversis. 4033 EPISTOLARUM LIB. X. — INDICT. HI. — EPIST. XXXVYII 4001 de talibus omnino contristari, quia qui pos nos vi- A qui vero contra vos ex eis 8d nos Yenire yoluerint, xcrink deteriora lempora videbunt; ita ut in coinpa- ratione Sui lemporis ſelices nos xsstiment (ies habuis- et. [In quantum yero prevalet ſraternitas tua, vppo- nere Se pro pauperibus, pro oppressis deb»t. Que etiam si prodesse minime valuerit!, ipsa omnipo'enti Deo mentis devolio svuflicit quam dedit. Scripium est enim : Eripe eos qui ducuntur ad mortem, « qui tra- huntur ad interitum liberare ne cesses ( Prov. xxiv, 11). Quod si dixeris : Vires non 8uppetunt, qui inspector_ esl cordis, ipse intelligit. la omne ergo quod agis inspectorem Ccordis appete habere placatum. Quidquid yero est unde illi placeas, facere non omittas. Nam humani-terrores et gratix Þ ſumo sunt similes, qui levi aura raptus evanescit. Hoc ceriissime scito, quia placere Deo et pravis hominibus nullus potest. ln tanto ergo se #slimet fraternitas tua omnipotenti Deo placuisse, quanto se perversis hominibus displi- cuisse Cognoverit. Ipsa tamen — pauperum moderata et gravis sit, ne si quid nimis Figide agitur, ex juvenlule vos-arbitrentur homines superbire. Sed lalis necesse est ut inveniatur pro oppressis © nostra defensio, quatenus et humiles protectionem sentiant, et oppressores non facile inveniant quod ex malivola mente reprehendant. Altende ergo quod ad Ezechie- lem dicitur : Fili hominis , increduli et *ubversores mnt lecum, et cum scorpionibus habitas (Ezech. n, 6). Et beatus Job ait : Frater ſui draconum, et s0cius aruthionum (Job xxx, 29). Et Paulus discipulis dicit : In medio nationis prave et pervers@, inter quos luce- tis sicut luminaria in mundo. (Philip. 11, 15). Tanto ergo debemus cautius ambulare, quanto nos scimus inter Dei inimicos vivere. 4 De Photinianistis autem ſralernitas tua sit omnino sollicita, et, sicut cepit, Studeat quatenus ad sinum sanct#e Ecelesiz revocen- lur, Si qui vero ad mc venire voluerint, et rationem recipere, prius jusjuarandum prebeant quia non per- mitlunt Suis quod in eorum errore, etiam ratione recepla, Persislant. Et postmodam eis tua Sanctitas promiltat, quia a me nullam violentiam patientur, «ed rationem reddo. Si veritalem cognoverint , *SUSCipiant; si non cognoverint, illzesos dimitto. Si EPISTOLA XXXVIL AD INNOCENTIUM AFRICE PRAEFECTUM, De Innocentii praſectura gaudet ex dilectione ; dolet er gravitate muneris, quam ill: tern mercedis 0c- casionem fieri peroptat. Factas indicat cum Lango- bardorum rege inducias. Suos in J0b postulanti lou- dat Augustini libros. De protecto Romane LEcelesi patrimonio gratias agit. Gregorius lunocentio * Aſrice prelecto. Luculenta eminentie vestre, et copdita cordis melle ſacundia ita Sui nobis saporem wedullitus in- fudit, et in su0 amore nos rapuit, ut nobis et dulce Ssonel quod scribitis, et Sapiat Suave quod agilis ; nee iiamerito, quia qui bonis studiis comptus est, judicio magnus est, non fayore. > Prefecture autem yos Suscepisse cingula cagnoscentes, lelitie se miscuit nostr.c trislitia. Nam ex una parle lztati de pro- vectu dnlcissimi (lii, contristati sumus ab altera, quia quam graye sit conſusis temporibus locis majo- ribus esse pra:positos, ex noetro prorsns dolore sen- timus. Unde omnino studendum est ut res a-pera fiat mercedis occasia. Nam, sicut nostis, de terra plena carduis ſrumentum egreditur, et de spinis ro- 8a prodncitur. Dum ergo seminandi yobis congruum tempus est, honorum operum serere Semina non Cces- setis, ut majores in die messis letitie manipnlos re- C Portetis, atque ad zternam -gloriam ex transi!orii honoris merito veniatis. Cognoseentes igitur quale studinum in praparandis © dromonihns gesseritis, ss0llicitudinem vestram, .de- Siderato nuntio, relevamus, indicantes cum Lango- bardorum rege usque ad mensem Martium ſuture quartze indictionis , de pace, propitiante Domino , convenisse. Quz si retineatur ignoramus, quia idem rex 0hiisse postea nuntiatus est, licet adhuc habea- tur in:ertum. | De Anamundaro autem quz Sscripsistis fecimus, Sed voluntatem utinam ssequalur effectus quia quan- Codicis nota hc eadem manuscripta esl : quia epige copus pre@ſecturam 8usceperut contristatur. Ad episco- pun non esse ssCcriptam hanc epistolam legenti pale» bit, modo in Gregorianis epistolis peregrinus non SIL. EPISTOLA XXXVIll. AD JANUARIUM CARALITANUM. EPISCOPUM. Curet ut nec violentiam patian'iur qui ad ecclesiam re- ſugerint, nec ii qui hactenus sunt oppressi damna suUslineant. Gregorius *® Januario episcopo Caralitano. Qualiter in Sardinia minores vel pauperes, ab_eis d qui illic majores swnt opprimantur, reverendissimi fratris nostri Dominici Carthaginensis episcopi at- que eminentissimi filii nostri Innocentii praſecti epistolz docuerunt; a quibus ut que nobis scripta Sunt nroveritis, ipsarum vobis epistolarum exempla- ria previdimus transmiltenda. Et ideo quia ea que peleada sunt offeruntur, studiose agendum est ut ca quz promittuniur opere compleantur. Si qui eorum de quibus est quzstio, in ecclesiam ſoriasse reſugerint, ita debet causa © diligentia vesira disponi, ut nec ipsi violentiam patiantur, nec ii qui dicuntur oppressi damna sustineant. Cura: ergo vesl# Sit ut eis sacramento ah iis quorum interest de ser- vanda lege et juslitia promittatur, et per omnia com- moneantur exire, atque sSuorum actuum reddere rationem, quibus etiam Ecclesiz vestre defensorem depulare vos convenit. Cujus sollicitudine ea que 4 In Norm. , Corb. et Turon., similaginis; utrum- que idem fere signilical. EeisT., XXX\VIllL. — * In quatuor Vaticanis, Ge- metic., Lyrano, Audoen. , Pratell. , duvbus Teller., tribus Colbert. et Regio, pro Januario, legilir Joanni episcopo Caral. sed perperam, cum adhuc viveret Januarius , et Ecclesiam Caralitanam. aliquot annis p-'Sstea 1Cxeril,, ut ex epistolis ad eum scriptiis iuſra cons:at, maxime ex sexta libri xi, indict. 6. EPISTOLA XXXINX. AD EULOGIUM PATRIARCHAM ALEXANDRINUM. Que ex Scripturis Agnoite 8umebant arqumenta sin- qula dissolvit, atque in ips0s dis8erit ubering, Deesse 8ibi peritos Graeci 8ermonis interpretes que- riur. Gregorius Eulogio palriarche Alexandrino. Sicut aqua ſrigida anime 8ilien'i, sic nuntius bonus de terra longinqua (Prov. xxv, 25). Quis vero mihi exe nuntius bonus quantum ad sanclze Ecclesi:e adjutorium potes!, LOG nisi vita atque incolumitas suavissime mibi vestrZ sanctitalis, quz ex percepla lace verilalis, et eamdem Ecclesiam pradicationis verbo illuminal, el ad meliorem via