Letter 12007: Gregory to Savinella, Columba, and Agnella.

TO SAVINELLA, COLUMBA, AND AGNELLA. Writing the same thing to each of them, he urges them to lay up heavenly treasures by means of more generous almsgiving. Gregory to Savinella, Columba, and Agnella equally. The report of your good work, glorious daughter, gladdens me sufficiently, in that you are said to do those things through which, while you mercifully assist the needy, you yourself obtain mercy, and, by feeding others for a time, you are satisfied with heavenly goods unto eternity. And therefore, since he in whom you believe is faithful, entrust securely the things you bestow, so that on the day of tribulation you may receive back what you expend. For the excellent preacher says: I know whom I have believed, and I am certain that he is able to keep my deposit unto that day (2 Tim. 1:12). Behold, glorious daughter, consider how great is the certainty of good works, and let your hand always be generous in the work, so that there may come to pass for you what is written: Hide your alms in the bosom of the poor man, and this will plead for you (Ecclus. 29:15). Whoever, therefore, desires to have abundant fruit in heaven, let him not neglect to sow while there is time, so that he may gather the sheaves with joy on the day of the harvest. For they who sow in tears shall reap in gladness (Ps. 125:5). But what sort of harvest is to come from such sowing, let the Apostle say: He who sows in his flesh shall from the flesh reap corruption also; but he who sows in the spirit shall from the spirit also reap eternal life (Gal. 6:8). But lest want of necessities should find us in need, let us prepare this harvest for ourselves by a manifold sowing; and the more abundantly we desire to be filled, the more generously let us bestow upon him from whom we have received the whole. For the Lord himself says of himself: For I was hungry, and you gave me to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave me to drink; I was a stranger, and you took me in; I was naked, and you clothed me (Matt. 25:35), and so forth, and in conclusion it is added: Amen I say to you, as long as you did it to one of these the least of my brethren, you did it to me. This therefore do the more diligently, and, doing these things, seek for yourselves no repayment on earth, because for those who desire heavenly things temporal things are nothing. But fix your desires there, where whatever is repaid receives no end. Therefore, in doing good let us not fail, so that you may be able to lay up for yourselves treasures there, where neither rust nor moth consumes, and where thieves do not dig through nor steal (Matt. 6). [...] [May Almighty God] keep [you], and so kindle your heart always to good work, that he may both bestow his grace upon you here, and may afterward lead you to eternal joys. LETTER VIII. TO COLUMBUS, BISHOP OF NUMIDIA. Concerning the grave complaint of Donadeus against Victor his bishop, let him inquire carefully, so that the guilty man may receive a fitting penalty. Gregory to Columbus, bishop of Numidia. How grave, and in the very hearing intolerable, is the complaint of Donadeus, the bearer of the present letter, who asserts that he was a deacon, the petition given by him, which is contained in the matters appended for your fraternity, will make manifest. But because it has come to us that he had been deposed on account of a bodily sin, let your love inquire into this by a careful investigation, and, if it is so, let him be thrust back into penance, so that by tears he may be able to loose the bond of the crime committed. But if he is shown to be innocent and clear of any such perpetration, then, together with the primate of the council, or with the other brethren and our fellow bishops, all the things which his petition contains are to be examined by you with diligent inquiry. And if his complaint is supported by the truth, then in the case of Victor his bishop, who did not fear to commit so great a wickedness against God and against the priestly purpose, let this strictness of canonical rigor be maintained, so that from your decision he may understand how unjust is the thing he has done, and may here be restored to his own order; for it is proved to be perverse enough and contrary to ecclesiastical censure that anyone should be deprived in vain for the wishes of certain persons, whom his own fault or crime does not cast down from the rank of the office which he exercises (Gratian, distinction 55, chapter 7).

AD SAVINELLAM, COLUMBAM ET AGNELLAM. Idem ad zsingulas scribens, hortatur ut largioribus elee- mosynis coles!es comparent thesauros. Gregorius * Savinellez, Columbz et Agnellz a pa - ribus. | | Satis me, gloriosa ſilia, operationis tuz audita hona letificant, quod illa agere perhiberis per quz, dum egentibus misericorditer subyenis, ipsa misericordiam consequaris, et alios, temporaliter nutriendo, bonis in zternum calestibus satieris. Et ideo quia fidelis est cui credis, Þ secura commenda ea quz tribuis, ut in die tribulationis recipias quod impendis. Ait nam- que egregius przedicator : Scio cui credidi, et certus gum quia potens eat servare depositum meum in illum diem (11 Tim. 1, 12). Ecce, gloriosa ſilia, quanta sit g bonorum operum certitudo considera, et larga sit ' 8emper manus in opere, ut fiat vobis quod scriptum est : Absconde eleemosynam in sinu pauperis, et hec pro le exorabit (Kecli. xx1x, 15). Qnisquis igitur co- piosum in celis fruetum habere deside: at, seminare, dum tempus est, non omiltat, ut manipulos in die messis cum |e#titia colligat. Nam qui seminant in lacry- mis, in gaudio metent (Palm. cxxv, 5). Sed qualis messis ex bujusmodi Semente futura 8it, dicat Apo- stolus : (ui seminat in carne 8a, de carne metet ef corruptionem ; qui autem seminat in 8piritu, de spiritu et melet vitam elernam (Gal. vi, 8). Ne vero inopia Nos eges(alis inveniat, hanc nobis messem $alione multiplici preparemus; et quan(o uberius $Saliari cu- - pimus, tanto ei a quo totum accepimus largius con= ſeramus. Nam ipse de 8e Dominus ait : Egurivi enim, el dedistis miki manducare ; sitivi, et dedistis mihi bi- bere ; hospes ſui, et collegiatis me ; nudus ſui, et ope- ruis/is me (Matth. xzv, 35), etc., alque in conclusione Subjungitur : Amen dico vobis, quandiu ſecistis uni ex his ſratribus meis minimis, mihi ſecislis. Hoc igitur $tudiosius agite, et hc agentes in terra vobis retribui nil quzratis, quia superna desiderantibus temporalia nulla sunt. Sed ibi desideria vestra figite, ubi quid- quid retribuitur finem non suscipit. Bonum ergo fa- cientes non deſiciatis, ut illic vobis thesauros thesau- rizare possitis, ubi neque zrugo, neque tinea de- molitur, et ubi ſures non effodiunt, nec ſurantur (Watth. vi). E | SANCTI GREGORII MAGNI A custodiat, atque s8ic cor vestrum ad bonam semper operationem accendat, ut et hie vobis suam gratiam tribuat, et ad gaudia yos postmodum #terna pet- - ducat. . EPISTOLA VIN. AD COLUMBUM' NUMIDIE EPISCOPUM. De gravi Donadei adversus Victorem episcopum 8m querela inquirat gollicite, ut congruam de! penam reus. Gregorius Columbo episcopo Numidiz. Quam gravis et auditu ips0 intolerabilis Donadei latoris presentium, qui $c as8erit ſuisse diaconum, Sit querela, ab eo data petitio quz tenetur in Subdi- tis ſraternitati vesire faciet maniſestum. Sed quia pervenit ad nos quod pro corporali peccalo fuisset depositus, dilectio vestra subtilj hoc inquisitione per- quiral, el $i ita esl, in pe@enitentia retrudatur, ut come missi ſlagitii vinculum lacrymis possit absolvere. Si vero insons ab hujusmodi perpetratione claruerit, una cum primate concilii, vel aliis fratribus coepis- copisque nostris, omnia que pelitio ejus continet diligenti a vobis examinatione quzrenda sunt. E1 i querela ejus veritate ſulcitur, et in episcopo ejus Vi- ctore, qui contra Deum et s8acerdotale propositum tantum commiltere nefas non metnit, canonici vigo- ris ista districtio teneatur, ut ex definitione veslra quam 8it iniquum quod ſecit intelligat, et hic suo ordini reformetur, quia' satis perversum et * contra ecclesiasticam probatur esse censuram, ut ſrusira pro quorumdam voluntatibus quis privetur, quem $a culpa vel facinus ab officii quo ſungitur gradu, non dejicit Þ (Grat. dis!. 55, c. 7).