Letter 2074: The good which is conceived by God's gift in the heart is brought to completion by swift and firm devotion.

TO RUSTICIANA, A PATRICIAN LADY. The good that is conceived in the heart by the gift of the Creator is to be carried out with swift and steadfast devotion. If anyone contrives slanders against us, the whole hope of the mind is to be turned toward God. Gregory to Rusticiana, a patrician lady. Receiving the letter of your Excellency, we were relieved by the longed-for report of your good health, hoping that the Lord by His mercy may protect and dispose your life and your deeds. But we were greatly astonished why you have turned aside from the intention, deliberated upon, of going to the holy places, and from the resolve of a good work; whereas, whenever some good is conceived in the heart by the gift of the Creator, it is needful that it be fulfilled with swift devotion, lest, while the crafty schemer strives to ensnare the soul, he should presently suggest some hindrance [...] by which the mind, weakened by occupations, should accomplish its desires least of all. Whence it is needful that your Excellency go before all hindrances, with pious causes meeting them, and with all the efforts of your heart strive eagerly after the fruit of the good work; so that you may be able both in the present age to live tranquilly, and in the future to possess the heavenly kingdom. But as to what you wrote, that Passivus had been wont to stir up certain slanders against you, but that the most pious emperors not only did not willingly listen to them, but even received them harshly: consider whose gift this was; and turn the whole hope of your mind to Him who powerfully withstands those who in this world have the power to harm men as much as they desire, so that He may beat back the depraved wills of men by the opposition of His arm, and Himself, as He is wont, may mercifully break their attempts. The glorious lord Appio and the lady Eusebia, the lord Eudoxius and the lady Gregoria, I beg you to greet on my behalf.

AD RUSTICIANAM PATRICIAM. Bonum quod dono Conditoris in corde concipilur, celeri ac firma derotione comp/endum. Si quis con- tra nos calumnias molitur, ad Deum toia spes men- tis inflectenda. | Gregorius © Rusticianz patricie. Epistolam excellentiz vestre suscipiens, ” voti- vo Sum incolumitlatis ejus nuntio relevatus, optans ut vitam actusque vestros 8ua Dominus misericordia protegat et disponat. Valde autem miratus um cur del.beralz viz eundi ad loca $sancla intentionem et volum boni operis deflexislis, dum $si quando bonum aliquod dono Conditoris in corde coucipitur, celeri necesse est devotione compleri, ne dum callidus in- Sidiator animum irrelire nilitur, subinde impeyimen- Cu Suggerat, quibus ad effectum minime desideria $ua tem ; in aliena stipendia minime alter obrepal, nec alii deb tam aller 8ibi audeat vindicare mercedem. Sit ſa- cultas clericis renitendi, 8i se viderint pregravari; & quos 8ibi ingert ex transverso cognoverint, non limeant reſutare, elc, Videal lector epistwlam Nicolai papz ad Carolum Calvum circa an. $69, ubi conirarium usum in Gallia ſamiliarius grassaniem vocat violationem canonum lemerariam, pro qua ampulanda necesse est specialius impendere diligentiaiu et eam decreli ligone (ut ipse loquilur) radicitus exsUrpare. Cxlerum quod de episcopis aiunt, c#leris quoque dignitatibus, olfi- ciis, Sacerdoli:s, pari ratione prudens quiSque accom- modabit. Vide Cod. lib. 1, tit. 6, de episcopis et cle- ricis, leg. 11 : In Ecclesiis que in pos>es8ionibus, ut fieri s0let, diversorum vicis etam vel quibuglibet locis sunt conslitul@e; clerici non ex alia pus8es810Ne, vel vice, 8ed ex eo ub Ecclesiam esse consliterit, ordinentur, elC. GusSANV. | [in Vatic. A et B ne ad episcopatum cujuslibet conversationis vel merili persone. lu vulgatis, ne ad cujuslibel conversationis mericum. Sequimur VYalic. D, Rhem., Norm., Regios, eic. 5 De laicis ad >acros ordines non $Slatim promo- vendis, ,plurimis canonibus cautum est, quos videsis apud Tuomas>inum, Jhib. 1, parte 8ecunda, Cap, 59. | EeisT. XXVI (Al. Z)), — © hn vulgalis, epis', vist- tatori Nepesing Eccleig. In V aicanis episcopo Ne- pesino. Sequimur Norm., Corb., Rirem., etc. Eeisr. XX VII (Al. 21). — © tx urbe Roma migra- verat ConSlaulnopolim, ut Colligitur ex Cplat. 22, indict. 1, et 22, indict. 6, b44 esl expelito, oplaubili. Sic apud Apuleium voti- yus conspectus. Sa:pius pro £0 quod voto fit aut pras Initticur ; {udi rotivi, labella voliva, thus volivum, ' SANCTI GREGORII MAGNI mens occupalionibus debilitata perducat. Unde ne- A siquidem si quid Deo fllic munificentiz gratia a fi- cesse ecst excellentiam vestram omnibus impedimen- tis piis causis obviantibus antcire, et ad ſrucium bv- ni operis totis cordis nisibus inhiare; ut ct in pre- senti 8xculo tranquille vivere, et in ſuluro co&leste _ regnum valeat possidere. Hlud, autem quod. scripsi- vlis, Paggivum contra vos aliquas 1oolitum fſuisse calumnias, piissimos yero imperatores non $soluin libenler non audisse, $sed etiam aspere suscepisse, cujus hoe ſuerit donum, perpendite; et ad cum qui bominibus in hoc sxculo be quantum appetunt no- cere valeant, potenter obviat, tolam spem mentis inllectile, quatenus pravas bominum voluntates bra- ehii 8vi oppositione reverberet , conatusque eorum, ut consuevit, misericorditer ipse conſt ingat. Glorio- $um domnum Appionem et domnam Eusebiam, dom- num Eudoxium et domnam Gregoriam, mea per vos deprecor vice salutari. | EPISTOLA- XX VII. AD STEPHANUM CHARTULARIUM. <. . Monachos duos 8ni slatus deseriores fubeat retrudi ; monaslerio consuetudines novas imponi non 8inal. Gregorius Stephano * chartulario. Scientes magnitudinem charitatis vestrz toto Do- minum ecorde diligere, ob hoc ea que in massis 599 » de jure quondam patrici e recordationis Julii contra preceptia dominica contraque canonum regu- lam commissa esse didicimus, ad ejus necesse duxi- mus referre notitiam, quatenus et quz perpetrala sunt corrigi debeant, et alii deinceps tentare non presumant. Insinuatum igitur_ nobis es, in massa que nuncupatur © Marato, abbate monasterii $ancti Georgii quod in eadem $itum est, duos monachos reſugisse ; et unum quidem ex eis jam conjugem ac- cepisse, alium autem laicum effectum s:2culariter vivere; cum nec ex familia masse homines ipsi esse liberi as$eraitur, et vel si Secundum condilionem debuissemt agere, contra Deum erat ut post adeptum divini officii cultum, ad s:rcularem vitam atque ha- bitum remearent. Unde bortor ut, babita judicis terni consideratione, monachos ipsos retrudi $ine dilatione faciatis, ne corum exemplo, cum veslro, quod absit, peccato, ceterorum monasleriorum di- striclio dissipetur, sed magis ut magnitudinis vesir S0latio aliis monachis $spes gerendi talia $ubmorea- tur. Asserit aulem pradictus abbas presbyterum predidiez mass novas monaslerio ipsi velle impo- nere conguetudines, que ex tempore conditi mona - +teriji per (riennale tempius hactenus non fuerunt, Eersr, XAXXVITE (AL. 20, mdict. 7). —* In colle- clione Pauli Diac., epist. 45, consemtientibns duobus "Tell. et Mss. Norm., necnon Vatic. D, icgitir, char- inlario, vel chartario Siciliw. Additur in Vaiic. et Teller., de monackis reslituendis. De hoc Stephano lege epist. 3, indict. 11, ad Joannem sanctze Lu- ciz Syracus. abbatem. » Sie restiinimus ex Mss. cum Vulgati habeant, de jure quondam patricii viri pic recordationis. In duo- us Teller. pro in massis legitur in marsts. © Norm. , Marathodis ; dno Teller., Mirathodis, vel Narathodis. Corb. duo et antiq. Colb., Maratodis. lo Vulgatis legitur de abbate... reſugisse, delibus viris oblatum ſuerit, portionem $e asserat debere percipere. Quod magnitudo vestra $tudeat diligenier aguoscere; et $i hoc ab initio non ſuit, cliam Jabentibus temporibus aliud noviter imponi non conceiat, maxime cum exiguze subslantiz et monastcriumn pauperum esse didicimus, et abbaten; ipsum bospilalem omuino es8e multorum alleslativ- ne didiclinus 9. |