Letter 5024: It has come to my attention that the priest Speciosus has been resisting his bishop, and that he may seek — or has...

Gregory to Romanus, exarch of Italy. The audacity of wrongdoers ought to find the sting of correction from your excellency rather than the comfort of your defense. For it is grave indeed if those who act wickedly should find refuge in the very quarter from which the censure of discipline ought to proceed. It has come to our attention that a certain priest named Speciosus, who for good cause had been assigned to a monastery by our brother and fellow bishop John, left that monastery against his bishop's will and, scorning the force of ecclesiastical authority, has been resisting the aforesaid bishop, emboldened by your protection. Since this without doubt brings reproach upon your excellency, it is necessary that you should, with due discernment, withdraw your protection from him, lest — if through the cover of your name he remains disobedient or defiant toward his bishop for a time — he may provoke your own judges against you, and your excellency may be offended by this affair, and we likewise may be grieved by discord between you. We have learned in addition — and it is shameful even to say — that certain women who until now had remained in a religious and monastic habit have put off their garments and their veils and have joined themselves to husbands, which we cannot report without great sorrow. But that they presume to say or attempt such things is said to be supported by the patronage of your favor, which the bitterness of their very perversity does not permit us to believe. We ask, therefore, that you in no way involve yourself in so great a sin. For we will by no means allow such wickedness to go unpunished before God. Therefore we ask again that your excellency not involve itself in the defense of such causes, lest God defend His own injury, and the fault of others breed discord between us.

AD ROMANUM EXARCHUM. Ne Speciosum presbyterum episcepo 810 resistenlem luealur, neque palrocinelur sanctimonialibus ud s@- culum reversis. Gregorius *® Romano exarcho ltaliz. Apud excellentiam vestrain pravorum audacia cor- replionis debet aculeos magis quam deſensionis jn- venire 80laltium. Nam S$alis grave est $i illic habere pravam contingat actionem refgium, unde discipline decet prodire censurain. Perveuit itaque ad nvs Spe- ciosum quemdam presbyterum, qui causa poscente in monaslerium a Joanue fraitre et coepiscopo nostro C fuerat depulatus, contra Sul pasLoris exinde volunta- tem exiisse, Þ et, ecclesiaslice conslitutionis vie gore despecto, ante dicto episcopo, vestra ſretum luitione, resislere. Quod quia excellentiz vestra $ine dubio pulsat invidiain, necesse est ut ab ejus vos, habita discrelione, debeatis tuitione suspendere, n& $i Nominis vestri occasione pastori $u0 inobediens vel contumax ſuerit ad tempus, et vesiros contra vos judices deſensare, atque excelleniiam vestram hac ex re cogatur offendere, et nos pariter de vestra discor- dia contristare. Comperimus przxterea, quod dici nefas est, quas- dam mulieres, quz nunc usque. in religios0 alque monachico habitu permanserunt, © suam veslem et Suam velaluram deponere, et conjugibus, quod $ine D gravi reſerre non possumus dolore, svciari. Sed huc quidem 4 ut dicere vel allentare presumant, ſavoris Ee1isT. XXIV [Al. 18]. — * De Romano lege episl. 55 lib. 1. In Editis additur Ltulo, Kesidenti Ravenud, quod in Mss. minime repertum expunximus. Solis Sacris Virginibus non loquitur. De 80Jemni veli impositione ac beaedictione pro $acris virginibus, Hieronymus ad Demetriadem de servand virgiutale: Scio quod ad imprecationem ponlificis flumme«m virgi- nale 8ganclum oprruit caput, Kt Ambros., exhort. ad virgines : renit Pasche dies, in tolo orbe bapligmi 8@- cramenta celebrantur, velantur 8acre@ virgines. 4 Excusi, «enSu quidem oplimo, ut ſacere rel atten» lare. T5 vestri patrocinio ſulciri dicuntur, quod nos credere A quidem eum exinde aliquid incongrue minuisse didi- perversitatis ipsius acerbitas non permittit. Petimns ergo ut in tanto vos peccalo miscere nnllatenus de- heatis. Nam hujusmodi iniquitatem impunitam pro- pter' Deum nullo modo patimur remanere. Unde iterum quesumns ut excellentia vestra in talium $se causarum deſensione non misceat, ne et Deus S$uam deſendat injuriam, et inter nos aliorum pariat culpa discordiam. * Mense Februnrio, indictione 13. (Cf. Joan. Diae. |. 1n, n. 40.)