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

To Romanus, the Exarch. That he should not protect the priest Speciosus, who resists his bishop, nor act as patron to the nuns who have returned to the world. Gregory to Romanus, Exarch of Italy. Before your Excellency the audacity of the wicked ought to find the goads of correction rather than the solace of a defense. For it is grave enough if it should happen that a wicked deed there finds a refuge from that quarter from which the censure of discipline ought rather to proceed. And so it has come to us that a certain priest named Speciosus, who, as the case required, had been assigned to a monastery by John our brother and fellow bishop, has thereupon departed against the will of his own pastor, and, despising the force of ecclesiastical regulation, resists the aforesaid bishop, relying upon your protection. And because this without doubt strikes at the odium of your Excellency, it is necessary that you, with discretion observed, ought to withdraw from him your protection, lest, if by occasion of your name he is for a time disobedient or contumacious toward his own pastor, and defends your judges against you, he both compel your Excellency on this account to give offense, and likewise sadden us by your discord. We have learned besides, what it is impious even to say, that certain women, who until now have remained in the religious and monastic habit, are laying aside their garment and their veil, and joining themselves to husbands, which we cannot relate without grievous sorrow. But indeed [it is said] that they presume to say or even to attempt this, propped up by the patronage of your favor; which the bitterness of their own perversity does not permit us to believe. We ask therefore that you ought in no way to mix yourself in so great a sin. For we in no manner suffer iniquity of this kind to remain unpunished, for God's sake. Wherefore we again beseech that your Excellency should not involve yourself in the defense of such causes, lest both God defend His own injury, and the fault of others beget discord between us. In the month of February, in the thirteenth indiction. (Cf. John the Deacon, book III, no. 40.)

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.)