Letter 7017: If you had been at pains to weigh with careful consideration the rule of ecclesiastical administration and the order of ancient custom, neither would any fault of unlawful presumption have crept in upon you, nor would others have incurred danger by occasion of your sin. Now there is no doubt that you were aware how that, certain things having co...

Gregory to Sabinianus, Bishop of Zadar. Had you taken care to weigh with close attention the rule of ecclesiastical order and the norm of ancient custom, no fault of unlawful presumption would have crept in upon you, nor would others have incurred danger through your sin. There is no doubt that you were aware that certain matters had come to our ears concerning Maximus which were no slight obstacle to his advancement to the priesthood, and that we had not given our consent, and that it was our will that he should not attain what he was seeking until adequate satisfaction had been given concerning the things alleged. But whereas you ought by all means to have observed this, what happened instead was that he, grasping for the episcopate with the blindness of a greedy mind, unwarily inclined you to favor him despite our prohibition. Lest even then the things reported to us should remain uninvestigated, he was summoned to come here by letters from us. When his perversity led him to delay doing so, we took care to urge him again and again in further letters — under threat of exclusion from communion — to come to us without excuse for his vindication. He chose rather to submit to excommunication than to show obedience. The result is — terrible as it is to say — that the wickedness of his perverse disposition is drawing others into his own ruin. Since, however, we have now learned that you are at odds with his wrongdoing, we urge you by the present letter — so that it may profit your soul to have separated yourself from him, even if belatedly — that you henceforth neither communicate with him nor mention his name in the solemn Mass; and moreover that you come to us without delay, bringing with you as many as you can — whether bishops or other devout persons — so that, after the matter has been thoroughly examined, both your absolution, should the case require it, may fittingly and properly follow, and those who have fallen into the sin of similar recklessness may be recalled to the way of salvation, with the help of the blessed Apostle Peter, Prince of the Apostles, through an arrangement pleasing to Christ. Let any bishop or devout person who comes to us know that he will suffer no injustice or prejudice, but that everything will be managed to please our Redeemer after full establishment of the truth — so that even from our manner of handling the matter, with the Lord's approval, it may be plain to all that we are moved not by personal grudge against anyone but by zeal for God and the right ordering of the Church.

Book VII, Letter 17 To Sabinianus, Bishop. Gregory to Sabinianus, Bishop of Jadera. If you had been at pains to weigh with careful consideration the rule of ecclesiastical administration and the order of ancient custom, neither would any fault of unlawful presumption have crept in upon you, nor would others have incurred danger by occasion of your sin. Now there is no doubt that you were aware how that, certain things having come to our ears about Maximus which were no slight bar to his advancement to the priesthood, we had not given our assent to it, and that it was our will that he should not attain to what he strove after till there had been adequate satisfaction concerning the things that were said. But, when you ought by all means to have observed this, it came rather to pass that he, snatching at the episcopate with the greediness of a blind mind, inclined you unwarily to favour him in spite of our prohibition. But, lest even then the things that had been reported to us should remain unexamined, he was summoned to come hither by letters from us. And, when he was so perversely inclined as to defer doing so, we took care to admonish him in repeated letters, under pain of interdiction from communion, to make haste to come to us for his purification, putting aside all excuses: but he chose rather to submit to excommunication than to evince obedience. Whence the result is (awful to be said), that the pravity of his perverse disposition involves others in his own perdition. Now however, inasmuch as we have learned that you dissent from his wickedness, we exhort you by the present writing (that so it may profit your soul to have severed yourself, even though late, from him) that you henceforth neither communicate with him nor make mention of his name in the sacred solemnities of mass; and also that you defer not coming to us without delay, yea and bring others with you too, such as you can, whether bishops or other religious persons, so that (the cause being thoroughly examined), both your absolution, should the case require it, may fittingly and decently ensue, and that those who have fallen into the sin of the like temerity may be recalled to the way of salvation, with the help of the blessed Peter, Prince of the apostles, by an arrangement well-pleasing to Christ. Moreover, let any bishop or religious person that may come to us know that he will sustain no prejudice or injustice, but that all will be arranged so as to please our Redeemer after full ascertainment of the truth; to the end that even from our way of ordering the matter, with the Lord's approval, it may appear to all that we are not moved by private grudge against any man, but by zeal for God and for the adjustment of ecclesiastical order. About this page Source. Translated by James Barmby. From Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, Second Series, Vol. 12. Edited by Philip Schaff and Henry Wace. (Buffalo, NY: Christian Literature Publishing Co., 1895.) Revised and edited for New Advent by Kevin Knight. <https://www.newadvent.org/fathers/360207017.htm>. Contact information. The editor of New Advent is Kevin Knight. My email address is feedback732 at newadvent.org. (To help fight spam, this address might change occasionally.) Regrettably, I can't reply to every letter, but I greatly appreciate your feedback — especially notifications about typographical errors and inappropriate ads.