Letter 8030: Our common son, the bearer of these presents, when he brought the letters of your Holiness found me sick, and has left me sick; whence it has ensued that the scanty water of my brief epistle has been hardly able to exude to the large fountain of your Blessedness. But it was a heavenly boon that, while in a state of bodily pain, I received the le...

Gregory to Eulogius, Bishop of Alexandria. Our mutual friend, the bearer of this letter, found me ill when he arrived and is leaving me still ill. So you will have to forgive the thin stream of this brief letter flowing toward the great fountain of your Blessedness. But it was a gift from heaven: even in the midst of bodily pain, receiving your letter about the conversion of heretics in Alexandria and the restored harmony of the faithful lifted my spirits so much that the joy of my mind actually eased my suffering. We rejoice with fresh exultation at your good work -- though we never supposed this was new for you. That the people of the holy Church are growing, that spiritual grain for the heavenly storehouse is multiplying -- we never doubted this was the abundant grace of Almighty God flowing through you, most blessed ones. We give thanks to God and see fulfilled in you what is written: "Where oxen are many, the harvest is abundant" (Proverbs 14:4). If a strong ox had not drawn the plow of the tongue across the soil of people's hearts, so great a harvest of the faithful would never have sprung up. Now, since I know you rejoice in the good news of others just as you share your own, let me return the favor. The people of the Angli [the English], living in a remote corner of the world, had until now remained in the worship of sticks and stones. With the help of your prayers, I resolved to send a monk from my own monastery to preach to them. With my permission he was consecrated bishop by the bishops of Germany, and with their support he made his way to the ends of the earth to reach that nation. Word has already reached us that he and his companions are doing remarkable work. On the recent feast of Christmas, more than ten thousand Angli were baptized. I tell you this so that you may know that what you accomplish by speaking, you also accomplish by praying -- even at the ends of the earth. Your prayers work where you yourself have never set foot.

Book VIII, Letter 30 To Eulogius, Bishop of Alexandria. Gregory to Eulogius, etc. Our common son, the bearer of these presents, when he brought the letters of your Holiness found me sick, and has left me sick; whence it has ensued that the scanty water of my brief epistle has been hardly able to exude to the large fountain of your Blessedness. But it was a heavenly boon that, while in a state of bodily pain, I received the letter of your Holiness to lift me up with joy for the instruction of the heretics of the city of Alexandria, and the concord of the faithful, to such an extent that the very joy of my mind moderated the severity of my suffering. And indeed we rejoice with new exultation to hear of your good doings, though at the same time we by no means suppose that it is a new thing for you to act thus perfectly. For that the people of holy Church increases, that spiritual crops of grain for the heavenly garner are multiplied, we never doubted that this was from the grace of Almighty God which flowed largely to you, most blessed ones. We therefore render thanks to Almighty God, that we see fulfilled in you what is written, Where there is much increase, there the strength of the oxen is manifest Proverbs 14:4. For, if a strong ox had not drawn the plough of the tongue over the ground of the hearts of hearers, so great an increase of the faithful would by no means have sprung up. But, since in the good things you do I know that you also rejoice with others, I make you a return for your favour, and announce things not unlike yours; for while the nation of the Angli, placed in a corner of the world, remained up to this time misbelieving in the worship of stocks and stones, I determined, through the aid of your prayers for me, to send to it, God granting it, a monk of my monastery for the purpose of preaching. And he, having with my leave been made bishop by the bishops of Germany, proceeded, with their aid also, to the end of the world to the aforesaid nation; and already letters have reached us telling us of his safety and his work; to the effect that he and those that have been sent with him are resplendent with such great miracles in the said nation that they seem to imitate the powers of the apostles in the signs which they display. Moreover, at the solemnity of the Lord's Nativity which occurred in this first indiction, more than ten thousand Angli are reported to have been baptized by the same our brother and fellow bishop. This have I told you, that you may know what you are effecting among the people of Alexandria by speaking, and what in the ends of the world by praying. For your prayers are in the place where you are not, while your holy operations are shown in the place where you are. In the next place, as to the person of Eudoxius the heretic , about whose error I have discovered nothing in the Latin language, I rejoice that I have been most abundantly satisfied by your Blessedness. For you have adduced the testimonies of the strong men, Basil, Gregory, and Epiphanius; and we acknowledge him to be manifestly slain, at whom our heroes have cast so many darts. But with regard to these errors which are proved to have arisen in the Church of Constantinople, you have replied on all heads most learnedly, and as it became you to utter the judgment of so great a see. Whence we give thanks to Almighty God, that the tables of the covenant are still in the ark of God. For what is the priestly heart but the Ark of the Covenant? And since spiritual doctrine retains its vigour therein, without doubt the tables of the law are lying in it. Your Blessedness has also been careful to declare that you do not now make use of proud titles, which have sprung from a root of vanity, in writing to certain persons, and you address me saying, As you have commanded. This word, command, I beg you to remove from my hearing, since I know who I am, and who you are. For in position you are my brethren, in character my fathers. I did not, then, command, but was desirous of indicating what seemed to be profitable. Yet I do not find that your Blessedness has been willing to remember perfectly this very thing that I brought to your recollection. For I said that neither to me nor to any one else ought you to write anything of the kind; and lo, in the preface of the epistle which you have addressed to myself who forbade it, you have thought fit to make use of a proud appellation, calling me Universal Pope. But I beg your most sweet Holiness to do this no more, since what is given to another beyond what reason demands is subtracted from yourself. For as for me, I do not seek to be prospered by words but by my conduct. Nor do I regard that as an honour whereby I know that my brethren lose their honour. For my honour is the honour of the universal Church: my honour is the solid vigour of my brethren. Then am I truly honoured when the honour due to all and each is not denied them. For if your Holiness calls me Universal Pope, you deny that you are yourself what you call me universally. But far be this from us. Away with words that inflate vanity and wound charity. And, indeed, in the synod of Chalcedon and afterwards by subsequent Fathers, your Holiness knows that this was offered to my predecessors. And yet not one of them would ever use this title, that, while regarding the honour of all priests in this world, they might keep their own before Almighty God. Lastly, while addressing to you the greeting which is due, I beg you to deign to remember me in your holy prayers, to the end that the Lord for your intercessions may absolve me from the bands of my sins, since my own merits may not avail me.

EULOGIUM EPISCOPUM ALEXANDRINUM, De Alexzandrine urbis hereticis conrersis atque de fi- delium concordia gratulatur. Scribit vicissim de An- glorum conversione. De Eudoxio haretico aliisre fa- tetur sibi ab Eulogio factum satis. Unirersalis pape tiiulum a synodo Chalcedonensi suis deces80ribus oblatum, sed rejectum, resputt. Gregorius ® Eulogio episcopo Alexandrino. z grum reliquit; qua ex re conligit ut ad larguw ve- ssIre bealitudinis ſonlem brevis epistola Men vis parva potuissel aqua resudare. Superni autem mune- Tis ſuit ut in dolore corporis posilus Suavissima ve- s|r2 sanclitatis Scripta susciperem, que me Þ de do- cirina Alexandrine urbis hareticorum et de concor- dia fidelium sublimiter Iztificaret ; quatenus ipsa mentis lelitia immanilatem mihi molesliz tempera - re!, Et quidem de honis veslris nova Semper exSul- tatione gaudemus, sed tamen jla vos perſecle agere novum esse nnllo modo deputainus. Quod enim cre- Scit sanclz Ecclesiz populus, quod ad ccaleste hor- reum Sspirilalez Segeles mulliplicantur, hoc de omni- potentis Dei gratia quz in beatissimis vohis large influit. nunquam habuimus incertum. Gratias ita- que omnipotenti Deo solvimus, quia impletaum vi- demus in vobis esse quod scriptum est : Ubi pluri- me segetes, ibi maniſes!a ſortitudo boum (Prov. xiv, s). Si enim bos ſortis aratrum linguz in terra cordis audientium non traxisset, tlanta fidelium seges mi- nime sSurrexisset. pr roIm—momm aro _ Os 5 Ps. * Qnoniam vero in bonis que agitis 8cio quod et aliis congaudetis, vestr:r vobis gratiz vicem reddo, et non dissimilia nuntio, quia dum gens Anglorum in mundi angulo posita in cultu lignorum ac lapidum 4 perſida nuncusque remaneret, ex vestre mihi ora- lionis adjutorio placuit ut ad eam monasterii mei * monachum in prxdicationem transmiltere Deo au- etore debuissem. Qui data a me licentia, f a Germa- niarum episcopis epi-copus factus, cum eorum quo- que solatiis ad predictam gentem in finem mundi per- | ductus est, et jam nunc de cjus salute et opere ad nos scripla pervenerunt, quia tantis miraculis vel jpse, vel hi qui cum eo lransmissi sunt, in genle ca- dem coruscant, ut apostolorum virtutes 1n Signis quz exhibent imitari videantur. In solemnitate autem do- minice nalivitatis, que hac prima indictione trans- acta est, plus quam decem millia Angli ab eodem nuntiati sant fratre et coepiscopo nostro baptizali, Quod idcirco narravi, ut cognoscalis quid in Ale {2 OOO xandrino populo loquendo JJ Y et quid in mundifi- | nibus agitis orando. Vestre enim orationes sSunt in | eo loco ubi non estis, quorum operationes Sanctz mons!'rantur in eo loco in quo estis. (Cf. Joan. Diac. Communis ſilius, presentium lator, sanctitatis ve- DD l. n, c. 59.) © Budzus : archivum ex Graco ſactum, est et6c7ov, et za oraet cuslodes tabularii. Archivem auiem ma- gisiratunm :edes Significat, et regiam, et palatium, et judiciale forum. Ex quo factum es ut archium, ei, interposilo v, archivum signilicet chartophylacium. Id quidem levioris momenti. At Rome nulla vel panca lunc ſuisse martyrum ge>ta, nullas de martyrum Pas. si0nibus narratjones, id cerie est mirabile. Gussaxv. Et novis auctoribus, qui Vaticanos Codices passim in- gerunt, incommodun. 4 Putaut aliqui bunc locum intelligendinm esse de Martyrologio illo Romauo quod velus appellatar. Ve- rum id luculenter confutavit vir clarissmus Henri- cu> Valesius noluuuhticratoy in dis8eriatione ad cal- ceu Eusebii, ubj comendu arte Usgardum nullum onninu ex>litisse Martyrologium Romanum ; istud auviei de quo hic Gregurius, ſuisse commune cum reliquis Occidentalibus, 8c1licet Martyrologinm quod Sub Hicronymi nome editum est; nec tarmen aut ab ipse Hieron. cotlectum, aut ex Eusebio translatum Salis probatur. Plura videsis apud eumdem Valesinmn, et in Bolland., prefat. generali ad Acta sanctorum, C. 4, \ 4. Partim ex GUs8axv.