Letter 147: Part of the papal correspondence surrounding the Acacian Schism (484-519), the major breach between Rome and...

Although silence is judged something great, yet it is necessary, in admiration of God's mercy, to engage frequently in discourse. And because the beginning of the faith which our Lord and God and Savior Jesus Christ taught us excels in the remission of sins, this is unknown to no one. For he himself, through his own passion, cleansed all the sins of Adam, and this was the purpose of his humility: to free both the aforementioned and all his brothers from the bondage of sin, voluntarily taking on the form of a servant. For the blessed apostle Paul taught us, writing to the Romans: "Death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over those who did not sin" [Romans 5:14]. From this it has been in a manner declared to all that each person ought to receive particular examples from the general dispensation or from these wonders, once confirmed by the decree of so great a law and by so pious a goodness; and all the teaching which he delivered to his disciples rests on this foundation. He drove away diseases and manifold kinds of suffering, he loosed the knot of sin by his own passion, as has been said; and while accomplishing these things, he instructed his disciples to do likewise by deeds and words. But if, as some strive to show, certain ones among the apostolic company themselves dissemble in fulfilling so pious a teaching through disobedience, we do not know where the teaching of the merciful Lord and great God can meet us. We, however, do not believe on this account that those who have learned mercy are unmerciful; but we suppress our petition with silence for the present time, judging it unreasonable to offer the goodness of prayers to those who refuse to be entreated, contemptuously spurning them: for we can endure being insulted and annulled, but we cannot endure being commanded. Given on the fifth day before the Ides of July [July 11] at Constantinople, in the consulship of Anastasius Augustus for the fourth time and Agapitus [517 AD].

Anastasii Augusti ad Hormisdam papam. iWum Christi mansuetudinem commendai, ut Hormisdam velut nimiae duritiae reum faciat, Anastasius Augustus Hormisdae papae. Etsi magnum aliquid taciturnitas judicatur, tamen necessarium est, admirantes Dei misericordiam assidue frequentare sermonem. Et quia initium fidei, quam nos Dominus et Deus Salvator noster Jesus Christus docuit *), in remissione peccatorum praecellit, nulli habetur ignotum. Ipse enim per propriam passionem omnia Adam peccata mundavit, et haec fuit negotiatio humilitatis ipsius, ut et praefatum et omnes fratres liberaret ex servitute peccati, voluntarie personam servi suscipiens. Nam beatus Paulus apostolus docuit nos scribens ad Romanos: Regnavit mors ah Adam usque ad Moysen ei in eos, Qui^^ hon peccaverunt. Ex quo est universitati quodammodo declaratum, ex generali dispositione sive mirabilibus specialia quemque^) exempla debere sascipere semel tanta magnae legis jussione et tam pia boni- tate firmata; et omnis doctrina, quam discipulis suis tradidit, in hoc firmamento consistit. Fugavit aegritudines sive multifaria ge- nera passionum, nodum peccati propria, sicut dictum est, passione resolvit; et agens ad implenda similia discipulos factis et sermoni- bus instruebat. Verum si, sicut aliqui nituntur ostendere, certi ex ipsis^) apostolicis tam piam doctrinam per inobedientiam implere Christum ideo camem suscepisse, ut oranes misericorditer liberaret; adeoque ex hac generali incarnationis suae causa, quam miraculis, gestis ac praeceptis firmavit, specialia nobis dedisse exempla, quibus misericordiara disceremus. ') Non crediderim Anastasium imnio uUum, qui Christiano nomiue glorietur, ejus impudentiae et impietatis exstitisse , ut apostolos in implendis Christi man- datis inobedieutiae argucrent. Quare legendum potius ipsis apostolicis^ quam a. 517. dissimulant; ignoramuS; ubi magisterium misericordis Domiui ei magni Dei nobis possit occurrere. Nos autem non ea credimiis ra- tione, ut immisericordes esse putemus, qui misericordiam didicenmi; sed postulationem nostram a praesenti tempore tacitomitate compri- mimuS; irrationabile judicantes illis precum adhibere bonitatem, qoi rogari se nolint, contumaciter respuentes ^) : injuriari enim et annul- lari sustinere possumus, juberi non possumus. Data Y Idus Julii Constantinopoli, Anastasio (Augusto IV)^) et Apapito yv. cccon- sulibus.