Letter 68: Part of the papal correspondence surrounding the Acacian Schism (484-519), the major breach between Rome and...

If for our sins these bishops who have been brought here have entered Constantinople, let us not say that they will assuredly see the emperor and be restored to their sees — for they have brought such great sums of money with them that they could blind not merely men but angels — if therefore, which God forbid, they have entered, they will speak as many falsehoods through our absence as the devil can devise. For if here in our presence they attempted many things and were confounded with the Lord standing by us, how much more will they accomplish through our absence? Therefore, so that their malice may be broken, command that when — if for our sins it should come to a hearing — we be present, so that it may be established before all that we have been treated as dead without cause, and that they labor under the patronage of money; for we are able to convict them in all things in the presence of the senate, that they are complete heretics. Only then can their deception be exposed. Likewise to be said: if they are not heretics, how is it that two weeks before we arrived they all assembled together as bishops and decreed that no one should hold Mass outside the city, but rather that all should do so here, so that a crowd would be gathered for future sedition and could be taught according to their errors? After they perceived that we were coming, they publicly proclaimed that haste must be made with the little ones, lest infants die as pagans when persecution came, and then as though for a second Easter they baptized so many that they surpassed the customary festival. Likewise to be said: if they are not heretics, how did they prepare such great quantities of the sacraments, distributing full baskets to all, lest — as they said — with persecution imminent, they be unable to receive communion? Likewise: if they are not heretics, after they were accused in official proceedings by Candidus, the deputy of the master of soldiers of the praetorium, in the court of the prefects, and they recognized that swift danger was approaching, why then, as though about to be condemned, did they again exercise such great numbers of baptisms under the pretense of wanting to help the little ones once more, so that they truly showed themselves heretics to all? At which the magnificent authority of the prefects was most gravely indignant. Likewise: if they are not heretics, how is it that when we had hidden in the baptistery, having taken counsel among themselves, during the night, as though wanting to free us from danger, they wanted to put us on a ship, so that by this pretext they might hurl us headlong into the sea? And when we responded through the deacons Demetrius and Andrew: "All know that we are with you: how can we sail by night? But if you truly care for our safety, let five or six senators who fear the danger to their property or lives be summoned secretly tomorrow, together with the deputy of the master of soldiers, the count Candidus: let them too learn where we are being transferred, and we will do what they command; but alone and in secret, this we will not do" — then they, finding no success, fell silent for the time being, and on the next day again stirred up sedition among the people, from which we barely escaped by the will of God.

INDICULUS QUI DIRECTUS EST A lOHANNE EPISCOPO UEL AB EPI- PHANIO PKESBYTERO DE THES8AL0N1CA. Si pro peccatis nostris isti, qui hinc adducti sunt, episcopi Constantinopolim fuerint ingressi, non dicamus, quod impera- torem uisuri sunt modis omnibus et suis locis restituentur (tantas enim pecunias secum detulerunt, ut non homines sed possint angelos excaecare) — si ergo, quod absit, ingressi fuerint, tanta falsa per nostram absentiam dicturi sunt, quanta potest diabolus inuenire. nam si hinc in conspectu nostro plura temptauerunt et domino nobiscum stante confiisi sunt, 2 quanta facient per absentiam nostri? ut ergo eorum possit dissipari malignitas, iubete nobis praesentibus, si ad audientiam pro peccatis uentum fuerit, ut constet apud omnes nos imme. rite mortuos esse et illos patrocinio pecuniae laborare; nos enim eos in omnibus in conspectu senatus conuincere possu- mus, quod haeretici perfecti sint. tunc demum eorum potest 3 raonstrari fallacia. item dicendum: si haeretici non sunt, quomodo ante duas hebdomadas, quam nos uenissemus, statu- 12 abducti Bar. 14 suis] ss F 17 abscentiam F 18 hic cod.AngeUe., sed cf. p. 643, 2 20 abficentiam F 21 iubete nobis praesentibns] 'supple eoB audiri' Thiel 22 immeritf F: immerito Car. 23 pec- cunie F 27 ebdomadas F Epist. CLXXXV 4 — CLXXXVI 5. 643 erunt omnes in unum episcopi, ne quis missas foras ciuitate teneret sed hinc omnes, ut et multitudo esset seditioni futurae congregata et doceri possit secundum errores eorum? qui postquam senserunt nos uenire, publice praedicauerunt festi- nandum esse cum paruulis, ne persecutione ueniente pagani morerentur infantes, et tunc uelut <ad> alterum pascha tantos baptizauerunt, ut consuetam festiuitatem superarent. item 4 dicendum: si haeretici non sunt, quomodo tanta sacramenta confecerunt, ut canistra plena omnibus erogarent, ne imminente, sicut dicebant, persecutione communicare non possint? item: si haeretici non sunt, posteaquam accusati sunt gestis a Candido u. s. uicario magistri militum praetorianorum in iudicio prae- fectorum et sibi maturum periculum cognoscerent adfuturum, qnare denuo tamquam damnandi, uelut subuenire iterum paruulis cupientes, tanta rursum et confutati exercuerunt baptismata, ut uere cunctis se haereticos ostendissent? ad quam rem satis et magnifica potestas praefectorum grauissime indignata est. item: si haeretici non sunt, quomodo, cum in 5 baptisterio absconsi essemus, consilio inter se habito per noctem uelut de periculo liberare nos uolentes in naue mittere uoluerunt, ut hac occasione mari praecipites darent, cumque nos respondissemus per Demetrium et Andream diacones ^omnes nos apud uos esse cognoscunt: quomodo per noctem nauigare possumus? sed si uere pro nostra salute consuletis, crastina die secrete quinque uel sex senatores, qui periculum substantiae uel salutis suae metuunt, una cum magistri militum uicario Candido comite iubeatur aduocare: cognoscant et ipsi, ubi transferimur, et facimus quod iubent; sin autem soli secretim, hoc non facimus", tunc illi non inuenientes effectum 1 ciuitatem p 2 hic Thieh sed cf. suprap. 642, 18 3 fort. posset 6 niore- renturo^: memorantur F ad add.o^ pasca V 9 conficerunt F 9 «g. imminens . . persecutio F, corr, 10 possent cod. Angelic. 11 acusati V 12 praetorianorum Bar.: pt (== praeter) V 19 absconditi o con- ailium . . habitum F, corr. Thiel 20 naui o 24 consulitis Car, 27 iubeat F, correxi: iubete o» 28 iubetis Thiel 29 effectu F, corr. Car. 644 lustinianns Hormisdae; Instinianns Hormisdae ad horam tacuerunt et alia die itenim seditionem populi com- mouerunt, unde uix deo uolente euasimus?