Letter 84: Part of the papal correspondence surrounding the Acacian Schism (484-519), the major breach between Rome and...

The news of the beginnings of your dignity kept us in suspense for a long time, and amid the shared rejoicing of our common joy we were greatly surprised that the former custom had been neglected, because with the concord of the churches restored by God's favor, the full duty of brotherly peace was demanded — especially that which not personal arrogance but the observance of the rules claimed for itself. It would have been fitting, dearest brother, for you to have sent legates to the apostolic see at the very beginnings of your pontificate, so that you might both know well what affection we owe you and duly fulfill the form of the ancient custom. But although, having omitted these things, you judged that merely written exchanges on a passing occasion would suffice, we nevertheless, compelled by the stimulus of grace, have meanwhile broken the constancy of our just expectation, returning reciprocal words of mutual charity, because both our spirit, impatient of love, and the welcome report of our legates have drawn the silence — which the situation had imposed but which has now been removed — toward kindly offices, by which we show for the present the signs of our joy and in some fashion pay the welcome dues of private friendship. We await your legation, however, both with the grace with which we have long sustained you and, supported by the ancient constitutions, we demand it, so that we may more clearly express what joy we receive either from the honor of your pontificate or what thanks it is fitting to render to you for the services rendered in the business of promoting unity, as the account of our legates has set forth in many ways. Your eminence deigns to show the goodwill of your spirit toward me: you do a thing pleasing to God and consonant with a right conscience. But the advantages of this disposition are no small thing for you: a greater fruit returns to you from such goodness, for the honor shown to a bishop is by no means empty. It is beyond doubt that the honor of the minister is the worship of the Lord, and whoever holds the person of a priest in high regard will receive a greater recompense from him whom the priest serves, as the Lord Jesus says that to those who have received prophets with honor, their own reward is to be given [cf. Matt. 10:41]. And with me indeed your grace is of great weight, yet all the more precious because whatever grace you generously bestow on me, you demonstrate in the defense of the churches. But to direct our discourse to that which your eminence desires: although both the most clement emperor and you promise that a legation is coming, and it has been agreed with good reason that we ought to await the presence of those who are to be sent before dealing with all matters, nevertheless, since the zeal which you have declared that you hold for religion is pleasing to us, it is not burdensome to touch upon this in advance by saying that there is no need for followers of intention rather than of reason to confuse the stability of your faith with the impudent novelty of words. The holy Trinity — Father, Son, and Holy Spirit — is one God. Israel was commanded to worship this Trinity, whose inseparable and undivided substance cannot be divided, cannot be separated by sacrilegious distinction, while nevertheless the property proper to each person is preserved. These things, which we believe should meanwhile be entrusted to your faith with fitting brevity, considering the limit of a letter's style, we think sufficient, with fuller discussion to be had when, with the empire of the most clement emperor flourishing, we are granted by God's favor both to receive the promised legation and, having come to know all matters, to send it back with a response given, with the aid of our God, for the instruction of all.

H0RM18DA EPIPHANIO EPISCOPO CONSTANTINOPOLITANO. Diu nos nuntiata tuae primordia dignitatis tenuere suspensos et in ipsa communis gratulatione laetitiae mirati adroodum sumus moreni pristinum fuisse neglectum, quia reparata 5 ecclesiai-um deo annuente concordia plenum fratemae pacis flagitabat ofBcium, praesertim quod sibi non arrogantia personalis sed regularum obseruantia uindicabat. decuerat siquidem, frater karissime, te legatos ad apostolicam sedem inter ipsa tui pontificatus initia destinasse, ut et quem tibi 10 debeamus aifectum bene cognosceres et uetustae consuetudinis 2 formam rite compleres. sed licct his omissis paginalia tantum sufficere iudicasses ex occasione colloquia, nos tamen gratia stimulante compulsi interim iustae constantiam expectationis abrupimus reciproca mutuae caritatis uerba reddentes, quia et 15 noster animus amoris impatiens et legatorum nostrorum uotiua relatio exclusum, qnod imperabat causa, silentium ad officia benigna traxerunt, quibus ad praesens gaudii nostri sigua monstraraus et priuatae quodammodo amicitiae uotiua persol- 3 uimus. legationem autem tuam et ea, qua dudum, gratia so sustinemus et fulti ueteribus constitutis exigimus, ut quantum gaudii fructum uel de tui pontificatus honore capiamus uel quas tibi gratias referri conueniat pro impensis in negotio propagandae unitatis officiis, sicut nostrorum multipliciter adstruxit legatornm nan-atio, euidentius exprimamus. t5 2a6. Data a. 620 post diem 17 Sept. Edd. Car. P 540; Bar. ad a, 5.20, 9; Collect. Concil; BTA I 443; Thiel 913. 3 nos <non> Car. 7 <id > flagitabat Bar, 11 cognosceris F, corr. 0 14 iuste F, corr. Thiel 15 abrumpimus a 17 excluso . . silentio BuU. Taur. 21 et fuhi effulti V 23 in negocio a: inegotio V Epist. CCV 1 — CCVI 5. 665 (3060 HORMisDA lusTiNiANo ILLU8TRI. Quos celsitndo uostra auimi circa me sui beniuolentiam dignatur ostendere, facitis rem deo placitam et rectae conscientiae congruentem. sed non 6 parua uobis sunt huius emolumenta propositi : maior in uos fructns de tali bonitate reuertitur; neque enim uacua honori- ficentia est, quae defertur antistiti. indubitatum siquidem est, 2 quia honor ministri cultus est domini, et qui personam sacer- dotis magni habet, maiorem remunerationem ab eo, cui sacer- 10 dos famulatur, accipiet dicente domino lesu, qui prophetas in honore susceperint, suam mercedem esse reddendam. et apud me quidem magni est gratia uestra momenti, eo tamen pretiosior, quia, quicquid mihi gratiae dignanter impenditis, in ecclesiarum defensione monstratis. sed ut ad id, quod 3 i& eelsitudo uestra desiderat, noster sermo dirigatur, quamquam et clementissimus imperator et uos promittatis legationem esse uenturam et id cum ratione conuenerit, ut eorum, qui dirigendi sunt, super omnibus nos decuerit expectare praesentiam, tamen, quia gratum nobis est studium, quod circa religionem 20 uos babere declarastis, non grauat praelibare dicendo non opus, ut stabilitatem fidei uestrae intentionis potius quam rationis sequaces procaci uerborum nouitate confundant. sancta 4 trinitas pater et filius et spiritus sanctus deus unus est. hanc Israel iussus adorare, cuius inseparabilis et indiscreta 25 substantia non potest diuidi, non potest sacrilega distinctione separari, seruata tamen proprietate sua unicuique personae. haec interim commenda<nda> fidei uestrae epistolaris stili 5 tenninum cogitantes congrua credimus breuitate sufficere, 10 Matth. 10, 41 206« Dat a. 520 metise Fehr. uel Mart.; respondet luatintani epi- stulae deperditae datae (siinul cum epp. 181 182 183 185) die 19 lan. eiusdem anni. Edd, Car. P 554; Bar. ad a. 520, 5; Collect. Condl.; BTA I 446; Thiel 912. 10 <ii8> qui Car. 11 susciperint V: susci- pinnt 0 17 conueneris F, corr. Car. 23 unus est deus irsp. Car. 27 commenda F, corr. o' 666 Honnisda lustiniano; Dorotheus Hormisdae plenius disserenda, cum florente imperio clementissimi principis promissam legationem et suscipere nos deo propitiante conti- gerit et cognitis omnibus cum adiutorio dei nostri responso reddito pro uniuersitatis informatione remittere.