Letter 1: We have received the letters of Your Brotherhood animo, that earum tenor omnisque contextio in consideratione...

To our most beloved brothers Aurelius, Alypius, Augustine, Evodius, and Possidius, from Innocentius. We have received with most grateful spirit the letter of your Fraternity, full of faith and framed with all the vigor of the Catholic religion, sent from both councils through our brother and fellow-bishop Julius, because its tenor and whole composition stand firm, with sound reasoning, upon the consideration of God's daily grace and upon the correction of those who think otherwise, so that it may both remove all error from those men and, by furnishing any suitable example whatsoever of our law which they ought to follow, present a worthy teacher. But concerning these matters we have already, as we think, said enough above, when, answering your reports, we wrote back what we judged both about the perfidy of those men and about your own opinion. Yet from time to time there comes to hand and is supplied, against them, that which may be said, nor can there ever be wanting that which may overcome [them], since what is overcome by the power of our faith and by truth itself, more fully, is so wretched and impious. For he who has rejected and despised all hope of life, confounding his own heart with a hostile and damnable argument, when he believes that there is nothing which he may receive from God, nor anything left over which he may seek for his own healing: he who has taken this away from himself, what further has he left? If, therefore, there are any whom so great a perversity has bound fast in defense of itself, who give themselves over and join themselves to this dogma, hoping that what is, on the contrary, proved to be far and deeply abhorrent belongs to Catholic doctrine, having been led, by those men's admonitions and words being infected, so that they slipped away: in order that they may return to the right path of the way, they will make haste, lest the error, besetting the mind and as it were pastured upon their senses, should any longer invade [them]. For if Pelagius, in whatever place he has taken his stand, has deceived by this assertion the minds of those who would readily or simply believe a man arguing, whether these men are here in the city (which, not knowing, we can neither make manifest nor deny, since, even if they exist, they lie hidden and never dare either to defend those things while he preaches them, or, in the presence of any of us, to boast of such things; and amid so great a multitude of the people no one can easily be detected nor anywhere recognized), or whether they dwell in any place whatsoever of the lands, by the mercy and grace of our God we believe that they are easily corrected once they have heard the condemnation of him who was found to be the obstinate and resisting author of this dogma. Nor does it matter where these men may have been, provided that, wherever they can be found, they are to be healed. Yet we cannot be persuaded that he has been cleared, although the proceedings have been brought even to us by I know not what laymen, by which he would believe himself to have been heard and absolved. Whether these things are true, we doubt, because they came under no record of that council, nor have we received any letters about this matter from those before whom this man rendered the grounds of this affair. But if he had been able to be confident of his own clearing, we rather believe that he would have done this, which could have been much truer, namely that he would compel those who had given judgment to declare it by their letters. But since there are certain things set down in the proceedings themselves which, being objected to him, he partly suppressed by evading them, and partly, by twisting many words back upon himself, he confounded in total obscurity, some things he cleared rather by false arguments than by true reasoning, as for the time it could seem, by denying some and by turning others aside through false interpretation. But would that-which is rather to be wished-he might now turn himself back to the true way of the Catholic faith from that error of his own path, so that he might desire and be willing to be cleared, considering the daily grace of God and acknowledging his help, so that he may be seen to be truly, and may be approved by all to be, corrected by manifest reasoning-not by the testimony of the proceedings, but with his heart converted to the Catholic faith! Hence we can neither approve nor blame their judgment, since we do not know whether the proceedings are true, or, if they are true, whether it is established that he rather evaded than cleared himself with full truth. But if he is confident and knows that what he says is not worthy of our condemnation, or that he has now refuted all this which he had said, he ought not to be summoned by us, but rather he himself ought to make haste, that he may be able to be absolved. For if he still thinks in such a way, when does he commit himself to our judgment, summoned by any letters whatsoever, since he knows he ought to be condemned? But if he must be summoned, it would be better done by those who seem to be nearer and not separated by a long space of lands. Yet care will not be lacking, if he should furnish the material for the remedy; for he can condemn what he had thought, and, having given a letter of his error, as it befits one returning to us, can ask pardon, dearest brothers. The book, indeed, which was said to be his, transmitted to us by your Charity, we have unrolled: in which we read that many things have been written against the grace of God, many blasphemous things, and nothing that would please, nothing that would not utterly displease, to be condemned and trampled by anyone-the like of which no one else but he who had written these things would take into his mind or think. For in this place we have not judged it necessary to discourse more at length about the law, as if Pelagius were set opposite and resisting in person, since we are conversing with you who know the whole and rejoice with an assent equal to our own. For these examples are better set forth then, when we deal with those who are agreed to be ignorant of these matters: for to one who rightly perceives about the possibility of nature and about free will and about the whole daily grace of God, what could be more abundant to discourse upon? Let him therefore anathematize those things which he held, so that those who had been brought down by his discourses and precepts may at last recognize what the true faith holds; for they will more easily be able to be called back, when they have perceived these things condemned by their own author. But if he obstinately wishes to persist in this impiety, action must be taken, so that at least relief may be brought to those whom not his own but rather this man's error led astray, lest this remedy perish even for them, since he admits no such [remedy] nor asks for the cure. And in another hand: May God keep you safe, dearest brothers. Given on the sixth day before the Kalends of February, after the consulship of Theodosius Augustus and of Junius Quartus Palladius, most distinguished man [416 AD].

DILECTISSIMIS FRATRIBUS AURELIO ALYPIO AUGUSTINO EUODIO ET POSSIDIO INNOCENTIUS. Fraternitatis uestrae litteras plenas fide totoque religionis catholicae uigore formatas T ambobus missis conciliis per fratrem et coepiscopum nostrum Iulium pergrato suscepimus animo, quod earum tenor omnisque con- textio in consideratione cottidianae gratiae dei et in eorum correctione, qui contra sentiunt, integra ratione consistit, ut et illis omnem tollere possit errorem et idoneo dato quouis nostrae legis exemplo, quem sequi debeant, dignum possit praebere doctorem. ^ sed de his iam satis, ut opinor, supra diximus, cum uestris relationibus respondentes rescripsimus, Bar. ad a. 416, 12 sq. (non integram exhibet epistulam), Opp. Leonis ' ed. Quesnel II 72, Opp. Leonis edd. Ballerin. III 160, Decretal. Pseudo- isid. ed. Hinschius 542, Garnerius in editione operum Marii Mercatoris (Paris. 1673) I 198, Coustant 900, editiones operum Augustini (ed.? Maurin. II col. 488). quae fere omnes pendent ex codicibus Quesnellianae aut Pseudoisidorianae, paucae (Garn., Coust., Ballerin.) hic illic adhi- buerunt etiam Auellanae lectiones. — 2 gPLA ἼΟΙΑ INNOCENTII AD EPOS YV.- V: Incipit epistola papae Innocenti ad suprascriptos Q 3 »uXis ., Possrpi0 Innocentius V: Innocentius aureljo alipio augustino euodio pos- sidio episcopis salutem (Q 5. fidei Q — totaque Q formatas V (ef. p. 103, 17): firmatas Q — ambobus missis conciliis V, a duobus missas conciliis Q, utrumque corrupte: a uobis missas et (e i*i*) conciliis uestris; 13—5, Cet alias» a duobus missas conciliis Garn , ad sententiam utrumque recie — 9 sentient V — 10 idoneum Q cuiuis Car. 11 debeat Q possit g*g?: possint Vg! 8 respondentes] epistulis widelicet "In requi- rendis..' (Coust. S88) et 'Inter ceteras Romanae..' (Coust. 895) Epist. XXXXI 1—4. 93 quid uel de illorum perfidia uel de uestra sententia sentiremus. sed subinde contra eos suppetit et suppeditat, quod dicatur, nec potest aliquando deesse, quod uincat, cum tam miserum - impiumque sit, quod nostrae fidei uirtute et ipsa plenius ueritate uincatur. qui enim omnem uitae spem respuit atque contempsit, inimica damnabilique cor suum disputatione con- fundens, cum credit nihil esse, quod ἃ. deo accipiat, nec aliquid superesse, quod petat ad sanandum se: qui sibi hoc abstulit, ulterius quid reliquit? ^ si ergo sunt aliqui, quos 10 in sui defensiohem peruersitas tanta deuinxit, qui huic se dogmati dedant atque coniungant, sperantes hoc ad catholicam pertinere doctrinam, quod abhorrens longius et penitus ad- probatur aduersum, infectis illorum et monitis et uerbis, ut laberentur, inducti, quatenus ad rectum uiae tramitem redeant, o 15 festinabunt, ne diutius mentem obsidens uelut eorum sensibus. pastus error inuadat. nam si Pelagius, quocumque restitit loco, eorum animos, qui facile uel simpliciter crederent disputanti, hac adfirmatione decepit, seu hic illi in urbe sunt (quod ne- Scientes nec manifestare possumus nec negare, cum, etsi sint, 2» lateant nec aliquando audeant uel illum praedicantem illa defendere uel talia aliquo nostrum praesente iactare et in tanta populi multitudine nec deprehendi aliquis facile nec alicubi possit agnosci) siue in quouis terrarum loco degant, dei nostri misericordia gratiaque credimus quod facile corri- »5 gantur audita eius damnatione, qui fuerit pertinax et resistens ϑ 4 904 De rebus Pelagii epistulae huius dogmatis auctor inuentus. nec interest, ubi isti fuerint, dum, ubicumque inueniri potuerint, sint sanandi. nobis tamen nec persuaderi potest eum esse purgatum, quamuis et ad nos ἃ nescio quibus laicis sint gesta perlata, quibus ille auditum se crederet et absolutum. quae utrum uera sint, dubitamus, quod sub nulla illius concilii prosecutione uene- runt nec eorum aliquas suscepimus de hac re litteras, apud quos istius rei iste praestitit causas. quod si de sua ille potuisset purgatione confidere, hoc magis credimus quod egisset, quod multo uerius esse poterat, ut illos cogeret epi- stolis suis, qui diiudicauerant,indicare. uerum cum sint aliqua in. ipsis posita gestis, quae obiecta partim ille uitando sup- pressit, partim multa in se uerba retorquendo tota obscuritate confudit, aliqua magis falsis argumentis quam uera ratione, ut ad tempus poterat uideri, purgauit negando alia, alia falsa interpretatione uertendo. sed utinam, quod optandum magis est, jam se ille ad ueram catholicae fidei uiam ab illo sui tramitis errore conuertat, ut cupiat uelitque purgari, considerans cottidianam dei gratiam adiutoriumque cognoscens, ut uideatur, uerum et adprobetuür ab omnibus manifesta ratione correctus, non gestorum indicio sed ad catholicant fidem corde conuerso! unde non possumus illorum nec adprobare nec culpare iudicium, cum nesciamus, utrum uera sint gesta aut, si uera sunt, illum 1 dogmati Q 2 dum ubicumque (ubi quicumque g? et ante corr. q?) inueniri potuerint Q: om. V 4 et V:om.Q a&Q:om.V 5 cre- deret V: et credere qíg?, et crederet ᾳ35 — 7 aliqua suscepimus V, corr. o?: aliquas accepimus Q 10 multa V poterat V$3-9: potuerat Q cogeret Q: cognosceret V 11 qui diiudicauerant V: quid iudicauerant Q uerba inde ὦ cum sint aliqua usque ad p. 95, 1 ueritate purgasse adfert Au- gustinus de peccato orig. 10 (ed.? Maurin. X col. 172) 12 uitando sup- pressit partim om. g* 14 confudit V Auwgust.: confundit Q — aliqua V magis falsa quam August. — 15 alia alia Q August.: alia V 17 iam V Augusi.: etiam Q (etiam ille se rep. $519) illo suo errore August. 18 ut VQ: et August. 20 uerum (i. e. immo) VQ: uere August.. q? man. 2, editiones 2421 iudicio August. g* 22. illorum Q Augusi.: om. V culpare (culpari g? et ante corr. q?) Q .August.: purgare V 28 aut V $49—9 August.: ut Q — uera sunt Q: uera sint August., uera- cit V — illum om. August. | Em 10 Epist. XXXXI 5—11. 95 constet magis subterfugisse quam se tota ueritate purgasse. qui si confidit nouitque non nostra dignum esse damnatione, 8 quod dicit, aut iam hoc totum se refutasse, quod dixerat, non a nobis acciri sed ipse debet potius festinare, ut possit ab- solui: nam si adhue taliter sentit, quando se nostro iudicio quibusuis aceitus litteris, cum sciat damnandum esse, com- mittit? quod si arcessendus esset, ab his melius fieret, qui 9 magis proximi et non longo terrarum spatio uidentur esse disiuncti. sed non deerit cura, si medicinae praebeat ille ma- leriam; potest enim damnare, quae senseràt, ae datis litteris erroris sui, ut regressum ad nos decet, ueniam postulare, fratres karissimi. librum sane, qui eius esse diceretur, nobis 10 ἃ uestra caritate transmissum euoluimus: in quo multa contra dei gratiam legimus esse conscripta, multa blasphema et. nihil, quod placeret, nihil, quod non penitus displiceret a quouis damnandum atque caleandum, cuius similia, nisi qui ista scripserat, nemo alter in mentem reciperet atque sentiret. nam hoe loco latius de lege disputare uelut coram posito 11 repugnantique Pelagio necessarium esse non duximus, cum uobiseum totam scientibus parique nobiscum adsensione gau- dentibus conloquamur. tunc enim melius haec exempla ponun- tur, quando eum his, quos harum constat rerum imprudentes esse, tractamus: nam de naturae possibilitate et de libero arbitrio et de omni dei gratia cottidiana cui non sit recte 20 cf. Rom. 7, 1 2 si Vq? man. 2: se Q dignus V 8 dicat Q 4 acciri V: aecer- siri Q — debere V — 6 accitus V: acceptus Q (acceptis g*/9—65) —— 4se» sciat g*, «se» esse Merlin ^ committit Q: committi V, committet gíi*i* 7 accersiendus Q 11 postularet Q — 192 dicebatur i9—6 18 contra dei gratiam legimus esse conscripta multa V: om. Q 14 blasphemia Q et V: om. Ὁ 15 placeat V non om. q! — 18 latius Q: om. V 19 repugnantique posito ?rsp. V duximus ez diximus q? et q? man. 2 20 totam scientibus parique nobiseum Q: om. V 22 prudentes Q 28 et V: om. Ὁ 24 dei gratia cottidiana scripsi: gratia cottidiana V, dei gratia et cotidiana gratia Q 96 | De robus Pelagii epistulae 12sentienti uberrimum disputare? ^ anathemet ergo ista, quae sensit, ut illi, qui eius sermonibus fuerant praeceptisque con- lapsi, quid tandem habeat fides uera, cognoscant; facilius enim reuocari poterunt, cum ista a suo senserint auctore damnari. quod si ille pertinaciter in hac uoluerit impietate perstare, agendum est, quatenus uel his possit subueniri, quos non suus sed huius magis error induxit, ne et illis haec medicina pereat, cum iste talem non admittit nec postulat curam. ET ALIA XANU: Deus uos incolomes custodiat, fratres karissimi. Data VI. Kal. Febr.. post cons. Theodosii Áug. et Iunii Quarti Palladii u. c. ᾿ U