Letter 21: 46' : (4-5), fol. 65''*’, £, fol.
We write to your love with the earnest affection that the care of the apostolic see demands, addressing the matters which have been reported to us concerning the churches in your region. The division which has arisen among the bishops on account of the condemnation of the Three Chapters causes us the deepest grief, for we see brothers separated from brothers and churches torn apart by discord where harmony ought to prevail. We assure you, dearest brother, that nothing has been done by this apostolic see that in any way violates the faith of the four holy councils. The tome of Pope Leo of blessed memory remains in full authority, and the council of Chalcedon stands firm and immovable. What was done concerning the Three Chapters was done for the defense of the faith, not for its destruction. Those who allege otherwise are either deceived by false reports or are motivated by other considerations than zeal for the truth. We exhort your love to stand firm in communion with this see and to use all your influence to bring back to unity those who have separated themselves. Show them by your own example and by patient instruction that their fears are unfounded and that the faith which they wish to defend has never been endangered.
AI-assisted translation — This translation was produced with AI assistance and has not been peer-reviewed. See the 19th-century translation or original Latin/Greek below for scholarly use.
Latin / Greek Original
46'^: (4-5), fol. 65''*’, £, fol. 68-68'’, E, fol. 34^; F, fol. (2-5), Fj fol. 14'’-14'’^,
F, jol. 14^; G tol. 24', 28'’: (2; multi ...-5); H fol. 16,18: (2: multi...-5); 1 fol. 5S’: (1).
no] scripsi (ita in Coli. Brit, epp. Gelasii 45 et 64 [Ewcdd]): vvlterrano ex vlterrano /,
wulterano Theiner, om. B C E F G H 2 admonemus ut] om, B (et cet. qui §1 om.)
suam heresim I, suam haeresin Theiner 4 seueritate] om, B
Tit. Gaudentio Uolaterrano: Bst probabiliter episcopus ille, cuius
in titulo ep. iO memoria agitur. Cf. ibid., p. 31. Quoad Volaterranam sedem
et dioecesim, cf. F. Lanzoni, 0 . c., p. 559-564; P. Kehr, 0 . c., t. IV, p. 279-
287; M. Cavaluni-B. Josi, Volterra, in Enc. CattoL, t. XII, c. 1620-1622.
1. ad sectandam heresim suam: Veri similius reor, hic adludere pa¬
pam ad haeresim de qua in reliqua epistula loquitur. Forte autem tacite
illos etiam tangebat, qui contra damnationem Trium Capitulorum insurre¬
xerant, quos inter ipse Gaudentius alio tempore fuerat probabiliter adnu-
meratus. Cf. adnotationes in titulum ep. 10, p. 31.
per publicos ... iudices: Non confundendos cum indicibus specta-
bilibus. (Cf. Bnssein, Spectabiles, in Pauly-Wissowa, t. III^ c. 1567; B.
Stein, Histoire ..., p. 469). Hi communiter erant provinciarum guberna¬
tores, qui iudices ordinarii, aut brevius iudices vocabantur. Praefectis
subdebantur, et ad ordinem clarissimorum erant adseripti. Cf. SteinwEN-
TER, ludex, in Pauly-Wissowa, t. IX, c. 2471; G. HumbERT [Ch. B^Crivain]
Judex, judicium, in Daremberg-Saglio, t. III, 1. p. 641-642; P. WieeEMS,
Le droit publique romain ... jusqu*d Constantin le Grand, Bouvain, 1920’,
p. 604; 631-633; B. Stein, Histoire.,., p. 468-469; 471. Quoad eorum elec-
EPISTUI,A 2i,l-3
in quantum ualueris persecutione percelli, ut eo saltem metu ab
huiusmodi scelere conquiescant. De [quibus] hereticis ex quibus 2
per [memoratum] Paulinum, uirum clarissimum, filium tuum,
nos consulendos esse duxisti, ut si qui eorunl reuerti uolunt ad
catholicam fidem, utrum baptizandi sint an tantummodo reconci-
liandi, haec tuam uolumus obseruantiam custodite, qua^ circa
Sirmiae et Singiduno aliaque uicina loca, ubi istius heresis homines
multi sunt, nouimus custodiri: ut (quia in nomine solummodo 3
Christi, una etiam mersione se asserunt baptizari, euangelicum
uero praeceptum, 3 ipso Deo Domino et saluatore nostro lesu
15 Christo tradente, nos admonet in nomine Trinitatis, trina etiam
super i scrips. et partim eras, (an er ?) B 6 quibas] superscr. B 2 (?), om. C F
paulinum] ex paulium Fg filium tuum uir. clariss. C F, tuum filium ('filium superscr.)
uir. clariss. Cj 8 dixisti Cj qui eorum] B'. quidam ex eis C F 10 haec] hanc C
obseruantiam] fraternitatem Fronto quae] quam codd. 11 syrinie et singiduno B,
sirinie et singiduno C, siriniae et simgiduno F [sirime] F 3 , sirmiae et simgidunae
Fronto uicinaque B ubi] om. F 12 nouimus... ut] om. G H quia] qui G H 13 una]
uana B se mersione Cg C 3 euangelicum] ex euangelium Fi, euuangelicum B,
euangelium Fg 14 deo dno. et] B F (add. postea) Fgt dno. deo et G, deo et dno. H,
deo et dno. ac C, et dno. ac Cj 16 ammonet FGH ammonemur C, amonemus
tionem lustiniani tempore, cf. B. M. HarTmann, Untersuchungen ...,
p. 41-44. Causas minores solvebat defensor civitatis. Cf. Idem, ibid., p. 45-47:
A. DESJardins, Defensor civitatis, in Daremberg-Saglio, t. II, 1, p. 47-48;
SEECK, Defensor civitatis, in Pauly-Wissowa, t. IV, c. 2365-2371; H. BE-
CEERCQ, Defensor civitatis, DACB., t. IV, 1. c. 406-427; B. Stein, His¬
toire..., p. 439; 464; 467-468.
Paulinum uirum clarissimum: Aliunde ignotus. Viri clarissimi
titulum a tempore Constantini ferebant homines ingenui, qui in tertio
nobilitatis gradu numerabantur. Cf. P. Koch, 0 . c., p. 13; 19-21; B. Stein,
Histoire ..., p. 430, n. 1; 796-797; M. BridgET, 0 . c., p. 141-143; 166,
quae notat, hoc honoris vocabulo fuisse pridem consules in actu positos
saepissime decoratos.
2. De hereticis: Qui ariani videntur, nam immersio unica ab Buno-
mianis et Aetianis recepta erat. Cf. V. Brmoni, VHistoire du Bapteme
depuis VEdit de Milan (313) jusqWau Concile in Trullo (692), in Rev.
quest. hist., t. BXIV, 1898, p. 316-317.
Sirmiae et Singiduno: Oppida Pannoniae et Moesiae, quae vulgo
Sirmium et Singidunum vocabantur. Singiduno, ut scripsi cum codd., esse
videtur forma indeclinabilis a graeco sumpta nomine Siyy^Suvov. Difficilius
autem explicatur terminatio feminina, quam adsumit Sirmium.
3. in nomine Trinitatis, trina etiam mersione: Hanc significationem
communius exponunt Patres. Tamen S. BEO Magnus, Ep. 16,3 (Migne,
5.~P.
PELAGli I PAPA^
mersione sanctum baptisma unicuique tribuere, dicente Domino
nostro discipulis suis: Ite, baptizate omnes gentes
in nomine Patris, et Filii, et Spiritus San¬
cti), si re uera hi de praefatis hereticis, qui in locis dilectioni
tuae uicinis, commorari dicuntur, solummodo se in nomine Domini
baptizatos fuisse forsitan confitentur, sine cuiusdam dubitationis
ambiguo eos ad catholicam fidem uenientes, sanctae Trinitatis
nomine baptizabis. Sin iiero apud dilectionem tuam, eorum qui
contierti uolunt manifesta confessione claruerit, quod in Trinitatis
fuerint nomine baptizati, sola reconciliationis inpensae gratia,
catholicae sociare fidei maturabis, ut tali dispositione seruata,
nihil aliter quam quod euangelica iubet auctoritas temeritatis
cuiusdam spiritu uideatur effectum.
ad ^ 4) C domino] add. iesu christo H 17 nostro] om. H, add. iesu christo G
16-18 dicente dtio... sancti] om. C 19 hi de] BF: hii de E, hisdem Cj, ii de Eg, idem C
praefati heretici f‘s, hereticis [praefatis om.] E dilectionis B E 20 tuae] super-
scr. Fg commemorari B dicuntur commor. Cg C 3 se] superscr. H, om. E^ in
nom. dni. se Cg C 3 21 forsitan] om. Cg C 3 cuiusquam E 22 ambigue Cg C 3 ne-
nientes] add. in Cg 23 sin] si quando G apud] ad Cg Cg 24 uolunt conuerti
Fg in] om. G H 24-25 trinit. fuer. nomine] B Ci E 3 F: nomine trinit. fuer. F,
trinit. nom. fuer Fg G. H, christi nom. fuer. Cg Cg 25 inpensae gratia] B E^: impen
sae gratia E, gratia impensa C F GH 26 catholicae] seq. iterat, reconciliat... catholi¬
cae in Cg sociare fidei] F: fidei sociare B F 4 , reconciliare fidei F G H, fidei reconc.
Cg, reconc. [fidci om.] Cg dispositione] dispensatione Fronto, Gratianus 27 aliter]
om. Cg Cg 28 cuiusquam F.
Ply. 54, c. 698-699) et S. Grbgorius Magnus, Reg., I, 41 (P. Kwaud, MGH.,
Epp., t I, p. 57) trinam mersionem concipiunt ut symbolum trium dierum,
quibus in sepulcro Dominus mansit. S. Gregorius hispanis episcopis una
modo mersione baptisma tribuere, ad adserendam unitatem et consubstan¬
tialitatem divinarum Personarum contra Arianos, commendavit. Cf. V. Kr-
MONi, ibidem.
dicente Domino: Mt., 28, 19.
4. solummodo se in nomine Domini baptizatos: Rectam sententiam
papae, sicut et eam de qua in paragrapho sequenti, post aliquas parvi
momenti fluctuationes in praxi, prorsus tandem amplexata est universalis
Kcclesia. Cf. G. BARBiUbE, Bapteme d*apY^s les Pdres ..., DTC., t. II, 1,
c. 184-185; J. BEi,i,amy, Bapteme dans V^glise latine ..., ihid., c. 271-272;
G. BarEIEEB, Bapteme des hMtiques, ibid., c. 219-232.
sine cuiusdam dubitationis ambiguo: Cf. Arnobium, Adversus
nationes, I, 42: sine ullius seriae dubitationis ambiguo. (A. REIEFERSCHEid,
CSKh., t. IV, 1875, p. 28). Ci. Thesaurus..., t. I, p. 1845.
Episcopos Vincentium, Geminum et Constantium hortatur, ut
dissidentias inter ecclesias Vulturninam et Pariensem exortas solvant.
Related Letters
CoU.: B fol. 31''; C, fol.
[Letter 48 of the Pelagius I collection.
Ad Eufronium episcopum Turonensem
PELAGIUS MELLEO SUBDIACONO.
Ad eundem