Letter 15: Simplicius consoles the monks at Constantinople and teaches them that the faith has been so firmly established that...

Simplicius the bishop, to the presbyters and archimandrites [heads of monasteries] established at Constantinople. 1. Having received the letters of your beloved fellowship through our son Epiphanius, a praiseworthy man, later than you wished, we are moved with great grief; because there, within the Church of God, the recurring fires of scandals are being kindled, where so often they have been extinguished by the authority of the apostolic see and by the verdict of the universal synod. For to whom in the whole world is the condemnation of the abominable doctrines of Nestorius, Eutyches, and Dioscorus unknown? To whom is the deposition of Timothy, the usurper in turn of the Alexandrian church, not known? The earlier Council of Ephesus is witness; the recent Council of Chalcedon is witness; and whoever desires that this be reopened declares himself not to be counted in the number of the faithful: since the impiety of the aforesaid men was such that, with the Christian princes themselves also acting, they were separated not only from the body of the Church but from the assembly of mankind, segregated into various places of exile, struck down by the condemnation of a united verdict. Of whose error nothing now need be said, because after the tradition of so many priests of the Lord, who long before us in every part of the world overcame these heresies as well, our predecessor Leo of blessed memory, in manifold discourse of doctrine, set forth what the integrity of catholic truth follows and what it abhors. With this learning as a foundation, there is need not of contention, as though it were still being judged about doubtful matters. But just as we rejoice that your beloved fellowship is acting, stand with firm footsteps against the deposed, and let the adversary not terrify you, nor think that victory comes too slowly from above. He has learned to fall who resists. 2. Briefly have we written these things to your charity for your consultation, indeed even for your consolation, wishing to send some men, just as you desire, for the necessity of the cause, were it not that, for the whole fullness of the faith—which is now no longer to be defended, since it has been solidly laid down—but for the repelling of heretics and the condemned, there suffice those things which you remember to have been written to Flavian of holy memory, and to the holy Council of Chalcedon, or to Marcian of august memory and to Leo of blessed memory, my predecessor; and which the bishops of the whole East made known by their own rescripts to the prince Leo at that time. Whence it is not doubtful that what so many priests of the Lord either decreed before, coming together into one body, or what they, established singly throughout their own churches yet nonetheless holding the same view, said with diverse voices but with one mind, condemning together both the authors and the followers of execrable errors, is indissoluble. Wherefore, among so many formulas which have been raised up, one must strive in preaching not by new assertion but by constancy. 3. It has now been proved what your labors have accomplished, with the Lord helping you; the fruit pleasing to God has shown itself, when, with you resisting, the robber was not permitted to enter His house—who, when some came to meet him, made public those of his own kind who were perhaps still hidden. For good things are not joined to the worst, nor right things to perverse, nor can things of salvation come together with things harmful; because there is no communion of light with darkness, nor any portion of the unbeliever with the believer. Whence those who chose the fellowship of such men will necessarily accompany the ruin of the condemned, unless perhaps with minds coming to their senses—and especially those who have recently been deceived—seeing into what precipices they have been led, they betake themselves to the splendor of the true faith, the cloud of falsehood having been dispelled: which we desire may be able to come to pass through the loving care of the apostolic see, because we know that life lies in the will of the Lord. 4. To the most Christian prince also, and to my brother and fellow bishop Acacius, we have at the same time directed suitable letters, whose silence we do not think ought to be accused, because, knowing the faith of a most approved priesthood, we hold it certain that what he kept silent is not his own. But that your beloved fellowship may more fully know the contents of those letters which we sent to the most Christian prince, we have directed copies through the messenger whom you sent, on his return. Given on the third day before the Ides of January [January 11], in the consulship written above.

Slmplicii papae ad presbyteros et archimandritas n^Jan Constantinopolitanos. i. 6. Monachos ConstanlinopoU constitittos consolatur Simplicius ac docet, fidem tam firmiter esse slabHitam, ut adversus Timothei molitiones constantia opus sit non contentione, ideoque legatos a se ut cupiebant non mitti. Gratulatur tf>, quod ipsortun opera Aeiuro ecclesiam introire non licuit hincque factum, ut Ule sui adhuc forskan latentes publicaril. Acacii denique silentium exatsat. Simplicius episcopus presbyteris et archiman- dritis') apud Constantiuopolim constitutis. 1. Per fiUum nostrum laudabilem virum Epiphanium litteris^) vestrae dilectionis serius quam voluistis acceptis, magno sumus do- ••) Binius post Baronium huc mendose irrepsisse existimat Augusto pro Ar- maio ; sed nolla prorsus ratioue, quum ex Marcellini chronico constet, Basiliscum 475 renonciatum imperatorem fuisse. Cui chronico non solum hic suffra- Simplicius, sed ct in epistola 6 initio Octobris iumi 477 scripta, ubi de BaBiHflCO ut jam expulso loquitur. Quippe Evagrius h. e. III, 8 eum pulsum tradit, quum jam biennio regnasset. Neque vero novum et insuetum est, iii pontificiiB epistolis alterius consulis nomen omitti; impcranti autem consuhylf/- gu^i titulom a^jid consuetudo exigebat. De higus tyrannidis tempore utpote ab aimo 475 usque ad vergentem annum 476 ponendo conferantur etiam, quae clariBsimuB BoBsius inscr. christ. urb. Aomae tom. I pag. 382 seq. ad inscr. 863 scitissime disputat. Praeterea in chronica nota , ut jam Bollandus suspicatus, Pa^ ad a. 476 n. 14 legendum voluit IV Nonas Junias^ sicut iu epistola 2 V Idus Junias et in epist. 5 /// Idus Junias. Nec tamen ut codicum fidem deseramus persuadere potuit. <) lis nunirum, de quibus Simplicius in epistolae 2 exordio dixit: Quantum pre^yieroruM et ex diversis monasteriis Domino servientium monachorwn relatione paiefactuM est, et in epist. 3 n. 2 : sicut in meam notitiam ferventium pro fide catho- Ura delkieruht scripta monachorum. Unde sequi videtur, ut non clericorum simul et monachorum scripta sint missa, sed unorum monachorum, quorum nonuulU presbjteri et archimaudritae fuerint, et quibus nunc Simplicius rescribit. Quo- circa si clerid a mouachis distinguantur, minus placet haec summa huic epi- a. 476. lore permoti; quod illic iiifra Ecclesiam Dei scandalonim recidiva nascimtur iiicendia^ ubi toties^) auctoritate apastolicae sedis et sen- tentia synodi imiversalis exstincta sunt. Cui namque in toto orbe terrarum cmn perversitate dogmatum nefandorum Nestorii, Eaty- clietis Dioscorique damnatio, cui Timotliei rursus Alexaudrinae ee- clesiae pervasoris non est nota dejectio? Testis est anterius^) £phe- sjnum; testis est recens Calckedonense concilium; quod quisquis desiderat retractari^ in numero fidelium se pronulitiat non haberi: quum praedictorum talis impietas, auctoribus^) etiam principibos Christianis non solimi ab Ecclesiae corj>ore venun a coetu hominum exsiliis segregata diversis, unitae sententiae damnatione percussa est. De quorum nihil est nimc errore dicendum^ quia post tradi- tionem tantorum Domini sacerdotum^ qui longe ante nos in uniYersa niundi parte has quoque haereses evicenmt, beatae recordationis praedecessor noster Leo multiplici sermone doctrinae, quid catholicM veritatis sequatur integritas, quid detestetur, asseruit. Hac eruditione fundata non contentione opus est, ut ^dhuc tamquam de dubiis judicetur. Sed sicut dilectionem vestram gaudemus facere, firmis contra dejectos state vestigiis, nec vos adversarius terreat, aut tar- dam putetis desuper veuire victoriam. Cadere didicit, qui resultat. 2. Breviter haec ad consultationem immo etiam consolationem vestrae scripsimus carituti, volentes aliquos, quemadmodum cupitis, pro causae necessitate dirigere, nisi ad omnem plenitudinem non jam defendendae, quae solide jacta est, iidei sed repellendis haere- ticis at<|ue damnatis illa sufiicerent, quae etiam ad sanctae memo- riae Flaviaimm at<|ue ad sanctam Calchedonensem synodum vel ad augustae recordationis Marcianimi ac Leonem beatae memoriae ante- cessorem meum scripsisse retinetis, atque totius Orientis episcopi rescriptis^) ad principem tunc Leonem propriis intimarunt. Unde insolubile esse non dubium est, quod vel ante decreverunt in unum convenientes tot Domini sacerdotes, vel quod singuli per suas eccle- sias constituti, eadem nihilominus sentientes, diversis quidem^) voci- bus sed una mente dixerimt, damnantes errorum exsecrabilium au- stolae in viilgatiB pracmissa: Ciericorum ac monachorum Constaniinopoii degenHmm fidei constantinm commendat, ') RiirsuB iufra cpist. 7 n. 1 Simplicias litteras sibi per Epiphanium tradiiat mcmorat, sed altenmi cognominem, utpot<3 qui diaconus appelletur. ®) Quae habentur inter acta concilii Calchedonensis part. III n.6 — 41 (Har- duin. coU. conc. II, 703 — 772). — Dehide editi diversis quid vocibus, ') Ita G* G'. Editi quid ... damnantes eorum exsecrabUium, ctores pariter et sequaces. Quapropter iuter tot formas, qiiae erectae a. 476. suut, praedicandi uou assertioue uova sed coustautia uiteuduiu est. 3. Jam pFobatum est, quid Domiuo vos juvaute profeceriut la- bores yestri; Deo placitus fructus ostendit, quaudo ejus domum vo- bis obsistentibus^) latroui iutroire uon licuit, qui, uonuullis oecur- rentibus sibi, latentes adhuc forsitan sui similes publicavit^). Non enim junguntur bona pessimis, recta perversis, uec possuut saluttiria coire cum noxiis; quia luci commuuio uulla cum teuebris uec in- fideli portio cum fideli. Unde necessario damuatorum comitabuutur exitum, qui talium delegere cousortiiuu, nisi forte resipisceutibus animisy et maxime qui nuper decepti suut, videutes, in quae abrupta smit ducti, ad splendorem verae fidei discussa couferant se nube mendacii : quod aj>ostoIicae sedis pietate ut provenire possit optamus, quia viiam in Domini voluntate cognoscimus. ^oq r^' 4. Ad christianissimum quoque principem vel ad fratrem et coepiscopum meum ^®) Acacium competentia simul scripta direximus, ciijus accusandum silentium nou putamus, quia scieutes fidem pro- batissimi sacerdotii>, certum teuemus, suuui uou esse quod tacuit. Ut autem plenius dilectio vestra cognoscat uostranim, quas ad Cliri- stianissimum principem misimus, seriem litterarum, exemplaria inter- 1«) Editi wstrum. — Sunt epietolae 2 et 3 antecedentcs. Ceterum hoc Sim- plicii elogio sese revera dignum haud ita multo post ostendit Acacius. Basi- liseus enim, ait Theodorus lector h. e. I (ed. Val. pag. 556), gcncrali sanclione Caichedonensem synodum rejici Jussit, operamque dabat, ut idem quoque faceret Aca- cius. Vemm id perficere nulio modo potuit, quutn universa civitas una cum muHeri- 6k# ei parwdiM in ecclesiam conveniens Basilisco obstitisset. Quin etiam Acacius semeUpsum ei eathedram aique altare nifpris vesiibus obtexit. Notaudus ritus, cui nonnihil simile etiamnunc observat Ecclesia, quum sacrac acdes violatae pollu- taeque Bont. Narrat deinde Theodorus, ut magnus Danicl Simeonis Stylitae aemulator e columna sua descendens una cum plel^e et Acacio conventus eccle- siaflticos frequentarit. Hic praeterea observare juverit, qua prudentia Simpli- ciiia piofl monachoB zelo ferventiori aestuant^s et forte de Acacio querentes, quod saiun in tuenda fide studium tardius excrcuisse videretur, mitiget et emol- ^liat. Qoi vero erga Acacium ita aifectus fuit, is miuimc suspectus essc debet, quum ad eamdem increpandum se convertit. a. 476. nuutio quem misistis redeuute direximus. Data III Idus Januarii cousule suprascnpto.