Letter 22: Simplicius writes to Acacius about the same matters raised in the preceding letter: the necessity of upholding the...

Simplicius the bishop to Acacius, bishop of Constantinople. By the same bearer as above. 1. How great and how abundant are the fruits which the steadfastness of the faith and the fortitude of minds devoted to the catholic religion always possess, the labor of your beloved self and of those who together were lately being suddenly troubled by the devil has shown. For when the enemy of Christ and of His kingdom, soon to fall himself, was assailing the ever-Christian court and was shaking the faithful of the Lord and His people with impious persecution, by prayer and by vigils he overcame the sacrilegious assaults, and the heavenly victory extended itself so far that, with the return of the most religious prince, a catholic prelate was also restored to the church of Alexandria; concerning which we soon, with exultation of divine grace, shared our joys, and by mutual letters made one another rejoice. And although the fullness of that gladness was never lacking to itself, nevertheless our brother and fellow-bishop Timothy, made more approved by persecution, not unmindful of his former resolve, through our brother and fellow-bishop Esaias and our sons Nilus the presbyter and Martyrius the deacon, directed solemn letters of the church of Alexandria, in which he both recorded that he had undone that which he had earlier, terrified, done concerning the name of Dioscorus, and sought the remission of that very error, and made you rejoice with us over the peace of the Church, having found, with regard to himself, as your charity sees together with us, that what we then reproved in him was not unavenged, and that the affection of divine mercy is now reconciled to him, dearest brother. 2. When those mentioned had been established in the city, to which they had soon come, embracing the occasion of our son Peter, a man of distinguished rank, a count, departing as it were according to plan, we wished, as much by our own purpose as by the petition of our brother and fellow-bishop Timothy and by the prayers of his legates, that this very matter should come to your knowledge: that even now you might be made a partaker of our common joys, and in the tranquility of the aforesaid church, just as we have said, might gather with us the fruit of your labor, and, offering our letters to our most Christian and most clement prince also upon this matter, that he too might rejoice in the gifts proper to his own devotion and faith, with God protecting him, and, with your charity urging on with keener zeal, might deign to fortify the churches by sending the salutary writings of the catholic religion. Lest, as we have experienced, in some region that ancient serpent should pour out the venom of his so-often severed head, and again find, which God forbid, an occasion for infecting certain people, let him by the provident ordinance of the precepts of his piety make disposition. By religious laws, and, as he has more evidently approved, by laws commending themselves to God, let him sanction that they should not lurk in darkness, and walking unawares strike at those in the light, and lie in wait, that he may seize, as the prophet testifies, those whom they find to be poor in faith. Peter above all, who is concealed in the hiding-places of certain households and of those like himself, and whom by zeal of the faith he has determined to be removed from the episcopate, let him by special command decree to be cast out into the outer lands; just as we also wrote to his piety, for the sake of ecclesiastical peace, since again it is asserted that something is being contrived without ceasing against the disposition of his faith. 3. Since therefore we ought to judge these things by the opportunity of a most faithful bearer, and to admonish more particularly, we exhort you, that when the messenger begins to return, or if perchance some other occasion shall be found, you make us certain as soon as possible and hasten to relieve our care. But that we might rejoice with perfect joy, the same our brother and fellow-bishop Timothy has likewise sent to us a copy of the document of satisfaction of those whom Timothy and Peter, both condemned, had drawn away from the truth of the catholic faith by the terror of condemnation, and who now beg for pardon, desiring with priestly piety to come to the aid of the lapsed; which, in view of the divine mercy, which wishes no one to perish, we do not think ought to be refused.

Simplicii papae ad Aeacinm Constantiiiopolitanum. (a.478eod. temp.) p. 7, 7'imotMeum ptr legatos erroris veniam petiisse (n. 1). Afjendum apuii imperalo- rem^ ut laie^^^* hdereticos maximeque Petrum Mongum procul in exsilium pelli Jubeai {n. 2). Satixfaciionis eorum, qui lapsi fueranl, liheUum sihi a Timotheo destinatum esse nuntiat (n, 3). Simplicius episcopus Acacio Constantinopolitano episcopo. Per quem supraJ) 1. Quantos et quam uberes fructus constantia^) fidei et devo- tarum circa religionem catholicam mentium semjier habeat fortitudo, labor tuae dilectionis et eonmi, qui pariter repente diabolo jamdu- dum turb^bantur**), ostendit. Nam quum Christi inimicus et regni Christianam semper aulam mox casurus invaderet atque impia per- •) lia G' G*, vulg. custodite. Idera imperator rogaudus in Hequ. epist. n. 2 dicitur, ut cathoHcae religionis salutaria scHpta mittcndo munivc dignetuv cccfcsias. ^ Ita ciun, A conreximuB, ubi editi concedcre lO' cccde). a' potiui^ ante legendura suspicatur quod cum dederis. » M Ex G' G* restituimuB Per guem supra. ') Ita G' G*; vulg. turbaniur ... regni Christiani. In sequentibua ejiistolae 8 et 9 indicantur. a. 478. secutioiie fideles Domiui plebemqiie coiicuteret, oratione atque vigiliis sacrilega tentamenta superavit, et se victoria coelestis eo usque por- rexit, ut regressu religiosissijni principis ecclesiae quoque Alexan- drinae catholicus redderetur antistes; de quo mox cum exsuliatione divinae gratiae gaudia nostra contulimus, et mutuis nos litt^ris fecimus gratulari. Et licet laetitiae ipsius nimquam sui defuerit pleni- tudo, tamen frater et coepiscopus noster Timotheus persecutione pro- babilior factus, pristini uon immemor instituti, per fratrem et co- episcopum Esaiam et filios nostros NiUmi presbyterimi et Martyrium diaconum Alexandrinae ecdesiae sollemnia scripta direxit, quibus et illud, quod ante perterritus de Dioscori nomine fecerat, se destruxisse memoravit, et remissioncm ipsius erroris expetiit, uosque de quiete fecit Ecclesiae gratulari, expertus erga se, quantum nobisciun tua caritas videt, quod in eo tiuic reprehendimus, non inultum, et recon- ciliatum sibi nmic divinae miserationis affectum, frater carissime. 2. Memoratis in urbe, quo^) mox venerant, constitutis oceasio- nem filii nostri Petri, viri spectabilis comitis, quasi ex sententia proficiscentis amplexi, tam nostro proposito quam p^titione fratris et coepiscopi nostri Timothei legatorumque ij^sius precibus idipsum ad tuam vohiimus pervenire notitiam: ut etiam nunc conununium fieres particeps gaudionun, et in praedictae ecclesiae tranquillitate, quemadmodum dixinuis, laboris tui nobiscum carperes fructum, et Christianissimo et dementissimo •"*) principi nostras Htteras offereus super hac etiam re, ut et ipse quoque devotionis et fidei propriae douis Deo se protegente laetetur, atque insistente caritate tua acrioribus studiis cathoHcae religionis salutaria scripta mitt«mdo munire digue- tur ecclesias. Ne, sicut experti sumus, in aUqua regione*^) antiquus ille serpens toties excisi capitis virus eflimdat, et inficiendi aHquos occasionem, quod absit, rursus inveniat, provida praeceptorum suae pietatis ordinatione disj)onat. Religiosis et, sicut cvidentius approbavit, Deo")se commendantibus legibus sanciat, ne vel in tenebris deHtescant^ et improvisi ambuhintes in hice percutiant, et his, quos in fide pau- P8.10,9. peres esse repererint, quod propheta testatur, insidietur ui rapiai. Petrum maxime, qui nonnuUarum domorum suique simiHum- latebris •'•) c' eminentissimo , librarii, ut videtur, oscit^mtia. Epistola hic memorata ost proximc ant<?codon8 op. 10. ®) a'. cc religione, h regione. EPISTOLAE 11. 12. 199 tonlVivetur, et quem zelo fidei ab episcopatu coustituit submoveri, a. 478. in exteriores terras abjici; sicut et uos pietiiti ejus scripsimus, ad ecclesiasticam pacem speciali praceeptioue deceruat, quia rursus asseritur aliqua contra dispositionem fidei ipsius sine cessatione moliri. 3. Quia igitur baec op^K^rtunitate perlatoris fidissiuii nos opor- tiiit iudicare et specialius admonere, hortauiur, ut quuui iuternun- tius remeare coeperit, vel si qua forsitan altcra occasio reperietur, qiuiinprimum nos facias certiores et curaui nostram sublevare de- properes. Ut autem perfecto gaudio gauderenuis, idem frater et coejiiscopus noster Timotbeus exemplum libelli'^) satisfactiouis eorum, quos a eatholicae fidei veritate Timotlicus et Petrus^), utrique dam- uati, damnationis terrore traduxerant, veuiam postulautium ^®) ad nos pariter destinavit, sacerdotali pietate lapsis subv(;uire desideraus; quod diviuae miserationis intuitu, quae memiuem vult perire, refu- tabile nou putamus.