Letter 6: tum and quam iocundo gratuletur effectu studium, that defenso sioni of the faith sinceris mentibus exhibetur,...

Pope Simplicius to Acacius, Bishop of Constantinople. How effective the perseverance of those who make supplication to the Lord is, and with what joyful result the effort that is expended in sincere devotion to the defense of the faith bears fruit — this is made plain by the letter of Acacius's beloved self. For after such great struggles in which God's mercy, in the cause of its own religion, made its servants and ministers victors, Simplicius rejoices greatly at the news that the Alexandrian church has at last been freed by divine judgment and that its legitimate bishop — who had been driven out by the heretic — has been restored to his see.

tum et quam iocundo gratuletur effectu studium, quod defen- so sioni fidei sinceris mentibus exhibetur, litteris tuae dilectionis agnoscitur, quando post tanta certamina, quibus dei miseri- cordia in causa propriae religionis famulos et ministros suae 19 Luc. 1, 52 2 patimini 7 8 eorum 7: om. V in uestrum imperium Coust. 10 15 Epist. LX 7 — LXIL 1. 139 constituens potestatis probatissimos sibi fecit esse uictores, siquidem Alexandrina ecelesia diuino tandem iudicio liberata in consortium communium nos aduocans gaudiorum eum, qui ab haeretico fugatus fuerat, ad eius sedem redisse te- staris. unde animis exultantibus ad uniuersalis ecclesiae quietem Christo deo nostro pro salute primum fidelissimi principis supplicamus, cui pro deuotione, qua cunctos anteue- nit sacerdotes, pietas haec diuina concedit, quae nos liberos pro populis Christianis apud omnipotentiam caelestem praestat interpretes. sicut ergo in reditu fratris et coepiscopi nostri "Timothei gratulamur, ita eum commonente dilectione tua cupimus inreprehensibilem reperiri, quia meministi hoc eum iamdudum fidelis praesulis non habuisse constantiam, quando ei, ut damnati Dioscori nomen inter altaria recitaretur, ex- tortum est. ^ Dat. VIII. Id. Mart. Illo u. c. consule.