Epistle
V.
To Boniface, Bishop.
Gregory to Boniface, Bishop of Regium
(
Reii
).
It is a shame for priests to be admonished about
matters of divine worship. For they are then to their disgrace
required to do what they ought themselves to require to be done.
Yet lest, as I do not suppose, thy Fraternity should neglect in any
respect the things that pertain to the work of
God
, we have thought fit to exhort thee specially on this
very head. We therefore admonish thee that the clergy of the city
of Regium be to no extent released by the indulgence of thy Fraternity
in duties demanded by their office. But in the things that
pertain to
God
let them be most instantly and
most earnestly compelled. We desire thee also to study the
reputation of the aforesaid clergy, that nothing bad, nothing that at
all contravenes ecclesiastical discipline, be heard of them; seeing
that it is to its adornment, not to foulness of deeds, that their
office appertains. Further, we decree that what we determined in
the case of the Sicilians be observed by thy subdeacons
1527
; nor mayest thou suffer this our decision
to be infringed by the contumacy or temerity of any one whatever; that
so, as we believe will be the case, all that has been said above being
most strictly kept in force by thee, thou mayest neither prove a
transgressor of our admonition, nor be accused as guilty of remissness
in the order of pastoral rule which has been committed to
thee.
1527
See I. 44, p.
91; also below,
Ep
. 36.