Epistle
X.
To Paulus, Bishop of Naples
1402
.
Gregory to Paulus, &c.
If we administer safely the priestly office which
we have received, without doubt both Divine assistance and the
affection of our spiritual sons will not be wanting to us.
Wherefore let thy Fraternity take care to shew thyself in all things
such that the testimony which the clergy, the nobility, and all the
people together, of the city of Naples bears to thee may be
strengthened by the increase of thy goodness. Thou oughtest,
then, so to bind thyself to continual employment in exhorting the
aforesaid people that the Divine husbandman may store in his garners
the fruit of thy word, which thou shalt have gathered from them by thy
labours. But till such time as we shall be able,
God
revealing to us His will, to deliberate concerning the
things which our aforesaid sons request us should be done, we grant
leave for clerics to be ordained from the ranks of the laity, and also
for manumissions to be solemnly celebrated before thee in the same
church. Moreover we desire thee to observe without hesitation the
customs of the clerical order and of the presbyters
of the above-named church:
and do thou also keep such diligent watch in the instruction of the
same, that, abstaining from all that is unsuitable or unlawful, they
may stand fast, under thy exhortations, ministering with due obedience,
in the service of our
God
. The month of
January, the tenth Indiction.
1402
Though called here
Episcopus Neapolitanus, it is apparent from this and other Epistles
that he was as yet only the episcopal visitor, not the regular, or
cardinal, bishop of Naples.