Letter
CXIII.
To Julian, Bishop of Cos.
Leo, bishop of Rome, to Julian, bishop of Cos.
I.
After thanks for Julian’s
sympathy he complains of the deposition of Aetius from the
archdeaconry.
I acknowledge in your letter, beloved, the
feelings of brotherly love, in that you sympathize with us in true
grief at the many grievous evils we have borne. But we pray that
these things which the
Lord
has either allowed
or wished us to suffer, may avail to the correction of those who live
through them
475
, and that
adversities may cease through the cessation of offences. Both
which results will follow through the mercy of
God
, if only He remove the scourge and turn the hearts of
His people to Himself. But as you, brother, are saddened by the
hostilities which have raged around us, so I am made anxious because,
as your letter indicates, the treacherous attacks of heretics are not
set at rest in the church of Constantinople, and men seek occasion to
persecute those who have been the defenders of the catholic
Faith. For so long as Aetius is removed from his office of
archdeacon under pretence of promotion
476
and Andrew is taken into his place, who had been cast off for
associating with heretics; so long as respect is shown to the accusers
of Flavian of holy memory, and the partners or disciples of that most
pious confessor are put down, it is only too clearly shown what pleases
the bishop of the church itself. Towards whom I put off taking
action till I hear the merits of the case and await his own dealing
with me in the letter our son Aetius tells me he will send, giving
opportunity for voluntary correction, whereby I desire my vexation to
be appeased. Nevertheless, I have written to our most clement
Prince and the most pious Augusta about these things which concern the
peace of the Church; and I do not doubt they will in the devoutness of
their faith take heed lest a heresy already condemned should succeed in
springing up again to the detriment of their own glorious
work.
II.
He asks Julian to act for him as
Anatolius is deficient in vigour.
See then, beloved brother, that you bestow
the necessary thought on the cares of the
Apostolic See, which by her rights as your mother commends to you, who
were nourished at her breast, the defence of the catholic Truth against
Nestorians and Eutychians, in order that, supported by the Divine help,
you may not cease to watch the interests of the city of Constantinople,
lest at any time the storms of error arise within her. And
because the faith of our glorious Princes is so great that you may
confidently suggest what is necessary to them, use their piety for the
benefit of the universal Church. But if ever you consult me,
beloved, on things which you think doubtful, my reply shall not fail to
supply instruction, so that, apart from cases which ought to be decided
by the inquiries of the bishops of each particular church, you may act
as my legate and undertake the special charge of preventing the
Nestorian or Eutychian heresy reviving in any quarter; because the
bishop of Constantinople does not possess catholic vigour, and is not
very jealous either for the mystery of man’s salvation or for his
own reputation: whereas if he had any spiritual activity, he
ought to have considered by whom he was ordained, and whom he succeeded
in such a way as to follow the blessed Flavian rather than the
instruments of his promotion. And, therefore, when our most
religious Princes deign in accordance with my entreaties to reprimand
our brother Anatolius on those matters, which deservedly come under
blame, join your diligence to theirs, beloved, that all causes of
offences may be removed by the application of the fullest correction
and he cease from injuring our son Aetius. For with a
catholic-minded bishop even though there was something which seemed
calculated to annoy in his archdeacon, it ought to have been passed
over from regard for the Faith, rather than that the most worthless
heretic should take the place of a catholic. And so when I have
learnt the rest of the story, I shall then more clearly gather what
ought to be done. For, meanwhile, I have thought better to
restrain my vexation and to exercise patience that there might be room
for forgiveness.
III.
He asks for further information
about the rioting in Palestine and in Egypt.
But with regard to the monks of Palestine, who are
said this long time to be in a state of mutiny, I know not by what
spirit they are at present moved. Nor has any one yet explained
to me what reasons they seem to bring forward for their
discontent: whether for instance, they wish to serve the
Eutychian heresy by such madness, or whether they are irreconcilably
vexed that their bishop could have been misled into that blasphemy,
whereby, in spite of the very associations of the holy spots, from
which issued instruction for the whole world, he has alienated himself
from the Truth of the
Lord’s
Incarnation, and in their opinion that cannot be venial in him which in
others had to be wiped out by absolution. And therefore I desire
to be more fully informed about these things that proper means may be
taken for their correction; because it is one thing to arm oneself
wickedly against the Faith, and another thing to be immoderately
disturbed on behalf of it. You must know, too, that the documents
which Aetius the presbyter told me before had been dispatched, and the
epitome of the Faith which you say you have sent, have not yet
arrived. Hence, if an opportunity offers itself of a more
expeditious messenger, I shall be glad for any information that may
seem expedient to be sent me as soon as possible. I am anxious to
know about the monks of Egypt
477
, whether they
have regained their peacefulness and their faith, and about the church
of Alexandria, what trustworthy tidings reaches you: I wish you
to know what I wrote to its bishop or his ordainers, or the clergy, and
have therefore sent you a copy of the letter. You will learn also
what I have said to our most clement Prince and our most religious
Empress from the copies sent.
IV.
He asks for a Latin translation of
the acts of Chalcedon.
I wish to know whether my letter
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has been delivered to you, brother,
which I sent you by Basil the deacon, upon the Faith of the
Lord’s
Incarnation, while Flavian of
holy memory was still alive; for I fancy you have never made any
comment on its contents. We have no very clear information about
the acts of the Synod, which were drawn up at the time of the council
at Chalcedon, on account of the difference of language
479
. And therefore I specially enjoin
upon you, brother, that you have the whole collected into one volume,
accurately translated of course into Latin, that we may not be in doubt
on any portion of the proceedings, and that there may be no manner of
uncertainty after you have taken pains to bring it fully within my
understanding. Dated March 11th, in the consulship of the
illustrious Opilio (453).
475
Servatorum.
I am not sure whether this is the right sense;
others read
multorum
.
476
In Lett. CXI., chap.
ii., he is said to have been
cœmeterio deputatis
, and,
according to Quesnel, when the cemeteries (or catacombs) had no longer
to be used as refuges for the persecuted Christians, the custom had
grown up of putting priests in charge to perpetuate the memory of the
martyrs therein buried; in process of time, when love grew cold, this
was looked upon as a sort of exile, and an onerous duty in
consequence.
477
There had been
riots among the monks of Egypt about the appointment of Proterius as
bishop, instead of Dioscorus, deposed.
478
This is
Letter XXXV. (
q.v
.).
479
It is, of course,
well known that Leo knew no Greek whatever.