Epistle
XXXV.
To Peter, Bishop of Terracina.
Gregory to Peter, &c.
Joseph, a Jew, the bearer of these presents, has
informed us that, the Jews dwelling in the camp of Terracina having
been accustomed to assemble in a certain place for celebrating their
festivities, thy Fraternity had expelled them thence, and that they had
migrated, and this with thy knowledge and consent, to another place for
in like manner observing their festivities; and now they complain that
they have been expelled anew from this same place. But, if it is
so, we desire thy Fraternity to abstain from giving cause of complaint
of this kind, and that they be allowed, as has been the custom, to
assemble in the place which, as we have already said, they had obtained
with thy knowledge for their place of meeting. For those who
dissent from the Christian religion must needs be gathered together to
unity of faith by gentleness, kindness, admonition, persuasion, lest
those whom the sweetness of preaching and the anticipated terror of
future judgment might have invited to believe should be repelled by
threats and terrors. It is right, then, that they should come
together kindly to hear the word of
God
from
you rather than that they should become afraid of overstrained
austerity.