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The Epistles of Pope
Fabian.2826
| 2826 Fabian was
bishop of Rome from 236 to 250 a.d. The
letters ascribed to him are rejected by all as spurious. |
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The First Epistle.
To All the Ministers of the Church
Catholic.
Of those who ought not to be admitted to clear
themselves, and of the duty of having no fellowship with the
excommunicated.
To the dearly-beloved brethren
in the ministry of the Church Catholic in all regions, Fabian sends
greeting in the Lord.
By the divine precepts and the apostolic
institutes, we are admonished to watch in behoof of the position of all
the churches with unwearied interest. Whence it follows that you
ought to know what is being done in things sacred in the church of
Rome, in order that, by following her example, ye may be found to be
true children of her who is called your mother. Accordingly, as
we have received the institution from our fathers, we maintain seven
deacons in the city of Rome distributed over seven districts of the
state, who attend to the services enjoined on them week by week, and on
the Lord’s days and the solemn festivals, in concert with the
subdeacons, and acolytes, and servants of the succeeding orders, and
hold themselves in readiness every hour for religious duty, and for the
discharge of all that is enjoined upon them. In like manner ought
ye also to do throughout your different cities, as may be convenient,
that religious duty may be discharged zealously and regularly, without
any delay or negligence. Furthermore, we have ordained in like
manner seven subdeacons who shall stand by (imminerent) the
seven notaries, and bring into one full and accurate account the
histories of the martyrs, and lay them before us for our
examination. And this, too, we urge you all to do, so that no
doubt or questioning of these things may arise in later times;
“for whatsoever things were written, were written for our
learning.”2827
And
whatsoever things are written in truth in our times, are directed to
the learning of future times. And therefore we enjoin these
duties to be put in charge of the most faithful, that nothing false may
be found in them, from which an offence (which may God forbid) may
arise to the faithful. For this reason also we beg it of your
love in paternal benignity, that the holy Church may now find the
good-will of your love in all things, and obtain the comforts of your
favour whenever there is necessity. And as the goodness of your
zeal affords us the assurance that we ought to distrust it in nothing,
but rather commit these things in all confidence to you as to wise sons
of our church; so, small importance being attached to opportune
occasions, your virtue ought to exert itself the more strenuously in
labours, and keep off reproaches by all possible means, and with all
zeal. We exhort you also, according to the word of the apostle,
to be “stedfast and immoveable, always abounding in the work of
the Lord; forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not vain in the
Lord.”2828
And
in another place: “Watch ye, and pray, and stand fast in
the faith. Quit you like men, and be strong. Let all things
be done with charity.”2829
Furthermore, we desire you to know this, that in our times, as our sins
embarrassed us, and that ancient enemy who always goeth about like a
roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour,2830
instigated him, Novatus came up out of
Africa, and separated Novatianus and certain other confessors of Christ
from the Church of Christ, and persuaded them into the acceptance of
evil doctrine. From such persons, brethren, keep yourselves
aloof, and beware of all who hold a faith and doctrine different from
that which the apostles and their successors have held and taught, lest
(which may God forbid) going after him ye fall into the toils of Satan,
and be bound with his fetters. Wherefore with most earnest
prayers we beg it of your brotherly love, that ye may deem it fit to
remember our insignificance in your holy prayers, beseeching and
entreating the Lord of heaven that we, as well as our holy
mother the Church of Christ, redeemed with His precious blood, may be
delivered from the toils of Satan, who lieth in wait for us; and from
troublesome and wicked men, and that the Word of God may have free
course and be glorified, and that the evil doctrine of them, and of all
who teach things contrary to the truth, may be overthrown and
perish. We beseech you also to be zealous in praying in your
pious supplications, that our God and Lord Jesus Christ, who will have
all men to be saved, and no one to perish,2831
may, by His vast omnipotence, cause
their hearts to turn again to sound doctrine and to the Catholic faith,
in order that they may be recovered from the toils of the devil who are
held captive by him, and be united with the children of our mother the
Church. Be mindful also of your brethren, and have pity upon
them, and labour for them by all means in your power, that they be not
lost, but be saved unto the Lord by your prayers, and other efforts of
your goodness. So act therefore in these matters that ye may
approve yourselves as obedient and faithful children of the holy Church
of God, and that ye may obtain the recompense of reward. These
men, and all else who do not teach the true doctrine, and hold not the
true faith, cannot act as accusers of any true believer, because they
are branded with infamy, and are cut off from the bosom of our holy
mother the Church by the sword of the apostles, until their return to
correct conversation and belief. Hence by apostolic authority,
and in agreement with all the sons of the same apostolic and universal
Church, we resolve that all who come under suspicion with respect to
the Catholic faith cannot be admitted as accusers of those who hold the
true creed; for suspicions are always to be set aside. Rightly
therefore are charges which are preferred by those who are objects of
suspicion in the matter of the true faith, rejected. Neither are
they at all to be credited who are unacquainted with the faith of the
Trinity. In like manner we set aside and withdraw from all part
in the accusing of the faithful, all those whom the decrees of the holy
fathers in times past and times future alike anathematize.
Accordingly, the believing ought always to be kept distinct from the
unbelieving, and the righteous from the unrighteous; since the
unbelieving and evil-minded, by every means in their power, are always
troubling the believing, and striving to undo them; and consequently
they are not to be received, but rejected and kept entirely at a
distance, lest they may undo or defame the believing. For this
reason, dearly beloved, beware of the pit of such persons, into which
we know many have fallen. Beware of the snares (or darts) of such
persons, and of the efforts of the ancient enemy, by which we have seen
even those closely connected with us fall wounded before us.
Watch the nooses of the liers in wait, by which they are wont to
strangle associates and comrades. Follow not such, but keep them
far off from you. Be ye, according to the voice of Truth, wise as
serpents and harmless as doves.2832
See to it that ye neither run nor labour in vain; but, sustained by
each other’s prayers and supplications, strive ye to do the will
of God; and from those persons whom I have mentioned, if they show
themselves incorrigible, keep yourselves separate in all things.
In like manner keep yourselves separate from all those of whom the
apostle makes mention when he says, “with such persons, no, not
to eat;”2833
since these
latter, as well as the former, are to be rejected, and are not to be
admitted before they have given satisfaction to the Church. For
those with whom it is not lawful to eat are manifestly separated from
all intercourse with the rest of the brethren until such satisfaction
is given. Wherefore they ought not and cannot be admitted to the
preferring of charges against the faithful, but they ought to be
debarred from their society until the satisfaction already mentioned is
given, lest these too should be made like them, or underlie their
excommunication; for to this effect have the apostles decreed, saying,
With the excommunicated no fellowship is to be held. And if any
one, setting aside the rules wittingly, sings with the excommunicated
in his house, or speaks or prays in company with them, that man is to
be deprived of the privilege of communion. Such persons,
therefore, are in all things to be guarded against, and are not to be
received, because, according to the apostle, not only those who commit
such things are condemned, but also those who consent with those who do
them.2834
Whence also the blessed chief
of the apostles, Peter, addressing the people at the ordination of
Clement, says this among other things:2835
| 2835
Clementines: Ep. of Clem. to James, xviii. [P. 221,
supra.] | If this Clement is hostile to
any one on account of his deeds, wait not ye for his saying directly to
you, Be not on terms of friendship with this man. But mark ye
carefully his will as ye ought, and second it without need of direct
injunction; and separate yourselves from that man to whom ye perceive
him to be inimical, and speak not with those with whom he speaks not,
in order that every one who may be in fault, as he desires to possess
the friendship of all of you, may be zealous in effecting a
reconciliation all the more quickly with him who presides over all, so
that he may return to spiritual well-being (redeat et
salutem) hereby, when he begins
to yield obedience to the charges of the president.
If, however, any one is not friendly, and speaks with
those with whom he (his chief) speaks not, such an one belongs to those
who seek to exterminate the Church of God; and though he seems to be
with you in body, he is against you in mind and heart. And such
an one is a much more dangerous enemy than those who are without, and
who are openly hostile. For this man under the guise of
friendship acts the part of an enemy, and scatters and ruins the
church. And therefore, dearly beloved, in these apostolic
institutes we warn and teach you, that your charity, being instructed
therein (effecta certior), may hereafter study to act with
greater care and prudence, so that perverse and unbelieving men may not
have the power of injuring the faithful and well-disposed; for the hope
of such, and of all the ungodly, is like dust that is blown away with
the wind; and like a thin froth that is driven away with the storm; and
like as the smoke which is dispersed here and there with a tempest, and
as the remembrance of a guest of a single day that passeth
away.2836
With the utmost care, dearly
beloved, are such persons to be guarded against, and avoided, and
rejected, if they show themselves injurious. For the laws of the
world, no less than those of the Church, do not admit the injurious,
but reject them. Whence it is written, “The mouth of the
wicked devoureth iniquity.”2837
And the Lord, speaking by the prophet, saith, “With the holy thou
wilt show thyself holy; and with the froward thou wilt show thyself
froward; and with the excellent thou wilt show thyself excellent
(electus); and with the innocent man thou wilt show
thyself innocent.”2838
And
the apostle says, “Evil communications corrupt good
manners.”2839
Wherefore, as has already been indicated, the wicked are always to be
avoided and shunned, and the good and rightly-disposed are to be
stedfastly followed, in order that, as far as possible, we may avoid
the peril of sloth. And lest this pest may be spread abroad more
widely, let us cut it off from us with all possible severity; for the
temerity of presumption does not intervene where there is the diligence
of piety. Let every one of you, sustained by this apostolic
representation, act according to his strength, and study in brotherly
love and in godly piety to keep his own manners correct, and to help
each other, and to abide in charity, and to keep himself in the will of
God unceasingly, in order that we may praise the Lord together, and
give Him thanks always without wearying. Fare ye well in the
Lord, dearly beloved, and with the Lord’s help strive to fulfil
to the best of your ability the things before mentioned.—Given on
the first day of July, in the consulship of the most illustrious
Maximinus (or, Maximus) and Africanus.2840
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