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| The third charge, of using an undedicated Church.
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14. The third charge, of using
an undedicated Church.
But forasmuch as they have informed against me in
the matter of the great Church1330
| 1330 [In
the Cæsareum, see Hist. Ar. 55, and Fest. Ind.
xxxviii. xl. It had been begun by Gregory, and was built at the expense
of Constantius (infr. end of §18).] | , that a communion
was holden there before it was completed, I will answer to your Piety
on this charge also; for the parties who are hostile towards me
constrain me to do so. I confess this did so happen; for, as in what I
have hitherto said, I have spoken no lie, I will not now deny this. But
the facts are far otherwise than they have represented them. Suffer me
to declare to you, most religious Augustus, that we kept no day of
dedication (it would certainly have been unlawful to do so, before
receiving orders from you), nor were we led to act as we did through
premeditation. No Bishop or other Clergyman was invited to join in our
proceedings; for much was yet wanting to complete the building. Nay the
congregation was not held on a previous notice, which might give them a
reason for informing against us. Every one knows how it happened; hear
me, however, with your accustomed equity and patience. It was the feast
of Easter1331
, and the multitude assembled together
was exceeding great, such as Christian kings would desire to see in all
their cities. Now when the Churches were found to be too few to contain
them, there was no little stir among the people, who desired that they
might be allowed to meet together in the great Church, where they could
all offer up their prayers for your safety. And this they did; for
although I exhorted them to wait awhile, and to hold service in the
other Churches, with whatever inconvenience to themselves, they would
not listen to me; but were ready to go out of the city, and meet in
desert places in the open air, thinking it better to endure the fatigue
of the journey, than to keep the feast in such a state of
discomfort.E.C.F. INDEX & SEARCH
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