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| To All the Bishops of Numidia.
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Epistle LXXVII.
To All the Bishops of Numidia.
Gregory to all the Bishops of Numidia.
If ever, most dear brethren in Christ, a
troublesome mixture of tares intrudes itself among green corn, it is
necessary for the hand of the husbandman to root it up entirely, lest
the future fruit of the fertile corn should be obstructed.
Wherefore let us too, who, however unworthy, have undertaken the
cultivation of the field of the Lord, hasten
to render the corn pure from all offence of tares, that the field of
the Lord may fructify with more abundant
increase. Now you requested through Hilarus our
chartulary1389
| 1389
“Chartularius. Qui chartas tractant, qui chartis
deserviunt.…Dignitas ecclesiastica etiam fuit.” Du
Cange. This Hilary is commended to Gennadius the Exarch of
Africa, I. 75, and again mentioned as Gregory’s Chartulary in
Africa, II. 48; X. 37; XII. 28, 29. | from our
predecessor of blessed memory that you might retain all the customs of
past time, which, from the beginnings of the ordinances of the blessed
Peter, Prince of the apostles, long antiquity has so far
retained. And we, indeed, according to the tenour of your
representation, allow your custom (so long as it clearly makes no claim
to the prejudice of the catholic faith) to remain undisturbed, whether
as to constituting primates or as to other points; save that with
respect to those who attain to the episcopate from among the Donatists,
we by all means forbid them to be advanced to the dignity of primacy,
even though their standing should denote them for that
position1390
. But let it
suffice them to take care of the people committed to them, without
aiming at the topmost place of the primacy in preference to those
prelates whom the Catholic faith hath both taught and engendered in the
bosom of the Church. Do you, therefore, most dear brethren,
anticipate our admonitions in the zeal of the charity of the Lord,
knowing that the strict Judge will bring into examination all we do,
and will approve every one of us with regard not to the prerogative of
a higher rank, but to the merits of our works. I beseech you,
therefore, love ye one another mutually, having peace among yourselves
in Christ, and with one purpose of heart oppose ye heretics and enemies
of the Church. Be ye solicitous for the souls of your
neighbours: persuade all ye can to faith by the preaching of
charity, holding before them also the terror of the future judgment;
inasmuch as ye are appointed to be shepherds, and the Lord of the flocks expects from the shepherds to whom He
has committed them the fruit of a multiplied flock. And if He
should foresee an augmentation of His own flock through your bestowal
of more diligent care upon it, He will assuredly adorn you with
manifold gifts of the heavenly kingdom. Furthermore, addressing
to you the greeting of fraternal love, I pray the Lord that He would make you, whom He has chosen to be
shepherds of souls, worthy in His sight, and Himself so order our deeds
here that He may accept them as they deserve in the future
life.E.C.F. INDEX & SEARCH
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