Bad Advertisement?
Are you a Christian?
Online Store:Visit Our Store
| To John, Bishop of Syracuse.
PREVIOUS SECTION - NEXT SECTION - HELP 
Epistle
XXI.
To John, Bishop of Syracuse.
Gregory to John, &c.
Felix, the bearer of these presents, has
complained to us that, being born of Christian parents, he was given
(i.e. as a slave) by a certain Christian to a
Samaræan1744
| 1744
Samaræo, meaning apparently a Samaritan, and as such
incapable, as Jews were, of holding Christian slaves. See
Prolegom., p. xxi., and references there. In the case
before us here the Samaritan claimant had himself become a Christian;
and an attempt had been made on this plea to recover for him the
Christian slave who had been emancipated from his father. But
this Gregory will by no means allow. | , which is an
atrocious thing to be said. And, though neither order of law nor
reverence for religion allow men of such like superstition in any way
whatever to possess Christian slaves, yet he asserts that he remained
for eighteen years in that man’s service. But he says that,
when your predecessor Maximianus of holy memory became aware of the
fact, he was freed by him, moved, as was becoming, by priestly zeal,
from the service of that Samaræan. But, inasmuch as the son
of the said Samaræan is said after five years to have become a
Christian, and certain persons are trying to reclaim the aforesaid
Felix, according to his own account, to his service, let your Holiness
enquire diligently into the facts that we have been informed of, and,
if they should be found true, study to protect him, and allow him on no
pretext whatever to be aggrieved by any one, seeing that, while the
laws plainly forbid slaves of that superstitious sect who are before
their masters in coming to the faith being reclaimed to their service,
how much more ought not this man—born of Christian parents, and a
Christian from his childhood—to be subjected in any wise to this
contention; especially as neither could be the slave of that other
man’s father, who it is clear was rather liable to punishment by
law for his wicked presumption? And so, as we have said, let the
defence of your Holiness so protect him reasonably that no one may be
at liberty, under any pretence whatever, in any degree to afflict
him.E.C.F. INDEX & SEARCH
|
