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| To Serenus, Bishop of Massilia (Marseilles).
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Epistle XIII.
To Serenus, Bishop of Massilia
(Marseilles)128
| 128 Other epistles to
Serenus of Marseilles are VI. 52, IX. 105, XI. 58. In IX. 105 he
had already been reproved for his inconsiderate zeal in breaking
pictures of saints, which is the main subject of the present
letter. His reply to the former letter, of which he had affected
to suspect the genuineness, seems to have called forth this longer and
severer admonition. | .
Gregory to Serenus, &c.
The beginning of thy letter so showed thee to have in thee the good will that befits a priest as to cause us increased joy
in thy Fraternity. But its conclusion was so at variance with its
commencement that such an epistle might be attributed, not to one, but
to different, minds. Nay, from thy very doubts about the epistle
which we sent to thee it appears how inconsiderate thou art. For,
hadst thou paid diligent attention to the admonition which in brotherly
love we gave thee, not only wouldest thou not have doubted, but have
perceived what in priestly seriousness it was thy duty to do. For
Cyriacus129
| 129 Cyriacus, once abbot
of Gregory’s own monastery of St. Andrew on the Cœlian at
Rome, is named in the former epistle to Serenus (IX. 105) as its
bearer. As to the cause of his being sent at that time into Gaul,
see notes to IX. 105, and IX. 109. | formerly abbot, who
was the bearer of our letter, was not a man of such training and
erudition as to dare, as thou supposest, to make up another, nor for
thee to entertain this suspicion of falseness against his
character. But, while putting aside consideration of our
wholesome admonitions, thou hast come to be culpable, not only in thy
deeds, but in thy questionings also. For indeed it had been
reported to us that, inflamed with inconsiderate zeal, thou hadst
broken images of saints, as though under the plea that they ought not
to be adored130
. And indeed in
that thou forbadest them to be adored, we altogether praise thee; but
we blame thee for having broken them. Say, brother, what priest
has ever been heard of as doing what thou hast done? If nothing
else, should not even this thought have restrained thee, so as not to
despise other brethren, supposing thyself only to be holy and
wise? For to adore a picture is one thing, but to learn through
the story of a picture what is to be adored is another. For what
writing presents to readers, this a picture presents to the unlearned
who behold, since in it even the ignorant see what they ought to
follow; in it the illiterate read. Hence, and chiefly to the
nations131
| 131 Gentibus.
The term gentes was used not only to denote Gentiles as usually
understood, and pagan races as distinct from Christians, but also
nations outside the Roman republic. | , a picture is instead of reading. And
this ought to have been attended to especially by thee who livest among
the nations, lest, while inflamed inconsiderately by a right zeal, thou
shouldest breed offence to savage minds. And, seeing that
antiquity has not without reason admitted the histories of saints to be
painted in venerable places, if thou hadst seasoned zeal with
discretion, thou mightest undoubtedly have obtained what thou wert
aiming at, and not scattered the collected flock, but rather gathered
together a scattered one; that so the deserved renown of a shepherd
might have distinguished thee, instead of the blame of being a
scatterer lying upon thee. But from having acted inconsiderately
on the impulse of thy feelings thou art said to have so offended thy
children that the greatest part of them have suspended themselves from
thy communion. When, then, wilt thou bring wandering sheep to the
Lord’s fold, not being able to retain those thou hast?
Henceforth we exhort thee that thou study even now to be careful, and
restrain thyself from this presumption, and make haste, with fatherly
sweetness, with all endeavour, with all earnestness, to recall to
thyself the minds of those whom thou findest to be disjoined from
thee.
For the dispersed children of the Church must be called together, and it must be
shewn then by testimonies of sacred Scripture that it is not lawful for
anything made with hands to be adored, since it is written, Thou
shalt adore the Lord thy God, and him only shalt serve
(Luke iv. 8). And then, with regard to the
pictorial representations which had been made for the edification of an
unlearned people in order that, though ignorant of letters, they might
by turning their eyes to the story itself learn what had been done, it
must be added that, because thou hadst seen these come to be adored,
thou hadst been so moved as to order them to be broken. And it
must be said to them, If for this instruction for which images were
anciently made you wish to have them in the church, I permit them by
all means both to be made and to be had. And explain to them that
it was not the sight itself of the story which the picture was hanging
to attest that displeased thee, but the adoration which had been
improperly paid to the pictures. And with such words appease thou
their minds; recall them to agreement with thee. And if any one
should wish to make images, by no means prohibit him, but by all means
forbid the adoration of images. But let thy Fraternity carefully
admonish them that from the sight of the event portrayed they should
catch the ardour of compunction, and bow themselves down in adoration
of the One Almighty Holy Trinity.
Now we say all this in our love of Holy Church, and of
thy Fraternity. Be not then shaken, in consequence of my rebuke,
in the zeal of uprightness, but rather be helped in the earnestness of
thy pious administration.
Furthermore, it has come to our ears that thy Love gladly receives bad men into its society; so much so as to have as a
familiar friend a certain presbyter who, after having fallen, is said
to live still in the pollution of his iniquity132
| 132 Cf. Ep. LV. in this
book to Virgilius of Arles, the metropolitan of Serenus, in which this
laxity on the part of the latter is alluded to. | . This indeed we do not entirely
believe, since he that receives such a one does not correct wickedness,
but rather appears to give licence to others to perpetrate the like
things. But, lest haply by any subornation or dissimulation he
should prevail on thee to receive him and keep him still in favour, it
becomes thee not only to drive him further from thee, but also in all
ways to cut away his excesses with priestly zeal. But as to
others who are reported to be bad, study to restrain them from their
badness by fatherly exhortation, and to recall them to the way of
rectitude. But, if (which God forbid) you seem not to profit them
at all by salutary admonition, these also thou wilt take care to cast
off far from thee, lest, from their being received, their evil doings
should seem not at all to displease thee, and lest not only they
themselves should remain unamended, but others also should be corrupted
in consequence of thy reception of them. And consider how
execrable it is before men, and how perilous before the eyes of God, if
vices should seem to be nurtured through him whose duty it is to punish
crimes. Attend therefore to these things diligently, most beloved
brother; and study so to act as both wholesomely to correct the bad and
to avoid breeding offence in the minds of thy children by associating
with evil men.E.C.F. INDEX & SEARCH
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