The Catholic Creed: The Ultimate Heresy
Apostasy from αποστασία or heresy from αίρεση, what is the difference? In the Early Church Fathers, not much. Heresy was a teaching which lead into apostasy while apostasy meant to leave the faith. Later perceived differences were compiled by the scholastics among others. The basic teaching of the Early Church Fathers is of importance now in the time we are in. In this we can see how false teachings like the synchretist Ecumenical movement are heretical in that they divide Christ by claiming that He is an historical personality but a separate spiritual one accessible to all men through any religion of their choice under any name. This is one of the main tenets of Gnosticism. Gnosticism has always been condemned as heretical and apostate. The heresy of Gnosticism divides Christ and leads men into paganism under the guise of a universalist cosmic Christ which in actuality is the cosmocrator of ancient paganism. That is nothing more than pantheism and is the basis for all paganisms. To embrace that is to apostasize from the faith. Furthermore, the effect it has on society is to produce a relativistic nihilist despair into the void of which the Communist solution presents itself as an answer. The interim stage is the anarchy of every man is an entity unto himself. The Gnostic teachers produced this effect in the Early Church. They were condemned for that as well as the false teachings they promulgated. Increasingly the Church turned to defining ecclesiastical discipline under ecclesiastical law as a result. Invariably the question arose of who was in charge. In the early third century the idea that a single individual was in charge of the Church was considered total Gnostic apostate heresy. Antipopes Zephrynus and Callistus had proposed this at that time and been condemned for it by St. Hippolytus and the bishops of the early church. According to St. Irenaeus, Simon Magus, the one from whom all the Gnostic heresies derived and who guilty of trying to inculcate all sorts of paganism into the faith, had tried this in the first century by trying to make out that he was part of the Godhead, was totally condemned for all of this. By the time of Pope St. Gregory the Great (died 604 A.D.) St. Gregory still condemned the idea that one bishop would be the universal bishop over the whole Church as the precursor of the Antichrist. The Early Church had taught that Gnosticism would be the base for the Antichrist to arise from. The many early Gnostic teachers are like the many today who are a god unto themselves. But the proponents of One Universal Earthly Head over the Church are indeed those who are bringing in the reign of the Antichrist, for that one will try to supplant the Lord Jesus Christ. The Lord Jesus Christ is the only one Who is head over His Church which He founded by His All Holy Blood. Two variants on a theme, both of which are evil. Anarchy on one hand (just watch evangelical charismatic television for examples) and absolute rule by one fallible individual on the other. Both disasters in the making. Those who recognize the evil of the all pervasive Gnostic reinventions of the Charismatics and Ecumenists then turn to excoriating others by the name they carry such as Catholic and Orthodox, condemning one another. Instead, having recognized the big evil they should be allies in this time, but instead set the stage for the Antichrist by insisting on only one visible eccesiastically defined body with a head. Such insistence is a vain attempt to define every single detail of the faith. In fact the Early Church taught that if the simple doctrine held by a body of believers was in fact Catholic, that is reflecting the true teaching of the Apostles, then it was genuine; they did not insist that every imaginable detail be defined before a body of believers be recognized as true. On the other hand they did not tolerate evil teachings masquerading as true, such as simony or permissive unrepented continual amorality, especially abortion – which they justly condemned as willful murder, or claiming that idolatrous pagans were in fact somehow worshipping the True God (which is they do NOT, of course); all Gnostic inventions, now reinvented by the Charismatics and Ecumenists.
The effect that all the above has on society in terms of moral norms and civil society is two fold and two staged. One — the anarchy of the hedonists and the subsequent paralysing of moral law (mores and folkways, expected by society). Two — the abrogating of Church teaching on right and wrong and the replacement of decency with nihilism. Sandwiched in between is an amoral society that pretends it is moral and relies on a façade of appearance. This is the sure recipe for the dissolution of society on the heels of the mentality of naturalistic so-called enlightenment.
In both the cases of faith and religion and of society in general, anarchy replaced nihilism is the destruction of revealed truth and order. It is devolvement and not evolutionary (as if anything could evolve, it surely can't). It is entropy in the realm of human relations and never enthalpy. It is doom in short order.
See these links:
Apostasy from αποστασία or heresy from αίρεση, what is the difference? In the Early Church Fathers, not much. Heresy was a teaching which lead into apostasy while apostasy meant to leave the faith. Later perceived differences were compiled by the scholastics among others. The basic teaching of the Early Church Fathers is of importance now in the time we are in. In this we can see how false teachings like the synchretist Ecumenical movement are heretical in that they divide Christ by claiming that He is an historical personality but a separate spiritual one accessible to all men through any religion of their choice under any name. This is one of the main tenets of Gnosticism. Gnosticism has always been condemned as heretical and apostate. The heresy of Gnosticism divides Christ and leads men into paganism under the guise of a universalist cosmic Christ which in actuality is the cosmocrator of ancient paganism. That is nothing more than pantheism and is the basis for all paganisms. To embrace that is to apostasize from the faith. Furthermore, the effect it has on society is to produce a relativistic nihilist despair into the void of which the Communist solution presents itself as an answer. The interim stage is the anarchy of every man is an entity unto himself. The Gnostic teachers produced this effect in the Early Church. They were condemned for that as well as the false teachings they promulgated. Increasingly the Church turned to defining ecclesiastical discipline under ecclesiastical law as a result. Invariably the question arose of who was in charge. In the early third century the idea that a single individual was in charge of the Church was considered total Gnostic apostate heresy. Antipopes Zephrynus and Callistus had proposed this at that time and been condemned for it by St. Hippolytus and the bishops of the early church. According to St. Irenaeus, Simon Magus, the one from whom all the Gnostic heresies derived and who guilty of trying to inculcate all sorts of paganism into the faith, had tried this in the first century by trying to make out that he was part of the Godhead, was totally condemned for all of this. By the time of Pope St. Gregory the Great (died 604 A.D.) St. Gregory still condemned the idea that one bishop would be the universal bishop over the whole Church as the precursor of the Antichrist. The Early Church had taught that Gnosticism would be the base for the Antichrist to arise from. The many early Gnostic teachers are like the many today who are a god unto themselves. But the proponents of One Universal Earthly Head over the Church are indeed those who are bringing in the reign of the Antichrist, for that one will try to supplant the Lord Jesus Christ. The Lord Jesus Christ is the only one Who is head over His Church which He founded by His All Holy Blood. Two variants on a theme, both of which are evil. Anarchy on one hand (just watch evangelical charismatic television for examples) and absolute rule by one fallible individual on the other. Both disasters in the making. Those who recognize the evil of the all pervasive Gnostic reinventions of the Charismatics and Ecumenists then turn to excoriating others by the name they carry such as Catholic and Orthodox, condemning one another. Instead, having recognized the big evil they should be allies in this time, but instead set the stage for the Antichrist by insisting on only one visible eccesiastically defined body with a head. Such insistence is a vain attempt to define every single detail of the faith. In fact the Early Church taught that if the simple doctrine held by a body of believers was in fact Catholic, that is reflecting the true teaching of the Apostles, then it was genuine; they did not insist that every imaginable detail be defined before a body of believers be recognized as true. On the other hand they did not tolerate evil teachings masquerading as true, such as simony or permissive unrepented continual amorality, especially abortion – which they justly condemned as willful murder, or claiming that idolatrous pagans were in fact somehow worshipping the True God (which is they do NOT, of course); all Gnostic inventions, now reinvented by the Charismatics and Ecumenists.
The effect that all the above has on society in terms of moral norms and civil society is two fold and two staged. One — the anarchy of the hedonists and the subsequent paralysing of moral law (mores and folkways, expected by society). Two — the abrogating of Church teaching on right and wrong and the replacement of decency with nihilism. Sandwiched in between is an amoral society that pretends it is moral and relies on a façade of appearance. This is the sure recipe for the dissolution of society on the heels of the mentality of naturalistic so-called enlightenment.
In both the cases of faith and religion and of society in general, anarchy replaced nihilism is the destruction of revealed truth and order. It is devolvement and not evolutionary (as if anything could evolve, it surely can't). It is entropy in the realm of human relations and never enthalpy. It is doom in short order.
See these links:
Epistle LXVIII.
TO Eusebius OF Thessalonica.
Gregory to Eusebius of Thessalonica, Urbicus of Dyrrachium,
Andrew of Nicopolis, John of Corinth, John of Prima Justiniana, John of Crete,
John of Larissa and Scodra, and many other bishops.
We are constrained by the care of government which we have
undertaken to extend vigilantly the solicitude of our office, and to instruct
the minds of our brethren by addresses of admonition, that no wrongful
presumption. may avail to deceive the ignorant, nor any dissimulation to excuse
those who know. Be it known then to your Fraternity that John, formerly bishop
of the city of Constantinople, against God, against the peace of the Church, to
the contempt and injury of all priests, exceeded the bounds of modesty and of
his own measure, and unlawfully usurped in synod the proud and pestiferous
title of oecumenical, that is to say, universal. When our predecessor Pelagius
of blessed memory became aware of this, he annulled by a fully valid censure
all the proceedings of that same synod, except what had therein been done in
the cause of Gregory, bishop of Antioch, of venerable memory; taking him to
task with most severe rebuke, and warning him to abstain from that new and
temerarious name of superstition; even so as to forbid his deacon to go in
procession 46 with
him, unless he should amend so great a wickedness. And we, adhering in all
respects to the zeal of his rectitude, observe his ordinances, under the
protection of God, irrefragably, since it is fitting that he should walk
without stumbling along the straight way of his predecessor, whom the tribunal
of the eternal Judge awaits for rendering an account of the same place of
government. In which matter, lest we should seem to omit anything that pertains
to the peace of the Church, we once and again addressed the same most holy John
by letter, bidding him relinquish that name of pride, and incline the elation
of his heart to the humility which our Master and Lord has taught us. And
having found that he paid no regard, we have not desisted, in our desire of
concord, from addressing the like admonitions to our most blessed brother and
fellow-priest Cyriacus, his successor. But since it is the case, as we see, now
that the end of this world is near at hand, that the enemy of the human race [The Antichrist] has already appeared in his harbingers [the antichrists], so as to have as his precursors,
through this title of pride, the very priests who ought to have opposed him by
living well and humbly, I exhort and entreat that not one of you ever accept
this name, that not one consent to it, that not one write it, that not one
admit it wherever it may have been written, or add his subscription to it; but,
as becomes ministers of Almighty God, that each keep himself from this kind of
poisoned infection, and give no place to the cunning lier-in-wait, since this
thing is being done to the injury and rendering asunder of the whole Church,
and, as we have said, to the contemning of all of you. For if one, as he
supposes, is universal bishop, it remains that you are not bishops. [- The authority of Bishops is upheld. At the never formally declared Vatican I the Papist usurper then tried to reduce Bishops to servile courtiers.]
{Herein we have the warning from Pope St. Gregory the Great which declares that not he (elsewhere, see below for one example, he enjoins the rule of the Church Councils that recognizes four EQUAL in Authority Patriarchates, to wit Gregory's words below: "But they are so impregnated with the taint of error that, giving credence to their own ignorance, they reject the universal Church, and all the four patriarchs, not with reason, but with malicious intent;") Pope St. Gregory the Great elsewhere recognizes three co-equal Sees of Peter: Rome, Antioch and Alexandria, which is in accordance with early Church Law and Tradition. Jerusalem was always the Mother of all the Churches. The Four equal Patriarchates are: }
{Herein we have the warning from Pope St. Gregory the Great which declares that not he (elsewhere, see below for one example, he enjoins the rule of the Church Councils that recognizes four EQUAL in Authority Patriarchates, to wit Gregory's words below: "But they are so impregnated with the taint of error that, giving credence to their own ignorance, they reject the universal Church, and all the four patriarchs, not with reason, but with malicious intent;") Pope St. Gregory the Great elsewhere recognizes three co-equal Sees of Peter: Rome, Antioch and Alexandria, which is in accordance with early Church Law and Tradition. Jerusalem was always the Mother of all the Churches. The Four equal Patriarchates are: }
Furthermore, it has come to our knowledge that your
Fraternity has been convened to Constantinople .
And although our most pious Emperor allows nothing unlawful to be done there,
yet, lest perverse men, taking occasion of your assembly, should seek
opportunity of cajoling you in favouring this name of superstition, or should
think of holding a synod about some other matter, with the view of introducing
it therein by cunning contrivances,-though without the authority and consent of
the Apostolic See nothing that might be passed would have any force,
nevertheless, before Almighty God I conjure and warn you, that the assent of
none of you be obtained by any blandishments, any bribes, any threats whatever;
but, having regard to the eternal judgment, acquit ye yourselves salubriously
and unanimously in opposition to wrongful aims; and, supported by pastoral
constancy and apostolical authority, keep out the robber and the wolf that
would rush in, and give no way to him that rages for the tearing of the Church
asunder; nor allow, through any cajolery, a synod to be held on this subject,
which indeed would not be a legitimate one, nor to be called a synod. We also
at the same time admonish you, that if haply nothing should be done with
mention of this preposterous name, but a synod be by any chance assembled on
another matter, ye be in all respects cautious, circumspect, watchful, and
careful, lest anything should therein be decreed against any place or person
prejudicially, or unlawfully, or in opposition to the canons. But, if any
question arises to be treated with advantage, let the question in hand take
such a form that it may not upset any ancient ordinances. Wherefore we once
more admonish you before God and His Saints, that you observe all these things
with the utmost attention, and with the entire bent of your minds. For if any
one, as we do not believe will be the case, should disregard in any part this present
writing, let him know that he is segregated from the peace of the blessed
Peter, the Prince of the Apostles. Let, then, your Fraternity so act that when
the Shepherd of shepherds comes in judgment, you may not be found guilty with respect
to the place of government which you have received.
Epistle XI.
TO Brunichild, Queen.
Gregory to Brunichild, Queen of the Franks 19 .
With what firmness the mind of your Excellency is settled in
the fear of Almighty God you shew in a praiseworthy manner, among the other
good things that you do, by your love also of His priests; and great joy for
your Christianity is caused us, since you study to advance with honours those
whom you love and venerate as being truly Christ's servants. For it becomes
you, most excellent daughter, it becomes you to be such as to be able to
subject yourself to a lord above you. For in submitting the neck of your mind
to the fear of the Almighty Lord you confirm your dominion also over subject
nations, and by subjecting yourself to the service of the Creator you bind your
subjects the more devotedly to yourself. Wherefore, having received your
letters, we signify to you that your Excellency's earnest desire has greatly
pleased us, and we have been desirous of sending the pallium to our brother and
fellow-bishop Syagrius 20 ,
inasmuch as the disposition of our most serene lord the Emperor is also
favourable, and, so far as we have been informed by our deacon, who was the
representative of our Church at his Court, he is altogether desirous that this
thing should be granted 21 ,
and many good reports have reached us of our aforesaid brother both on your
testimony and that of others; and especially we learnt what his life is from
John the Regionarius 22 on
his return to us. And hearing what he did in the case of our brother Augustine,
we bless our Redeemer, because we feel that he fulfils in his deeds the meaning
of his name of priest.
But there have been many hindrances which have meanwhile
prevented us from doing this thing. First indeed, that he who had come to
receive this pallium is implicated in the error of the schismatics 23 ;
further, that you wished it to be understood that it was sent, not on your
petition, but froth ourselves. But there was this besides; that neither had he
who desires to use it requested it to be granted him by a special petition
addressed to us: and it was by no means right for us to concede so great a
matter without his request; especially as an ancient custom has obtained, that
the dignity of the pallium shall not be given except when the merits of a case
demand it, and to one who urgently requests it. Still, lest we should seem
perchance to wish, under pretext of any excuse, to put off the desire of your
Excellency, we have provided for the pallium being sent to our most beloved son
Candidus the presbyter, charging him, with befitting precaution, to deliver it
in our stead. Hence it is requisite that our above-written brother and
fellow-bishop Syagrius must hope for it, when he has of his own motion drawn up
a petition with some of his bishops; and this he must give to the aforesaid
presbyter, to the end that he may be in a position to obtain properly the use
of the same pallium with the favour of God.
In order, then, that the charge you bear may be of fruit to
you before the eyes of our Creator, let the solicitude of your Christianity be
diligently on the watch, and suffer no one who is under your dominion to attain
to holy orders by the giving of money, or the patronage of any persons
whatever, or by right of relationship; but let such a one be elected to the
episcopate, or to the office of any other sacred order, as his life and manners
have shewn to be worthy; lest if, as we do not expect, the dignity of the
priesthood should be venal, simoniacal heresy, which was the first to come up
in the Church, and has been condemned by the sentence of the Fathers, should
arise in your parts, and (which God forbid) should weaken the powers of your
kingdom. For it is a serious matter, and a wickedness beyond what can be told,
to sell the Holy Spirit, who redeemed all things.
But let this also be your care, that, since, as you know,
the excellent preacher entirely forbids a novice to accede to the ruling
position of priesthood, you suffer no one to be consecrated bishop from being a
layman. For what sort of master will he be who has not been a disciple? Or what
kind of leadership can he supply to the Lord's flock who has not been
previously subjected to a shepherd's discipline? If, then, any one's life
should be such as to shew him worthy of being promoted to this order, he ought
first to serve in the ministry of the Church, to the end that by the experience
of long practice he may see what to imitate, and learn what to teach; lest
perchance the newness of his charge bear not the burden of government, and
occasion of ruin arise from the immaturity of his promotion.
Moreover, how your Excellency conducted yourself towards our
brother and fellow-bishop Augustine, and how great charity, through the
inspiration of God, you bestowed upon him, we have leaner from the relation of
divers of the faithful; for which we return thanks, and implore the mercy of
Divine Power to keep you here under its protection, and cause you to reign, as
among men, so also after a course of many years in life eternal.
Furthermore, those whom the error of the schismatics severs
from the unity of the Church, strive ye, for your own reward, to recall to the
unity of concord. For on no other ground are they enveloped so far in the
blindness of their ignorance but that they may escape ecclesiastical
discipline, and have licence to live perversely as they please, since they
understand neither what they defend nor what they follow. But as for us, we
venerate and follow in all respects the synod of Chalcedon
We have sent the volume, as you desired us by letter, to our
aforesaid most beloved son Candidus the presbyter, to be offered to you, being
in haste to be sharers in your good purpose. May Almighty God keep you under
His protection, and by His outstretched arm defend your kingdom from
unbelieving nations, and bring you after long courses of years to eternal joys.
Given in the month of October, the first indiction 24
Since the renown of your kingdom has been resplendent of old among all others by the grace of the Christian religion, great pains should be taken that, wherein you stand out more glorious than other nations, you should therein please more perfectly the Almighty Lord who gives health and wealth to kings, and have the faith which you observe in all ways helpful to you. We had wished indeed, most excellent sons, to address to you a discourse of friendly greeting only, so as to shew our fatherly affection in offices of charity. But, seeing that an unlawful proceeding distresses us exceedingly, it befits us so to exhibit one thing as by no means to pass over in silence the other which needs amendment. If you give diligent attention, you will find that we speak entirely for the security of your well-being.
Now it is said that simoniacal heresy (which was the first to creep in by the devil's planting against the Church of God, and was at its very rise smitten and condemned by the weapon of apostolical vengeance) prevails within the limits of your kingdom, though faith together with good life ought to be chosen in priests.
If good life is wanting, faith has no merit, as the blessed James attests, who says, Faith without works is dead (Jam; ii. 18). But what can be the works of a priest who is convicted of obtaining the dignity of so great a sacrament by a bribe? Thus it is brought about that even the very persons who are desiring sacred orders take no pains to amend their lives or order their conduct, but busy themselves in amassing wealth wherewith to buy sacred dignity. Hence also it comes to pass that the innocent and poor recoil from sacred orders, being debarred and looked down upon. And while the innocence of the poor man displeases, there is no doubt that the bribe in the other case commends delinquencies; for, where gold pleases, so does vice. Hence, therefore, not only is a deadly wound inflicted on the souls of the ordainer and of the ordained, but also the Kingdom of your Excellence is weighed down by the fault of your bishops, by whose intercessions it ought rather to have been aided. For, if he is thought worthy of the priesthood who is supported, not by the merits of his doings, but by the abundance of his bribes, it remains that neither gravity nor industry can put in any claim for ecclesiastical dignities, but that the profane love of gold obtains all. And, while vices are remunerated with dignity, he is promoted to the place of the avenger who perhaps ought to have vengeance executed on himself; and hence priests are shewn not to profit others, but rather themselves to perish. For, when the shepherd is wounded, who may apply medicine for healing the sheep? Or how shall he protect the people with the shield of prayer who exposes himself to be stricken by hostile darts? Or what kind of fruit shall he produce out of himself, whose root is infected by sore disease? Greater calamity, then, is to be apprehended in those places where such intercessors are promoted to places of rule, being such as to provoke the more the anger of God against themselves which they ought, through themselves, to have appeased in behalf of the people.
Moreover, we have heard that the farms of the Churches do not pay tribute; and we are consequently lost in great surprise, if unlawful payments be sought from those to whom even lawful ones are remitted 72 .
Nor does our solicitude allow us to pass over this evil also; that some, lured by the instigation of vain glory, snatch all at once, from a lay condition of life, at the dignity of priesthood, and (what it shames one to say, though it is too serious a matter to pass over in silence) those who require to be ruled neither blush nor fear to appear as rulers, and those that require to be taught as teachers. Persons assume shamelessly the leadership of souls to whom the whole way to be taken by the leader is unknown, and who know not whither even they themselves are walking. How bad and how venturesome this is, is shewn even by secular order and discipline. For, seeing that a leader of an army is not chosen unless he has been tried in labour and carefulness, let those who desire with immature haste to mount to the height of episcopacy consider, at any rate by the aid of this comparison, of what sort leaders of souls should be; and let them abstain from attempting suddenly untried labours, lest a blind ambition for dignity both be to their own penalty and also sow seeds of pestiferous error to others, they themselves not having learnt what they have to teach. Accordingly, greeting you with fatherly affection, we beg, most excellent sons, that you would be at pains to banish this so detestable an evil from the limits of your kingdom, and that no excuse, no suggestion against your soul, find place with you; since he who neglects to amend what he is able to correct, undoubtedly has the guilt of the doer. Wherefore, that you may be able to offer a great gift to Almighty God, order a synod to be assembled, in which (as we have enjoined our brethren and fellow-bishops), in the presence of our most beloved son the abbot Cyriacus, it may be ordained under the obligation of anathema that no one may ever give and no one ever receive anything for an ecclesiastical order, nor any one of the laity pass all at once to the priesthood; that so our Redeemer, whose priests you suffer not to be ruined among themselves by the enemy, may recompense you for this service both here and in the life to come.
Furthermore, we are altogether astonished that in your kingdom you allow Jews to possess Christian slaves. For what are all Christians but members of Christ? The Head of these members we all know that you honour faithfully: but let your Excellency consider how inconsistent it is to honour the Head and to allow His members to be trodden on by His enemies. And so, we beg that an ordinance of your Excellency may remove the evil of this wrong-doing from your kingdom, that you may thus shew yourselves the more. to be worthy worshippers of Almighty God, in that you set free His faithful servants from His enemies.
Now it is said that simoniacal heresy (which was the first to creep in by the devil's planting against the Church of God, and was at its very rise smitten and condemned by the weapon of apostolical vengeance) prevails within the limits of your kingdom, though faith together with good life ought to be chosen in priests.
If good life is wanting, faith has no merit, as the blessed James attests, who says, Faith without works is dead (Jam; ii. 18). But what can be the works of a priest who is convicted of obtaining the dignity of so great a sacrament by a bribe? Thus it is brought about that even the very persons who are desiring sacred orders take no pains to amend their lives or order their conduct, but busy themselves in amassing wealth wherewith to buy sacred dignity. Hence also it comes to pass that the innocent and poor recoil from sacred orders, being debarred and looked down upon. And while the innocence of the poor man displeases, there is no doubt that the bribe in the other case commends delinquencies; for, where gold pleases, so does vice. Hence, therefore, not only is a deadly wound inflicted on the souls of the ordainer and of the ordained, but also the Kingdom of your Excellence is weighed down by the fault of your bishops, by whose intercessions it ought rather to have been aided. For, if he is thought worthy of the priesthood who is supported, not by the merits of his doings, but by the abundance of his bribes, it remains that neither gravity nor industry can put in any claim for ecclesiastical dignities, but that the profane love of gold obtains all. And, while vices are remunerated with dignity, he is promoted to the place of the avenger who perhaps ought to have vengeance executed on himself; and hence priests are shewn not to profit others, but rather themselves to perish. For, when the shepherd is wounded, who may apply medicine for healing the sheep? Or how shall he protect the people with the shield of prayer who exposes himself to be stricken by hostile darts? Or what kind of fruit shall he produce out of himself, whose root is infected by sore disease? Greater calamity, then, is to be apprehended in those places where such intercessors are promoted to places of rule, being such as to provoke the more the anger of God against themselves which they ought, through themselves, to have appeased in behalf of the people.
Moreover, we have heard that the farms of the Churches do not pay tribute; and we are consequently lost in great surprise, if unlawful payments be sought from those to whom even lawful ones are remitted 72 .
Nor does our solicitude allow us to pass over this evil also; that some, lured by the instigation of vain glory, snatch all at once, from a lay condition of life, at the dignity of priesthood, and (what it shames one to say, though it is too serious a matter to pass over in silence) those who require to be ruled neither blush nor fear to appear as rulers, and those that require to be taught as teachers. Persons assume shamelessly the leadership of souls to whom the whole way to be taken by the leader is unknown, and who know not whither even they themselves are walking. How bad and how venturesome this is, is shewn even by secular order and discipline. For, seeing that a leader of an army is not chosen unless he has been tried in labour and carefulness, let those who desire with immature haste to mount to the height of episcopacy consider, at any rate by the aid of this comparison, of what sort leaders of souls should be; and let them abstain from attempting suddenly untried labours, lest a blind ambition for dignity both be to their own penalty and also sow seeds of pestiferous error to others, they themselves not having learnt what they have to teach. Accordingly, greeting you with fatherly affection, we beg, most excellent sons, that you would be at pains to banish this so detestable an evil from the limits of your kingdom, and that no excuse, no suggestion against your soul, find place with you; since he who neglects to amend what he is able to correct, undoubtedly has the guilt of the doer. Wherefore, that you may be able to offer a great gift to Almighty God, order a synod to be assembled, in which (as we have enjoined our brethren and fellow-bishops), in the presence of our most beloved son the abbot Cyriacus, it may be ordained under the obligation of anathema that no one may ever give and no one ever receive anything for an ecclesiastical order, nor any one of the laity pass all at once to the priesthood; that so our Redeemer, whose priests you suffer not to be ruined among themselves by the enemy, may recompense you for this service both here and in the life to come.
Furthermore, we are altogether astonished that in your kingdom you allow Jews to possess Christian slaves. For what are all Christians but members of Christ? The Head of these members we all know that you honour faithfully: but let your Excellency consider how inconsistent it is to honour the Head and to allow His members to be trodden on by His enemies. And so, we beg that an ordinance of your Excellency may remove the evil of this wrong-doing from your kingdom, that you may thus shew yourselves the more. to be worthy worshippers of Almighty God, in that you set free His faithful servants from His enemies.
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This blog is for serious exhortation to faith in this time of the Great Apostasy.