Letter 4022: I must ask you to use your influence to keep Venantius, bishop of Luni, in his proper place within the clergy.

TO BISHOP CONSTANTIUS. [He exhorts him to assist Venantius, bishop of Luna, in the correction of his clergy and of the other religious.] Gregory to Constantius, bishop of Milan. It has come to us through the report of certain men coming from the region of Lodi that the religious life of those places has so strayed from the path of ecclesiastical discipline that in their conduct and actions they in no way regard the ordinances of canonical regulation. Because these matters had both to be examined more closely and to be punished more severely, I admonished the bearer of the present letter, Venantius, our brother and fellow bishop, that they should be corrected without delay. But because of the magnitude of the disturbance caused by the persons committing these excesses, he judged that he alone was not sufficient for an inquiry of this kind; and therefore he asked of us that, in the conducting of this same examination, the help of your Fraternity and of your authority should be joined to him. Therefore, although brotherly love ought to require this of you even without any writing of ours, nevertheless by the present letter also we particularly exhort you that, with our aforesaid brother brought in to assist you, you compel all the clergy and the other religious of the aforementioned city and of its territory, concerning whose excesses there is any suspicion, to come before you, and that you weigh all things according to [the rule]. If you find that anyone has departed from the statutes of the canons, correct him with canonical punishment. And do not allow those who do not display in their conduct what they show in their habit to wander any longer through perilous ways in your districts. These you ought, with pastoral circumspection, to bring back to the standard of uprightness. Let your Fraternity, therefore, having more diligently investigated all things, correct, set in order, and hasten to provide for the future regarding the matters reported to us in such affairs, so that it may profit your own soul, if you search out the causes belonging to your office vigilantly and energetically, and so that you allow in no way to be frustrated that judgment which we have always held concerning the strictness of your maturity. LETTER XXII. TO HOSPITO, DUKE OF THE BARBARICINI. [That he may show favor to Felix and Cyriacus, who are laboring to convert the Barbaricini from idolatry.] Gregory to Hospito, duke of the Barbaricini. Since of your people no one is a Christian, in this I know that you are better than your whole people, because you are found a Christian among them. For while all the Barbaricini, like senseless animals, live without knowing the true God, and worship wood and stones, in this very thing, that you worship the true God, you show how far you surpass them all. But the faith which you have received, carry it out also by good actions and by words, and offer to Christ, in whom you believe, what you are able, that you may bring to Him whomsoever you can, and cause them to be baptized, and admonish them to love eternal life. But if perhaps you yourself are not able to do this, because you are occupied with other matters, I ask, greeting you, that you ought in all things to assist these our envoys whom we have sent thither, namely my brother and fellow bishop Felix, and my son Cyriacus, the servant of God, so that, while you aid their labors, you may show your devotion to the almighty Lord; and He Himself may be a helper to you in your good deeds, whose servants you assist in their good work. We have moreover transmitted to you through them the blessing of Saint Peter the Apostle, which I ask that you ought kindly to receive. In the month of June, the twelfth indiction.

AD CONSTANTIUM EPISCOPUM., Hortatur ut Venantiam Lnnensem episcopum in cleri 8ul ac celterorum religiosorum emendatione adjuvel. Cregorius Constantio episcopo Mediolanensi. Quorumdam * de Landensium venientium partibus ad nos relatione pervenit, Þ religionem locorum ips0- rum ita ab ecclesiasticz disciptiue tramite devias-e, ut nullatenus in svis morilus, JOY act onibusque cano%.icz dispositionis statuta respiciant. Quiz quia erant et examinanda $ublilius, et $everius ulci- scenda, presentium latofem Venaniium ſratrem et coepiscopum nostrum ut inslanter emendarentur, admonui. Sed pro magnitudine inquietndinis exce- dentium personarum , solum +e non judicavit in hu- rentes, $i quem a canonum Statutis Feces$is8e repe- reritis,” canowica eum ullione corrigite. Nec patia- mini in loeis vestris eos qui non gerunt in moribus quod ostendunt in babitu per abrupta diotius evagari. Quos oporiet et ad rectiludinis normam pastorali vos cireumspectione reducere. ha ergo fralernitas tus, cunctis $olertius indagatis, que nobis in lalibus nuntiala gunt corrigat, ordiaet, alque in fulurum $0+ pire ſestinet, ut et anime tuz proficiat, $i tui causas vigilanter atque vivaciter perscrutaris offieii, et n0- Strum minime ſruvtrari permittas, quod semper de tuze maturilalis babuimus districtione judicium. EPISTULA XXII. AD YOSPITONEM DUCEM BARBARICINORUNM. Felici et Cyriaco in convertendis ab idololatria Barba- ricinis laborantibus ſareat. Gregorius *® lHospitoni duci Barbaricinorum. Cum de gente vestra nemo Christianus sit, in hoc Scio quia omni gente tua es melior, quia tw in ea Christianus inveniris. Dum enim Barbaricini omnes, ut insensata animalia vivant, Deum verum nesciant, ligna antem et lapides adorent, in eo ips0 quod Deum verum colis, quantum omnues antecedas osten- dis. Sed fidem quam prrcepisti etiam bonis actibus exsequere et verbis, et Christo, cui--credis, offer quod prevales, ut ad cum quoscunque potueris ad- ducas, eosque baptizari facias, et #ternam vitam diligere admoneas. Quod si ſortasse ipse agere non jusmodi inquisitione suſſicere ; {deoque postulavit a CG Potes; quia ad aliud oceuparis, 8aJutans peto ut ho- nobis ut in eodein examinaido negotio ſratervitalis tuz ei adjiceretur atque auctoritatis auxilium. Quan- quam igitur ſraterna dilectio hoc a le et sine nostris scriptis debeat exigere, tamen presentibus quoque vos specialiter epi$tolis adhortamur, ut adhibito vo- - bis predicto fratre nostro, cunctos clericos * cxte- rosque religiosos prenominalz civitatis et territorii ejus * de excessibus quorum aliquid est 8uspicionis ad te venire compellas , aique cuncta $ecundum 4 Id onus, debitum, legem, etc. Gussavv. In Vatic. A legitur, conditione loci debentes. Consentit Reg. 7 Co'onl alii mercede colant, alii ex conditione ut ceriam ex agro | norm 80lvant, neque unquam discedant. Vide Codicis lib. 1, tit. de agricolis, cen- sitis ef colonis, ubi etiam de originariis multa et de ascripiitiis, que pereurrere nostri non est institnti. Jus colonarium hic usurpatur pro conditione coloni, sive pro jure exigendi a colono talem pensionem annuam. Uriginarii Sunl, qui ex a$criptitiis nati 8ant, in ipso $olo, quos $ine gleba vendere non licebat. Ascriptitii $unt, qui per annos 30 ſurrunt in 80lo, qui itulus ect prescriptionis; vel duplici scripto promiserunt $6 nunquam inde discesvwrros. Gussaxy. necnon vel. Ed. la Vatic. B legitur, ipse se juris 8e- veritate damnabit. In D, jus vero dominti 8b juris $e- veritale damnavit. Excusi recent., jus vero juris domi- nii 3ui zeveritale damnavil. Eeisr, XXII. — * Ed. recent., Lunensium, quod legitur nRog.; at in omnibus Norm.; Turon., Rhem., Teller., et in Vatic. D, legitur Lardensium. Laus Pompeia, nunc Landa, vulgo Lodi, urbs est Insu- briz, episcopalis, ad ripam Addz $eu Addue fluvii. minibus nostris, quos illuc transmisimus, fratri sci« licet et JON coepiscopo meo Felici, ſilioque meo Cyriaco servo Del, solatiari in omnibus debeas, ut du:: corum labores adjuvas, devotionem tuam omni- potenti Domino ostendas; et ipse libi in botiis acti- bus adjutor it, cujus tu in bono opere ſamulis sola» tiaris. Benedictionem vero s$ancli Petri apostoli per eos vobis Lrausmisimus, . quam peto ut debeatis be- nigne suscipere. i Mense Junio, indictione 12. Velteri urbe a Mediolanensibus excisa an. 4119 alia non longe a veleris ruderibus exsiructa est, nunc amp'issima. Cum archiepiscopo Mediolanensi seb4:Li essent Laudenses clerici, tanquam $uo metropolita- no, de eorum moribus emendandis merito scripsit nctus Gregorius ad Constantium. I) D' lia quoque restituimus ex Mss. Yatic., Norm., etc., consensv. VYulgati babent, religiosos. Filesacum, comment. in Vincentii Lirinensis Com- monit., n. 12. Talem interpretationem conlirmant auetores profani, 8acra Scriplura, prisci Palres san- clo Gregorio coevi. Partim ex GusSaNv. «4 Norin., de quorum aliquid es! 81uspicionis exces- $fonibus. | Eris. X XII (Al. 27]. — * In Reg., Colh., Teller., Corb., Norm. et tribus Vatic., lezitur, duci barbaro- rum, Barbaricinos ſui-8+ Sardinie incolas probat Holsrenius annotat. in Urtelium, pag. 28, ex hac ve- teri inseriptione Prznext. : Sex. Julius Ser. F. Pol. Ru ſus erocatns Divi Aug. Praſectus 1. cohortis Corgo® rum et Civita/nn Barbarici in Sardinia. De illis epi- Stola £eq. atque lib. x1, epist. 22. Þ Ita Turou. S. Gat., duo Teller., Vatic. et Norm.