Letter 4023: Since no one of your race is a Christian, I hereby know that you are better than all your race, in that thou in it art found to be a Christian. For, while all the Barbaricini live as senseless animals, know not the true God, but adore stocks and stones, in the very fact that you worship the true God thou show how much you excel them all. But car...
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Book IV, Letter 23
To Hospito, Duke of the Barbaricini.
Gregory to Hospito, etc.
Since no one of your race is a Christian, I hereby know that you are better than all your race, in that thou in it art found to be a Christian. For, while all the Barbaricini live as senseless animals, know not the true God, but adore stocks and stones, in the very fact that you worship the true God thou show how much you excel them all. But carry thou out the faith which you have received in good deeds and words, and offer what is in your power to Christ in whom you believe, so as to bring to Him as many as you can, and cause them to be baptized, and admonish them to set their affection on eternal life. And if perchance you can not do this yourself, being otherwise occupied, I beg you, with my greeting, to succour in all ways our men whom we have sent to your parts, to wit my fellow bishop Felix, and my son, the servant of God, Cyriacus , so that in aiding their labours you may show your devotion to Almighty God, and that He whose servants you succour in their good work may be a helper to you in all good deeds. We have sent you through them a blessing of St. Peter the apostle, which I beg you to receive, as you ought to do, kindly. The month of June, Indiction 12.
About this page
Source. Translated by James Barmby. From Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, Second Series, Vol. 12. Edited by Philip Schaff and Henry Wace. (Buffalo, NY: Christian Literature Publishing Co., 1895.) Revised and edited for New Advent by Kevin Knight. <https://www.newadvent.org/fathers/360204023.htm>.
Contact information. The editor of New Advent is Kevin Knight. My email address is feedback732 at newadvent.org. (To help fight spam, this address might change occasionally.) Regrettably, I can't reply to every letter, but I greatly appreciate your feedback — especially notifications about typographical errors and inappropriate ads.
Book IV, Letter 23
To Hospito, Duke of the Barbaricini.
Gregory to Hospito, etc.
Since no one of your race is a Christian, I hereby know that you are better than all your race, in that thou in it art found to be a Christian. For, while all the Barbaricini live as senseless animals, know not the true God, but adore stocks and stones, in the very fact that you worship the true God thou show how much you excel them all. But carry thou out the faith which you have received in good deeds and words, and offer what is in your power to Christ in whom you believe, so as to bring to Him as many as you can, and cause them to be baptized, and admonish them to set their affection on eternal life. And if perchance you can not do this yourself, being otherwise occupied, I beg you, with my greeting, to succour in all ways our men whom we have sent to your parts, to wit my fellow bishop Felix, and my son, the servant of God, Cyriacus , so that in aiding their labours you may show your devotion to Almighty God, and that He whose servants you succour in their good work may be a helper to you in all good deeds. We have sent you through them a blessing of St. Peter the apostle, which I beg you to receive, as you ought to do, kindly. The month of June, Indiction 12.
About this page
Source. Translated by James Barmby. From Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, Second Series, Vol. 12. Edited by Philip Schaff and Henry Wace. (Buffalo, NY: Christian Literature Publishing Co., 1895.) Revised and edited for New Advent by Kevin Knight. <https://www.newadvent.org/fathers/360204023.htm>.
Contact information. The editor of New Advent is Kevin Knight. My email address is feedback732 at newadvent.org. (To help fight spam, this address might change occasionally.) Regrettably, I can't reply to every letter, but I greatly appreciate your feedback — especially notifications about typographical errors and inappropriate ads.
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Book IV, Letter 23
To Hospito, Duke of the Barbaricini.
Gregory to Hospito, etc.
Since no one of your race is a Christian, I hereby know that you are better than all your race, in that thou in it art found to be a Christian. For, while all the Barbaricini live as senseless animals, know not the true God, but adore stocks and stones, in the very fact that you worship the true God thou show how much you excel them all. But carry thou out the faith which you have received in good deeds and words, and offer what is in your power to Christ in whom you believe, so as to bring to Him as many as you can, and cause them to be baptized, and admonish them to set their affection on eternal life. And if perchance you can not do this yourself, being otherwise occupied, I beg you, with my greeting, to succour in all ways our men whom we have sent to your parts, to wit my fellow bishop Felix, and my son, the servant of God, Cyriacus , so that in aiding their labours you may show your devotion to Almighty God, and that He whose servants you succour in their good work may be a helper to you in all good deeds. We have sent you through them a blessing of St. Peter the apostle, which I beg you to receive, as you ought to do, kindly. The month of June, Indiction 12.
About this page
Source. Translated by James Barmby. From Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, Second Series, Vol. 12. Edited by Philip Schaff and Henry Wace. (Buffalo, NY: Christian Literature Publishing Co., 1895.) Revised and edited for New Advent by Kevin Knight. <https://www.newadvent.org/fathers/360204023.htm>.
Contact information. The editor of New Advent is Kevin Knight. My email address is feedback732 at newadvent.org. (To help fight spam, this address might change occasionally.) Regrettably, I can't reply to every letter, but I greatly appreciate your feedback — especially notifications about typographical errors and inappropriate ads.
Modern English rendering for readability. See the 19th-century translation or original Latin/Greek for scholarly use.