Letter 3: Thanks be to the power above, which through the words of Your Piety has seen fit to end a long silence, granting us...
HORMiSDA AXASTASio AVGrsTO. Gratias supernae uirtuti, quae per uestrae pietatis alfatus diuturnum dignata est termi- nare silentium, tale praestans coUocutionis exordium, ut et de uestrae clementiae prosperitate laetemur et ad unitatem
2 deo donante reuerti posse sanctam confidamus ecclesiam. hoc opus supernae clementiae, haec et decessorum nostrorum fuit semper oratio, quos etiam rerum actus paternae tradi-
3 tionis ministros et rectae fidei declarat fuisse custodes. pax . est enim totius bonitatis initium, qua nihil, quantum ad
catholicae fidei cultuni, ualidius, nihil aestimari oportet ex- celsius: <pro> hac scilicet et facere cuncta et sustinere con- uenit, qui sanctarum scripturarum probabilis cupit esse disci- pulus; hanc omnium bonorum matrem et nutricem Christum
Epist. CVn 3 — CIX 1.
601
dominum nostmm his constat praedicasse discipulis dicentem: pacem meam do uobis, pacem relinquo uobis. quam 4 nos religiosi cura propositi domino adspirante prouidentes de ortbodoxae concordia cogitatis ecclesiae in beati apostoli Petri s reuerentia diuina specialiter praecepta seruantes. quae res maiorem supemi fauoris defensionem uestro procurat imperio ; Tecte enim oblata deo ueneratio inexpugnabilem deuotis men- tibus murum defensionis indulget. proinde omnipotentem 5 deum fusis precibus exoramus, ut qui uobis studium quae- rendae ecclesiarum pacis indulsit, ipse quoque sub consecra- tione catholicae fidei desiderio uestro super hac parte praestet affectum. praeterea directis ad nos sacris affatibus comme- 6 morationem sancti - conoilii facere pietas uestra dignata est. de qua re tunc plenissimum poterimus praebere responsum, dum causam congregationis nos uolueritis euidenter agnoscere. nunc uero quia praestante domino nosti-o data est facultas alloquio, congrua ueneratione debiti praebebimus sermonis oflicia. Data prid. Non. April. Florentio u, c. cons. Per Patricium.
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