To Januarius, Bishop of Aquileia.

Letter XVIII.

To Januarius, Bishop of Aquileia ²⁰³ .

Leo, bishop of the city of Rome, to Januarius, bishop of Aquileia.

Those who renounce heresy and schism and return to the Church must make their recantation very clear:  those who are clerics may retain their rank but not be promoted.

On reading your letter, brother, we recognized the vigour of your faith, which we already were aware of, and congratulate you on the watchful care you bestow as pastor, on the keeping of Christ’s flock:  lest the wolves, that enter in under guise of sheep, should tear the simple ones to pieces in their bestial fierce p. 31 ness, and not only themselves run riot without restraint, but also spoil those which are sound.  And lest the vipery deceit should effect this, we have thought it meet to warn you, beloved, reminding you that it is at the peril of his soul, for any one of them who has fallen away from us into a sect of heretics and schismatics ²⁰⁴ , and stained himself to whatever extent with the pollution of heretical communion, to be received into catholic communion on coming to his senses without making legitimate and express satisfaction.  For it is most wholesome and full of all the benefits of spiritual healing that presbyters or deacons, or sub-deacons or clerics of any rank, who wish to appear reformed, and entreat to return once more to the catholic Faith which they had long ago lost, should first confess without ambiguity that their errors and the authors of the errors themselves are condemned by them, that their base opinions may be utterly destroyed, and no hope survive of their recurrence, and that no member may be harmed by contact with them, every point having been met with its proper recantation.  With regard to them we also order the observance of this regulation of the canons ²⁰⁵ , that they consider it a great indulgence, if they be allowed to remain undisturbed in their present rank without any hope of further advancement:  but only on consideration of their not being defiled with second baptism ²⁰⁶ .  No slight penalty does he incur from the Lord, who judges any such person fit to be advanced to Holy Orders.  If advancement is granted to those who are without blame, only after full examination, how much more ought it to be refused to those who are under suspicion.  Accordingly, beloved brother, in whose devotion we rejoice, bestow your care on our directions, and take order for the circumspect and speedy carrying out of these laudable suggestions and wholesome injunctions, which affect the welfare of the whole Church.  But do not doubt, beloved, that, if what we decree for the observance of the canons, and the integrity of the Faith be neglected (which we do not anticipate), we shall be strongly moved:  because the faults of the lower orders are to be referred to none more than to slothful and careless governors, who often foster much disease by refusing to apply the needful remedy.  Dated 30 Dec., in the consulship of the illustrious Calepius and Ardaburis (447).

Footnotes

30:203

The Ballerinii’s conjecture is at least very plausible, that this Januarius was the successor of that Bishop of Aquileia to whom Letter I. was written 5 years previously upon the same subject of the Pelagian error.  The text of this letter is almost word for word identical with Letter II., written to Septimus, Bishop of Altinum, on the same occasion as Lett. I.

31:204

Schismaticorum, considering how easily heresy leads to schism and schism to heresy, there is no need with Quesnel to consider that Novatians or Donatists are being here attacked.  The Ballerinii say with justice:—generalis regula hic indicatur omnibus tum hæreticis tum schismaticis ad ecclesiam redeuntibus communis.

31:205

What canon is here alluded to is uncertain:  the Ballerinii think perhaps the 8th Nicene canon, extending its application from the Cathari or Novatians to all heresies and schism.

31:206

Si tamen iterata tinctione non fuerint maculati.  Cf. Can. Afric., 27, neque permittendum ut rebaptizati ad clericatus gradum promoveantur.