Letters 27
27 To Flavian, Bishop of Constantinople PL 54, 751
An acknowledgment of Flavian’s first letter and a promise of a fuller reply.
On the first opportunity we could find, which was the coming of our honourable son Rodanus, we acknowledge, beloved, the arrival of your packet, which was to give us information about the case which has been stirred up to our grief among you by misguided error. Since this man, who has long seemed to be religiously disposed, has expressed himself in the Faith otherwise than is right, though he never ought to have departed from the catholic tradition, but to have persevered in the same belief as is held by all. But on this matter we are replying more fully by him who brought your letter to us, beloved: that we may give you all necessary instructions, beloved, on the whole matter. For we do not allow either him to persist in his perverse conviction; or you, beloved, who with such faithful zeal are resisting his wrong and foolish error to be long disturbed by the adversary’s opposition. Our aforesaid son, by whom we are sending this letter, we desire you to receive with the affection he deserves, and to reply when he returns to us. Dated 21st May in the consulship of Asturius and Protogenes (449).
-- Flavianum de receptis ejus litteris monet; gesta per eum adversus Eutychem laudat; sollicitudinem suam spondet.
LEO FLAVIANO episcopo Constantinopolitano.
Pervenisse ad nos tuae dilectionis epistolas, ut primum venientis filii nostri honorabilis viri Rodani opportunitatem reperimus, indicamus: quae nos de causa facerent certiores, quam apud vos pravo dolemus errore commotam. Quoniam aliter de fide quam convenit hic qui dudum religiosi videbatur propositi esse sentiret, quem a traditione catholica non decuerat deviare, sed in eadem quae tenetur ab omnibus credulitate persistere. Verum de hac re plenius per eum qui ad nos tuae dilectionis portavit epistolas rescribimus: ut fraternitatem tuam quid de tota causa constitui debeat instruamus. Non enim patimur aut illum in suae persuasionis pravitate persistere, aut dilectionem tuam, quae zelo fidei, pravo et stulto resistit errori, diutina adversae partis impugnatione turbari. Supradictum vero filium nostrum, per quem has epistolas dedimus, hac volumus qua dignum est affectione suscipias, et eo ad nos remeante rescribas. Data duodecimo kalendas Junias Asturio et Protogene coss.