To Cyprian the Deacon, on the Manichaeans, the Jews, and Loans to the Peasants

Gregory to Cyprian, deacon and rector of the patrimony of Sicily. [a]

Concerning the Manichaeans who are on our estates, I have often urged your love to press them with the greatest care and call them back to the catholic faith. If the time calls for it, then, make inquiries in person, or, if other business does not allow it, through others. Further, it has come to my ears that there are Hebrews on our estates who will on no account be converted to God. But it seems to me that you should send letters through all our estates where these Hebrews are known to live, promising them, as from me personally, that any of them who is converted to our true Lord God Jesus Christ will have the burden of his holding lightened. I want this done in such a way that if someone owes a payment of one solidus, a third of it is let off; if he owes three or four, one solidus is let off; if he owes more, the reduction is still made in the same proportion, or at any rate as your love sees fit. So whoever is converted will have some relief from his burden, and the church will not be put to heavy expense. Nor will we do this to no profit, if by lightening their payments we bring them to the grace of Christ. For even if they themselves come with little faith, those who may be born of them will now be baptized with more faith; so we gain either them or their children. And whatever amount of payment we let them off for Christ’s sake is no great matter. Furthermore, some time ago, when John the deacon came, your love wrote me something. I read the whole of it at the time, but let many days go by before replying, and then, after that delay, I answered every point as I remembered them. Now I think one point slipped my memory, and I suspect I gave no reply about it. For you had written that loans were being made to the peasants through certain agents who handled their debts, so that by borrowing from others they would not be burdened either by exactions or by the prices of goods. This point pleased me very much. If I have in fact already written about it, follow what I wrote. But if, as I suspect, I gave no clear direction about it in my reply, you must not hesitate to lend money for the good of the peasants. The church’s property will not be wasted in this way, and the peasants will gain from it. And if there are other things you consider useful, you must carry them out without any hesitation. [b]