To John, Bishop of Constantinople, and the Other Patriarchs

Gregory to John of Constantinople, Eulogius of Alexandria, Gregory of Antioch, John of Jerusalem, and Anastasius, former patriarch of Antioch. Sent in identical copies. [a]

When I consider how, unworthy as I am and resisting with my whole soul, I have been forced to bear the burden of pastoral care, a darkness of sorrow comes over me, and my sad heart sees nothing but shadows that let nothing be seen. For to what end is a bishop chosen by the Lord, if not to plead for the offenses of the people? With what confidence, then, can I come as one who pleads for the sins of others before him in whose sight I am not secure about my own? If someone should happen to ask me to plead for him with a great man who was angry with him and unknown to me, I would reply at once: I cannot go to plead for you, since I do not know that man as a familiar acquaintance. If, then, as man with man, I would rightly blush to plead with one on whom I had no claim, how great is my presumption in taking the place of one who pleads for the people with God, when I am not assured of his friendship through the merit of my life! And in this I find a still more serious cause for alarm. For we all know well that when someone who is in disfavor is sent to plead with an angry person, the angry one is provoked to still greater severity. And I am greatly afraid that the community of believers, whose offenses the Lord has so far patiently borne with, may perish through my guilt being added to theirs. But when in one way or another I hold this fear down, and with a comforted mind give myself to the care of my pontifical office, I am held back by the thought of how immense this very task is.

For indeed I consider with myself what watchful care is needed that a ruler may be pure in thought and foremost in action; discerning in keeping silence and useful in speech; a near neighbor to everyone in sympathy and raised above all in contemplation; a companion of those who live good lives through humility, and unbending against the vices of evildoers through zeal for righteousness. And when I try to search all these things out with close inquiry, the very breadth of the subject cramps me in the details. For, as I have already said, there is need of the greatest care that the ruler be pure in thought, and so on. (Here the letter repeats a long passage that also stands in the Pastoral Rule, Part 2, chapter 2, given earlier in this book as “The Ruler Should Be Pure in Thought,” ending with the words “beyond the limit of order.”) [b]

Again, when I turn to consider the works required of the pastor, I weigh within myself what close care must be taken that he be foremost in action, so that by his own living he may point out the way of life to those placed under him, and so on. (The letter repeats the Pastoral Rule, Part 2, chapter 3, “The Ruler Should Always Be Foremost in Action,” to its end.)

Again, when I turn to consider the pastor’s duty as to speech and silence, I weigh within myself with trembling care how very necessary it is that he be discerning in keeping silence and useful in speech, so that he neither speaks what ought to be held back nor holds back what he ought to speak, and so on. (The letter repeats the Pastoral Rule, Part 2, chapter 4, “The Ruler Should Be Discerning in Silence and Useful in Speech,” as far as the words “keep the unity of the faith.”)

Again, when I turn to consider what kind of man the ruler ought to be in sympathy, and what kind in contemplation, I weigh within myself that he should be a near neighbor to everyone in sympathy and raised above all in contemplation, so that through heartfelt loving-kindness, and so on. (The letter repeats the Pastoral Rule, Part 2, chapter 5, “The Ruler Should Be Near to All in Compassion and Above All in Contemplation,” to its end.)

Again, when I turn to consider what kind of man the ruler ought to be in humility, and what kind in strictness, I weigh within myself how necessary it is that he should be, through humility, a companion of those who live good lives, and, through zeal for righteousness, stern against the vices of evildoers, and so on. (The letter repeats the Pastoral Rule, Part 2, chapter 6, “The Ruler Should Be Humble with the Good and Stern Against Vice,” as far as the words “toward the perverse,” with only a slight difference in the wording of the last clause, which does not affect the sense.) For this is why Peter, who had received from God the chief rule of the holy church, and so on. (The letter repeats the same chapter as far as the words “lords it over vices rather than over his brothers.”) He orders well the authority he has received who has learned both to keep it up and to keep it in check. He orders it well who knows how, through it, to tower above sins, and, with it, to put himself on an equal footing with other men.

Moreover, the virtue of humility ought to be so kept that the rights of government are not relaxed; otherwise, when a prelate has lowered himself more than is fitting, he may be unable to hold the lives of those under him within the bond of discipline. And the severity of discipline is to be so kept that gentleness is not wholly lost through zeal burning too hot. For vices often show themselves off as virtues, so that stinginess would like to pass for thrift, extravagance for generosity, cruelty for righteous zeal, and laxity for loving-kindness. That is why both discipline and mercy fall far short of what they should be if one is kept without the other. Rather, with great skill in discernment, both mercy that is justly considerate and discipline that strikes kindly ought to be kept up. For this is why, as the Truth teaches, the half-dead man is brought into the inn by the care of the Samaritan, and so on. (The letter repeats the same chapter as far as the words “the manna of sweetness.”) [c]

So, having taken up the burden of pastoral care, when I consider all these things and many others like them, I seem to be what I cannot be. This is especially so because in this place whoever is called a pastor is heavily taken up with outward cares, so that it often becomes uncertain whether he is doing the work of a pastor or of an earthly noble. And indeed, whoever is set over his brothers to rule them cannot be entirely free from outward cares; and yet there is need of exceeding care that he not be weighed down by them too much. That is why it is rightly said to Ezekiel, “The priests shall not shave their heads,” and so on. (The letter repeats the Pastoral Rule, Part 2, chapter 7, “The Ruler Should Care for Both Inward and Outward Things,” to its end.) [d]

But in this place I see that no such careful balance is possible, since cases of such weight hang over me every day that they overwhelm the mind while they kill the life of the body. So, most holy brother, I beg you, by the Judge who is to come, by the assembly of many thousands of angels, by the church of the firstborn who are enrolled in heaven: help me, who am growing weary under this burden of pastoral care, with the plea of your prayer, so that its weight may not crush me beyond my strength. But remembering what is written, “Pray for one another, that you may be healed,” I also give what I ask for. And I will receive what I give. For while we are joined to you through the help of prayer, we hold each other by the hand, as it were, while walking through slippery places; and it comes about, through the great provision of love, that each one’s foot is planted all the more firmly because one leans on the other. [e]

Besides, since with the heart one believes to righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made to salvation, I confess that I receive and revere the four councils as I do the four books of the Gospel. They are these: the Council of Nicaea, in which the perverse doctrine of Arius is overthrown; the Council of Constantinople, in which the error of Eunomius and Macedonius is refuted; the first Council of Ephesus, in which the impiety of Nestorius is condemned; and the Council of Chalcedon, in which the depravity of Eutyches and Dioscorus is condemned. These I embrace with full devotion and hold to with the most complete approval. For on them, as on a four-square stone, the structure of the holy faith rises; and whoever does not hold fast to their solidity, whatever his life and conduct may be, even though he is seen to be a stone, still lies outside the building. The fifth council also I venerate equally. In it the letter called the letter of Ibas, full of error, is condemned; Theodore, who divides the Mediator between God and men into two hypostases, is shown to have fallen into the faithlessness of impiety; and the writings of Theodoret, in which the faith of the blessed Cyril is attacked, are refuted as having been published with the daring of madness. All persons whom these venerable councils reject, I reject; those whom they venerate, I embrace. For since they were established by universal consent, whoever presumes either to loose those whom they bind or to bind those whom they loose overthrows not them but himself. Whoever, therefore, thinks otherwise, let him be anathema. But whoever holds the faith of these synods, peace be to him from God the Father, through Jesus Christ his Son, who lives and reigns with him, God of one substance, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, forever and ever. Amen. [f]