THE DIVINE(1) SACRA(2) SENT BY THE EMPERORS CONSTANTINE AND IRENE TO THE MOST HOLY AND MOST BLESSED HADRIAN, POPE OF OLD ROME.
(Found in Zabbe and Cossart, Concilia, Tom. VII., col. 32.)
They who receive the dignity of the empire, or the honour of the principal priesthood from our Lord Jesus Christ, ought to provide and to care for those things which please him, and rule and govern the people committed to their care according to his will and good pleasure.
Therefore, O most holy Head (Caput), it is incumbent upon us
and you, that irreprehensibly we know the things which be his,
and that in these we exercise ourselves, since from him we have
received the im-peratorial dignity, and you the dignity of the
chief priesthood. But now to speak more to the point. Your
paternal blessedness knows what hath been done in times past in
this our royal city against the venerable images, how those who
reigned immediately before us destroyed them and subjected them
to disgrace and injury: (O may it not be imputed to them, for it
had been better for them had they not laid their hands upon the
'l Church!)-- and how they seduced and brought over to their own
opinion all the people who live in these parts--yea, even the
whole of the East, in like manner, up to the time in which God
hath exalted us to this kingdom, who seek his glory in truth, and
hold that which has been handed down by his Apostles together
with all other teachers. Whence now with pure heart and unfeigned
religion we have, together with all our subjects and our most
learned divines, had constant conferences respecting the things
which relate to God, and by their advice have determined to
summon a General Council. And we entreat your paternal
blessedness, or rather the Lord God entreats, "who will have
all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the
truth," that you will give yourself to us and make no delay,
but come up hither to aid us in the confirmation and
establishment of the ancient tradition of venerable images. It
is, indeed, incumbent on your holiness to do this, since you know
how it is written--" Comfort ye, comfort ye, my people, ye
priests, saith the Lord," and "the lips of the priest
shall keep knowledge, and the law shall go forth out of his
mouth, for he is the angel of the Lord of Hosts." And again,
the divine Apostle, the preacher of the truth, who, "from
Jerusalem and round about unto Il-lyricum, preached the
Gospel," hath thus commanded--" Feed with discipline
the flock of Christ which he purchased with his own blood."
As then you are the veritable chief priest (primus sacerdos) who
presides in the place and in the see of the holy and
superlaudable Apostle Peter, let your paternal blessedness come
to us, as we have said before, and add your presence to all those
other priests who shall be assembled together here, that thus the
will of the Lord may be accomplished. For as we are taught in the
Gospels our Lord saith--"When two or three are met together
in my name, there am I in the midst of them" --let your
paternal and sacred blessedness be certified and confirmed by the
great God and King of all, our Lord Jesus Christ, and by us his
servants, that if you come up hither you shall be received with
all honour and glory, and that everything necessary for you shall
be granted. And again, when the definition (capitulum) shall be
completed, which by the good pleasure of Christ our God we hope
shall be done, we take upon us to provide for you every facility
of returning with honour and distinction. If, however, your
blessedness cannot attend upon us (which we can scarcely imagine,
knowing what is your zeal about divine things), at least, pray
select for us men of understanding, having with them letters from
your holiness, that they may be present here in the person of
your sacred and paternal blessedness. So, when they meet with the
other priests who are here, the ancient tradition of our holy
fathers may be synodically confirmed, and every evil plant of
tares may be rooted out, and the words of our Lord and Saviour
Jesus Christ may be fulfilled, that "the gates of hell shall
not prevail against her." And after this, may there be no
further schism and separation in the one holy Catholic and
Apostolic Church, of which Christ our true God is the Head.
We have had Constantine, beloved in Christ, most holy Bishop of
Leontina in our beloved Sicily, with whom your paternal
blessedness is well acquainted, into our presence; and, having
spoken with him face to face, have sent him with this our present
venerable jussio to you. Whom, after that he hath seen you,
forthwith dismiss, that he may come back to us, and write us by
him concerning your coming--what time we may expect will be spent
in your journeying thence and coming to us. Moreover, he can
retain with him the most holy Bishop of Naples, and come up
hither together with him. And, as your journey will be by way of
Naples and Sicily we have given orders to the Governor of Sicily
about this, that he take due care to have every needful
preparation made for your honour and rest, which is necessary in
order that your paternal blessedness may come to us. Given on the
with before the calends of September, the seventh indic-tion,
from the Royal City.