Correspondence on Christology and Grace: Correspondence on Christology and Grace

Fulgentius's Second Letter to the Scythian Monks

FULGENTIUS’S SECOND LETTER TO THE SCYTHIAN MONKS Y THE GRACE of God, Datianus, Fortunatus, Boethos, Victor, Scholasticus, Horontius, Vindiciamus, Victor, Januarius , Victorianus, Fontius, Quodvultdeus,1 servants of Christ, send greetings in the Lord to the highly esteemed holy brothers, John the elder and archimandrite, and Venerius the deacon,2 and to the faithful men whose names are included in your letter.3 1. Just as through Christ’s grace the bond of love preserves members of the ecclesiastical body in the unity of faith, so likewise it is necessary for the members to be concerned for one another. This concern is necessary so that after the disease of any kind of perverse dogma has been refuted, we may then give our attention not only to the preservation and restoration of health, but also to continued and unwearying preaching and prayer. For this is what happens when concern for the purity of the brothers is vigilant: the Holy Spirit himself, through whom “God’s love has been poured out in our hearts,”4 “works all things together for good for those who love God”5 and who 108 1. This list of senders does not include Felix or the second Januarius mentioned at the head of the first letter (Ep. 17). Interestingly, Fulgentius also does not name himself as a sender of this letter. 2. This list of addressees does not include Peter, Leontius, and another John mentioned at the head of Ep. 17. This letter mentions Venerius, who is not mentioned at the head of Ep. 17. 3. As explained in the introduction, Fulgentius wrote this letter (Ep. 15 in the collection of his letters) to the monks after his return to Ruspe in 523, at the end of his second exile. The Latin critical text may be found in CCL 91A, 447–57. 4. Rom 5.5. 5. Rom 8.28. FULGENTIUS, SECOND LETTER 109 love their neighbor in God. For just as we receive love itself by the gift of spiritual grace, so also we demonstrate that as long as we are concerned for the brothers, divine grace lives in us, and that the more we exercise pure love, the more we receive an increase in the grace of divine compensation. 2. So we have received the letter from you, beloved ones, a letter that on the one hand eased the pain of our exile6 and on the other hand truly made it more grievous. Indeed, we rejoice because you hold to the true teaching about the grace of God, by whose gift the free choice of the human mind is enlightened, and with whose help it is governed. But a certain cloud of sadness hangs over us because you mentioned that certain brothers are not adhering to the correct path of the Catholic faith in the matter of God’s grace and human choice, but want to exalt the freedom of human choice in opposition to God’s grace. 3. In the first place, most beloved brothers, on this matter you must recognize (we do not at all doubt that you have recognized) that those kinds of things are divinely permitted so that henceforth the power of divine grace can be understood by a clearer proof. Grace itself is in no way recognized unless it is given. As long as it is not present in a man, he necessarily resists it by either word or deed. For he who holds thoughts contrary to the Christian faith resists the grace of God by word; and he who does not hold to the plan of the Christian life in his character resists it by deed. To be sure, divinely given grace works in a man so that his heart, upon receiving the gift of faith and love, may both bring forth worthy speech and persevere in zeal for doing good. This is divinely given to the faithful, as the blessed Apostle both shows and prays for when he says, “Now may our Lord Jesus Christ himself , and God our Father, who has loved us and given us everlasting consolation and good hope through grace, comfort your hearts and establish you in every good work and word.”7 6. Fulgentius is writing after the end of his second exile, but he and the other North African bishops received the monks’ letter while they were still in exile on Sardinia. 7. 2 Thes 2.16–17. 110 FULGENTIUS...