LETTER XLII. [A.D.389.]

In this, their reply to Siricius, drawn up in all probability by S. Ambrose himself, the Council of Milan thank him for his care, and announce that they have followed his example and condemned Jovinian and his followers in the same way. They dwell upon his errors, particularly on his disparagement of virginity, on his denial of the true virginity of our Lord's Mother, on his contempt of widowhood, and of fasting, and condemn him as a follower of Manes. They argue in especial detail against his argument with regard to the Virgin Mary, which differs from that of Helvidius and other assailants of the ὰεὶ πάρθενος  . 

TO THEIR LORD, THEIR DEARLY BELOVED BROTHER, POPE SIRICIUS, AMBROSE, SABINUS, BASSANIUS, AND THE REST SEND GREETING.

1. In your Holiness' Letter we recognized the vigilance of a good shepherd, for you faithfully guard the door which has been entrusted to you, and with pious solicitude watch over the fold of Christ, being worthy to be heard and followed by the sheep of the Lord. Knowing therefore the lambs of Christ, you will easily discover the wolves, and meet them as a wary shepherd, so as to keep them from scattering the Lord's flock by their unbelieving life and dismal barking.

2. We praise you for this, our Lord and brother dearly beloved, and join in cordial commendations of it. Nor are we surprised that the Lord's flock was terrified at the rage of wolves in whom they recognized not the voice of Christ. For it is a savage barking to shew no reverence to virginity, observe no rule of chastity, to seek to place every thing on a level, to abolish the different degrees of merit, and to introduce a certain meagreness in heavenly rewards, as if Christ had only one palm to bestow, and there was no copious diversity in His rewards.

3. They pretend that they are giving honour to marriage. But what praise can rightly be given to marriage if no distinction is paid to virginity? We do not deny that marriage was hallowed by Christ, for the Divine words say,  And they twain shall be one flesh, and one spirit, but our birth precedes our calling, and the mystery of the Divine operation is much more excellent than the remedy of human frailty. A good wife is deservedly praised, but a pious virgin is more properly preferred, for the Apostle says,  He that giveth his virgin in marriage doeth well, but he that giveth her not in marriage doeth better; for the one careth for the things of the Lord, the other for the things of the world.  The one is bound by the chains of marriage, the other is free from chains; the one is under the Law, the other under Grace. Marriage is good, for thereby the means of continuing the human race has been devised, but virginity is better, for thereby the heritage of the heavenly kingdom is regained, and the mode of attaining to heavenly rewards discovered. By a woman care entered the world; by a virgin salvation was brought to pass. Lastly, Christ chose virginity as His own special gift, and displayed the grace of chastity, thus making an exhibition of that in His own person which in His Mother He had made the object of His choice.

4. How great is the madness of their dismal barkings, that the same persons should say that Christ could not be born of a virgin, and yet assert that women, after having given birth to human pledges, remain virgins? Does Christ grant to others what, as they assert, He could not grant to Himself? But He, although He took on Him our flesh, although He was made man that He might redeem man, and recal him from death, still, as being God, came upon earth in an extraordinary way, that as He had said,  Behold I make all things new, so also He might be born of an immaculate virgin, and be believed to be, as it is written,  God with us. But from their perverse ways they are induced to say 'She was a virgin when she conceived, but not a virgin when she brought forth.' Could she then conceive as a virgin, and yet not be able to bring forth as a virgin, when conception always precedes, and birth follows?

5. But if they will not believe the doctrines of the Clergy, let them believe the oracles of Christ, let them believe the admonitions of Angels who say,  For with God nothing shall be impossible. Let them give credit to the Creed of the Apostles, which the Roman Church has always kept and preserved undefiled. Mary heard the voice of the Angel, and she who before had said  How shall this be? not asking from want of faith in the mode of generation, afterwards replied,  Behold the handmaid of the Lord, be it unto me according to thy word. This is the virgin who conceived, this the virgin who brought forth a Son. For thus it is written,  Behold a Virgin shall conceive and bear a Son; declaring not only that she should conceive as a virgin, but also that she bring forth as a virgin.

6. But what is that  gate of the sanctuary, that  outward gate which looketh towards the East, which remains shut, and no man, it is said,  shall enter in by it but the Lord, the God of Israel. Is not Mary this gate, by whom the Saviour entered into the world? This is the gate of righteousness, as He Himself said,  Suffer us to fulfil all righteousness. Blessed Mary is the gate, whereof it is written that  the Lord hath entered in by it, therefore it shall be shut after birth; for as a virgin she both conceived and brought forth.

7. But why should it be incredible that Mary, contrary to the usage of natural birth, should bring forth and yet remain a virgin; when contrary to the usage of nature, the sea saw and fled, and the floods of Jordan retired to their source. It should not exceed our belief that a virgin should bring forth, when we read that a rock poured forth water, and the waves of the sea were gathered up like a wall. Nor need it, again, exceed our belief that a man should be born of a virgin, when a running stream gushed forth from the rock, when iron swam upon the waters, and a man walked upon them. If therefore the waves carried a man, could not a virgin bring forth a man? But what man? Him of Whom we read,  The Lord shall send them a Man Who shall deliver them; and the Lord shall be known to Egypt. Wherefore in the old Testament a Hebrew virgin led the people through the sea, in the New Testament a royal virgin was elected to be a heavenly abode for our salvation.

8. But what more? let us also subjoin the praises of widowhood, since in the Gospel next after that most illustrious birth from a virgin, comes the widow Anna; she who  had lived with an husband seven years from her virginity; and she was a widow of about fourscore and four years, which departed not from the temple, but served with fastings and prayers night and day. 

9. And fitting it is that these men should despise widowhood, which is wont to keep fasts, for they regret that they should have been mortified by these for any time, and avenge the wrong they inflicted on themselves, and by daily banquets and habits of luxury seek to ward off the pain of abstinence. They do nothing more rightly than in thus condemning themselves out of their own mouth.

10. But they even fear lest their former fasting should be reckoned against them. Let them choose whichever they like: if they ever fasted, let them repent of their good work, if never, let them confess their own intemperance and luxury. And so they assert that Paul was a teacher of excess. But who can be a teacher of temperance if he was a teacher of excess,  who chastised his body and brought it into subjection, and recorded his performance of the service he owed to Christ by many fastings; and this not for the purpose of praising himself and his doings, but that he might teach us, what example to follow. Did he then teach excess who said,  Why, as though living in the world, are ye subject to ordinances? Touch not, taste not, handle not, which all are to perish with the using;  who also says,  Not in indulgence of the body, not in any honour to the satisfying and love of the flesh, not in the lusts of error; but in the Spirit by Whom we are renewed. 

11. If what the Apostle has said is not enough, let them hear the Prophet saying,  I chastened myself with fasting. He therefore who fasts not is uncovered and naked and exposed to wounds. And if Adam had clothed himself with fasting he would not have been found to be naked. Nineveh delivered itself from death by fasting. And the Lord Himself says,  This kind goeth not out but by prayer and fasting. 

12. But why need we say more to our master and teacher? seeing that these persons have now paid the worthy price of their perfidy, who have on this account come even hither, that no place might remain where they were not condemned; who have proved themselves to be truly Manichees, by not believing that He came forth from a virgin. What madness is this, almost equal to that of the modern Jews? If He is not believed so to have come, neither is He believed to have taken upon Him our flesh, therefore He was seen only in figure, He was crucified only in figure. But He was crucified for us in truth, He is in truth our Redeemer.

13. He is a Manichee who denies the truth, who denies that Christ came in the flesh; and therefore the remission of sins is not their's; but it is the impiety of the Manichees which both the most merciful Emperor has abhorred  ^{05-10  10. a There are three laws in the code of Theodosius directed against the Manichees, one of the year 372, A.D. which forbade them to hold assemblies, one of 389, A.D. and one of 391. A.D. ordering their banishment. It is probably the second of these that is referred to, though Gothofred refers it to the third, in which case the date of the Letter must be altered.} , and all who saw them have fled from as a plague. Witnesses thereof are our brethren and fellow-presbyters, Crescens, Leopardus, and Alexander, fervent in the Holy Spirit, by whose means they have been exposed to common execration, and driven as fugitives from the city of Milan.

14. Wherefore you are to know that Jovinian, Auxentius, Germinator, Felix, Plotinus, Genialis, Martianus, Januarius and Ingeniosus, whom your Holiness has condemned, have also, in accordance with your judgment, been condemned by ourselves.

May our Almighty God keep you in safety and prosperity, Lord and brother most beloved.

Here follows the subscription.

I Eventius  05-11  11. b All these names except Geminianus occur in the list of Bishops present at the Council of Aquileia. See p. 60. , Bishop, salute your Holiness in the Lord, and have subscribed this Epistle.
Maximus, Bishop.Felix, Bishop.Bassianus, Bishop.Theodorus, Bishop.Constantius, Bishop.By command of my lord Geminianus Bishop, and in his presence, I Aper, Presbyter, have subscribed.Eustasius, Bishop, and all the Orders have subscribed.

EPISTOLA XLII.

 Synodus Mediolanensis laudat Syricium, quod Ecclesiam a lupis defenderet. Hos adversus virginitatem, simulata conjugii defensione, saevire; cum huic illam praeferri jubeat Paulus. Iidem haeretici e Virgine Christum negantes nasci potuisse, scripturae testimoniis refelluntur. Paucis additis de laude viduitatis et abstinentiae, quibus isti infesti erant, ipsos utpote Manichaeos anathemate ab se confixos testantur Patres. 

Domino dilectissimo fratri SYRICIO papae, AMBROSIUS, SABINUS, BASSIANUS, et caeteri.

 1124A 

1. Recognovimus litteris Sanctitatis tuae boni pastoris excubias, qui fideliter commissam 966 tibi januam serves, et pia sollicitudine Christi ovile custodias (Joan. X, 7 et seq.), dignus quem oves Domini audiant et sequantur: et ideo quia nosti oviculas Christi, lupos facile deprehendes, et occurres quasi providus pastor, ne isti moribus perfidiae suae feralique ululatu Dominicum ovile dispergant.

2. Laudamus hoc, Domine frater nobis dilectissime, et toto concelebramus affectu. Nec miramur si luporum rabiem grex Domini perhorruerit, in quibus Christi vocem non recognovit. Agrestis enim ululatus est nullam virginitatis gratiam, nullum castitatis  1124B ordinem servare, promiscue omnia velle confundere, diversorum gradus abrogare meritorum, et paupertatem quamdam coelestium remunerationum inducere: quasi Christo una sit palma, quam tribuit; ac non plurimi abundent tituli praemiorum.

3. Simulant se isti donare conjugio. Sed quae potest laus esse conjugii, si nulla virginitatis est gloria? Neque vero nos negamus sanctificatum a Christo esse conjugium, divina voce dicente:  Erunt ambo in carne una (Matth. XIX, 5), et in uno spiritu: sed prius est quod nati sumus, quam quod effecti; multoque praestantius divini operis mysterium, quam humanae fragilitatis remedium. Jure laudatur bona uxor, sed melius pia virgo praefertur, dicente Apostolo:  Qui jungit virginem suam, bene facit: et qui  1124C  non jungit, melius facit; haec enim cogitat quae Dei sunt, illa quae mundi (I Cor. VII, 38). Illa conjugalibus vinculis colligata est, haec libera vinculorum: illa sub lege, ista sub gratia. Bonum conjugium, per quod est inventa posteritas successionis humanae: sed melior virginitas, per quam regni coelestis haereditas acquisita, et coelestium meritorum reperta successio. Per mulierem cura successit, per virginem salus evenit. Denique speciale sibi donum virginitatis Christus elegit, et integritatis munus exhibuit,  1125A atque in se repraesentavit, quod elegit in matre.

4. Quanta dementia funestorum latratuum, ut iidem dicerent Christum ex Virgine non potuisse generari, qui asserunt ex muliere, editis humanorum pignorum partubus, virgines permanere? Aliis ergo praestat Christus, quod sibi, ut dicunt, praestare non potuit? Ille vero 967 etsi carnem suscepit, etsi homo factus est, ut hominem redimeret, atque a morte revocaret; inusitato tamen, quasi Deus, itinere venit in terras, ut quemadmodum dixerat:  Ecce facio omnia nova (Esai. XLIII, 19); partu etiam immaculatae Virginis nasceretur, et sicut scriptum est, ut crederetur nobiscum Deus. Sed de via perversitatis produntur dicere: Virgo concepit, sed non virgo generavit. Potuit ergo virgo concipere,  1125B non potuit virgo generare; cum semper conceptus praecedat, partus sequatur?

5. Sed si doctrinis non creditur sacerdotum, credatur oraculis Christi, credatur monitis Angelorum dicentium:  Quia non est impossibile Deo omne verbum (Luc. I, 37). Credatur Symbolo apostolorum, quod Ecclesia Romana intemeratum semper custodit et servat. Audivit Maria vocem angeli, et quae ante dixerat:  Quomodo fiet istud (Ibid., 34)? non de fide generationis interrogans, respondit postea:  Ecce ancilla Domini, contingat mihi secundum verbum tuum (Ibid., 38). Haec est Virgo, quae in utero concepit: virgo, quae peperit filium. Sic enim scriptum est:  Ecce virgo in utero accipiet, et pariet filium (Esai. VII, 14); non enim concepturam tantummodo virginem,  1125C sed et parituram virginem dixit.

 1126A 6. Quae autem est illa porta sanctuarii, porta illa exterior ad Orientem, quae manet clausa;  et nemo, inquit,  pertransibit per eam, nisi solus Deus Israel (Ezech. XLIV, 2)? Nonne haec porta Maria est, per quam in hunc mundum redemptor intravit? Haec porta justitiae, sicut ipse dixit:  Sine nos implere omnem justitiam (Matth. III, 15). Haec porta est beata Maria, de qua scriptum est quia  Dominus pertransibit per eam, et erit clausa (Ezech. XLIV, 2) post partum; quia virgo concepit et genuit.

7. Quid autem incredibile si contra usum originis naturalis peperit Maria, et virgo permanet; quando contra usum naturae mare vidit et fugit, atque in fontem suum Jordanis fluenta remearunt (Psal. CXIII, 3)? Non ergo excedit fidem quod virgo peperit,  1126B quando legimus quod petra vomuit aquas (Exod. XVII, 6), et in muri speciem maris unda solidata est (Exod. XIV, 22). Non ergo excedit fidem quod homo exivit de virgine, quando petra fontem profluum scaturivit (Num. XX, 11), ferrum super aquas natavit (IV Reg. VI, 6), ambulavit 968 homo super aquas (Matth. XIV, 26). Ergo si hominem unda portavit, non potuit hominem virgo generare? At quem hominem? De quo legimus:  Et mittet illis Dominus hominem, qui salvos faciet eos, et notus erit Dominus Aegyptiis (Esai. XIX, 20). In veteri itaque Testamento virgo Hebraeorum per mare duxit exercitum: in novo Testamento virgo regis, aula coelestis electa est ad salutem.

8. Quid autem? etiam viduitatis attexamus praeconia,  1126C cum in Evangelio post Virginis celeberrimum  1127A partum Anna vidua subrogetur,  quae vixerat cum viro suo annis septem a virginitate sua, et haec vidua annorum octoginta quatuor, quae non discedebat de templo, jejuniis et obsecrationibus serviens die ac nocte  (Luc. II, 36, 37).

9. Et merito ab illis viduitas despicitur, quae solet observare jejunia, quibus se dolent isti aliquo tempore esse maceratos, et propriam ulciscuntur injuriam, quotidianis quoque conviviis usuque luxuriae laborem abstinentiae propulsare desiderant. Qui nihil rectius faciunt, quam quod ipsi suo se ore condemnant.

10. Sed et metuunt ne in istis illud jejunium reputetur. Eligant quod volunt: si aliquando jejunaverint, gerant ergo boni facti sui poenitentiam: si  1127B numquam, suam ergo ipsi intemperantiam et luxuriam confiteantur. Et ideo dicunt Paulum luxuriae magistrum fuisse. At quis erit sobrietatis magister, si fuit ille luxuriae, qui castigavit corpus suum, et servituti redegit, atque jejuniis multis se debitam Christo observantiam detulisse memoravit (I Cor. IX, 27); non ut se suaque laudaret, sed ut nos quid sequeremur, edoceret? Ille ergo luxuriam docuit, qui ait:  Quid adhuc velut viventes de hoc mundo decernitis? Ne tetigeritis, ne attaminaveritis, ne gustaveritis, quae sunt omnia in corruptelam  (II Cor. VI, 5)? Qui etiam ait:  Non in indulgentia corporis, non in honore aliquo ad saturitatem et diligentiam carnis, non in desideriis erroris: sed in Spiritu, quo renovamur,  esse vivendum (Coloss. II, 19 et seq.).

 1127C 11. Si parum est quod Apostolus dixit, audiant Prophetam dicentem:  Et cooperui in jejunio animam meam (Psal. LXVIII, 11). Ergo qui non jejunat, intectus  1128A est, et nudus, et patet vulneri. Denique si Adam se texisset in jejunio, non fuisset 969 nudus effectus (Gen. III, 7). Ninive se a morte jejunio liberavit (Jonae III, 5). Et ipse Dominus ait:  Non ejicietur hoc genus daemoniorum, nisi per orationem et jejunium (Matth. XVII, 20).

12. Sed quid plura apud magistrum atque doctorem? cum jam dignum praemium retulerint illi perfidiae suae, qui ideo usque huc venerunt, ne superesset locus, in quo non damnarentur; qui vere se Manichaeos probaverunt, non credentes quia ex Virgine utique venisset. Quaenam haec est suppar novorum Judaeorum amentia? Si venisse non creditur, nec carnem creditur suscepisse: ergo in phantasmate visus est, in phantasmate crucifixus est. Sed  1128B nobis in veritate crucifixus est, in veritate redemptor noster est.

13. Manichaeus est qui abnegat veritatem, qui carnem Christi negat; et ideo non est illis remissio peccatorum: sed est impietas Manichaeorum, quam et clementissimus exsecratus est imperator, et omnes qui illos viderunt quasi quaedam contagia refugerunt; sicut testes sunt fratres et compresbyteri nostri Crescens, Leopardus, et Alexander, sancto ferventes Spiritu, qui eos omnium exsecratione damnatos, Mediolanensi ex urbe quasi profugos repulerunt.

14. Itaque Jovinianum, Auxentium, Germinatorem, Felicem, Plotinum, Genialem, Martianum, Januarium, et Ingeniosum, quos sanctitas tua damnavit, scias apud nos quoque secundum judicium tuum esse  1128C damnatos. Incolumem te et florentissimum Deus noster tueatur omnipotens, domine dilectissime frater.

Item subscriptio.

 1129A Eventius episcopus saluto Sanctitatem tuam in Domino, et huic epistolae subscripsi.

Maximus episcopus.

Felix episcopus.

Bassianus episcopus.

Theodorus episcopus.

Constantius episcopus.

Ex jussu domini episcopi Geminiani, ipso praesente. Aper presbyter subscripsi.

970 Eustasius episcopus, et omnes ordines subscripserunt.