8. [VII.]—Cœlestius Condemned by Zosimus.

The venerable Pope Zosimus, keeping in view this deprecatory preamble, dealt with the man, puffed up as he was with the blasts of false doctrine, so as that he should condemn all the objectionable points which had been alleged against him by the deacon Paulinus, and that he should yield his assent to the rescript of the Apostolic See which had been issued by his predecessor of sacred memory. The accused man, however, refused to condemn the objections raised by the deacon, yet he did not dare to hold out against the letter of the blessed Pope Innocent; indeed, he went so far as to “promise that he would condemn all the points which the Apostolic See condemned.” Thus the man was treated with gentle remedies, as a delirious patient who required rest; but, at the same time, he was not regarded as being yet ready to be released from the restraints of excommunication. The interval of two months being granted him, until communications could be received from Africa, a place for recovery was conceded to him, under the mild restorative of the sentence which had been pronounced. For in truth, if he would have laid aside his vain obstinacy, and be now willing to carry out what he had undertaken, and would carefully read the very letter to which he had replied by promising submission, he would yet come to a better mind. But after the rescripts were duly issued from the council of the African bishops, there were very good reasons why the sentence should be carried out against him, in strictest accordance with equity. What these reasons were you may read for yourselves, for we have sent you all the particulars.

CAPUT VII.

8. Hanc ejus praelocutionem venerabilis papa Zosimus tenens, egit cum homine, quem 0389 falsae doctrinae ventus inflaverat, ut ea quae illi a diacono Paulino fuerant objecta damnaret, atque ut Sedis Apostolicae litteris, quae a sanctae memoriae suo praecessore manaverant, praeberet assensum. At ille noluit quidem diaconi objecta damnare: sed beati papae Innocentii litteris non est ausus obsistere; imo «se omnia quae Sedes illa damnaret, damnaturum esse promisit:» atque ita velut phreneticus, ut requiesceret, tanquam leniter fotus, a vinculis tamen excommunicationis nondum est creditus esse solvendus. Sed interposito duorum mensium tempore, donec rescriberetur ex Africa, resipiscendi ei locus sub quadam medicinali sententiae lenitate concessus est. Quoniam revera, si deposita pervicaciae vanitate, quod promiserat vellet attendere, et easdem litteras, quibus se consensurum esse responderat, diligenter legeret, sanaretur. Sed posteaquam ex Africano episcoporum concilio rescripta directa sunt, quid fuerit consecutum, ut justissime in eum sententia proferretur, cuncta legite, quia cuncta transmisimus.