49. [XXV.]—Pelagius’ Behaviour Contrasted with that of the Writers of the Letter.

If now that man,141    Pelagius. too, were to confess that he had once been implicated in this error as a person possessed, but that he now anathematized all that hold these opinions, whoever should withhold his congratulation from him, now that he was in possession of the way of truth, would surely surrender all the bowels of love. As the case, however, now stands, he has not only not acknowledged his liberation from his pestilential error; but, as if that were a small thing, he has gone on to anathematize men who have reached that freedom, who love him so well that they would fain desire his own emancipation. Amongst these are those very men who have expressed their good-will towards him in the letter, which they forwarded to me. For he it was whom they had chiefly in view when they said how much they were affected at the fact of my having at last written that work. “If, indeed, it has happened,” they say, “that some are removed from the influence of this clearest light of truth, whose blindness required its illumination, yet even to them,” they go on to remark, “we doubt not, the self-same grace will find its way, by the merciful favour of God.” Any name, or names, even they, too, thought it desirable as yet to suppress, in order that, if friendship still lived on, the error of the friends might the more surely die.

CAPUT XXV.

49. Si ergo et iste confiteretur, ita in hoc errore se fuisse aliquando, ut hominem praeoccupatum, sed nunc anathematizare qui haec tenent; quisquis ei non gratularetur, tenente jam illo viam veritatis, ipse amitteret viscera charitatis. Nunc vero parum est quod se non confessus est ab ea peste liberatum, sed anathematizavit insuper liberatos, qui eum sic diligunt, ut etiam ipsum cupiant liberari: in quibus et isti sunt, qui benevolentiam suam erga illum significaverunt, his ad me datis litteris suis; nam et ipsum praecipue cogitabant, cum dicerent, hoc se affici, quod tarde illum librum scripserim? «Siquidem contigit,» inquiunt, «absentes fieri quosdam, quorum caecitati ista tam perspicuae veritatis illustratio deberetur; ad quos etsi tardius,» inquiunt, «non diffidimus propitio Deo eamdem gratiam pervenire.» Nomen quippe vel nomina ipsi quoque adhuc tacenda putaverunt, ut vivente amicitia, error potius moreretur amicorum.