Gregory the Dialogist

In describing loftily the sweetness of contemplation, you have renewed the groans of my fallen state, since I hear what I have lost inwardly while mounting outwardly, though undeserving, to the topmost height of rule. Know then that I am stricken with so great sorrow that I can scarcely speak, for the dark shades of grief block up the eyes of my soul. Whatever is beheld is sad; whatever is thought delightful appears to my heart lamentable. For I reflect to what a dejected height of external advancement I have mounted in falling from the lofty height of my rest. And, being sent for my faults into the exile of employment from the face of my Lord, I say with the prophet, in the words, as it were of destroyed Jerusalem, “He who should comfort me has departed far from me.” But when, in seeking something similar to express my condition and title, you frame periods and declamations in your letter, certainly, dearest brother, you call an ape a lion. Herein we see that you do as we often do, when we call mangy whelps leopards or tigers. For I, my good man, have, as it were, lost my children, since through earthly cares I have lost works of righteousness. Therefore “call me not Naomi that is fair; but call me Mara, for I am full of bitterness.”

The ruler should be discreet in keeping silence, profitable in speech, lest he either utter what ought to be suppressed or suppress what he ought to utter. For, as incautious speaking leads into error, so indiscreet silence leaves in error those who might have been instructed. For often improvident rulers, fearing to lose human favor, shrink timidly from speaking freely the things that are right, and, according to the voice of the Truth, serve to the custody of the flock by no means with the zeal of shepherds but in the way of hirelings; since they fly when the wolf comes if they hide themselves under silence. For hence it is that the Lord through the prophet upbraids them, calling them, “Dumb dogs that cannot bark.” Hence again he complains, saying, “You have not gone up against the enemy, neither opposed a wall for the house of Israel, to stand in the battle in the day of the Lord.” Now to go up against the enemy is to go with free voice against the powers of this world for defense of the flock; and to stand in the battle in the day of the Lord is out of love of justice to resist bad people when they contend against us. For a shepherd to have feared to say what is right, what else is it but to have turned his back in keeping silence? But surely, if he puts himself in front for the flock, he opposes a wall against the enemy for the house of Israel. Hence again to the sinful people it is said, “Your prophets have seen false and foolish things for you: neither did they discover your iniquity, to provoke you to repentance.” For in sacred language, teachers are sometimes called prophets, in that, by pointing out how fleeting present things are, they point out the things that are to come. And these are the ones the divine discourse convinces of seeing false things, because, while fearing to reprove faults, they vainly flatter evildoers by promising security; neither do they discover the iniquity of sinners, since they refrain their voice from chiding. For the language of reproof is the key of discovery, because by chiding it discloses the fault of which even he who has committed it is often himself unaware.

Differently to be admonished are those who deplore sins of deed and those who deplore sins of thought. For those who deplore sins of deed are to be admonished that perfected lamentations should wash out consummated evils, lest they be bound by a greater debt of perpetrated deed than they pay in tears of satisfaction for it. For it is written, “He has given us drink in tears by measure,” which means that each person’s soul should in its penitence drink the tears of compunction to such extent as it remembers itself to have been dried up from God through sins. They are to be admonished to bring back their past offenses incessantly before their eyes and so to live that these may not have to be viewed by the strict judge.Hence David, when he prayed, saying, “Turn away your eyes from my sins,” had said also a little before, “My fault is ever before me,” as if to say, I plead with you not to regard my sin, since I myself cease not to regard it. Thus also the Lord says through the prophet, “And I will not be mindful of your sins, but you should be mindful of them.” They are to be admonished to consider one at a time all their past offenses, and, in bewailing the defilements of their former wandering one by one, to cleanse at the same time their entire selves with tears. Thus it is well said through Jeremiah, when the several transgressions of Judah were being considered, “My eye has shed channels of waters. For indeed we shed channeled waters from our eyes, when to our several sins we give separate tears. For the mind does not sorrow at one and the same time alike for all things; but, while it is more sharply touched by memory now of this fault and now of that, being moved concerning all in each, it is purged at once from all.

With what conscience can the overseer of souls avail himself among other people of his pastoral dignity, while engaged himself in the earthly cares that it was his duty to reprehend in others? And this indeed is what the Lord, in the wrath of just retribution, menaced through the prophet, saying, “And there shall be like people, like priest.” For the priest is as the people when one who bears a spiritual office acts as do others who are still under judgment with regard to their carnal pursuits. And this indeed the prophet Jeremiah, in the great sorrow of his charity, deplores under the image of the destruction of the temple, saying, “How is the gold become dim! The most excellent color is changed; the stones of the sanctuary are poured out at the head of every street.” For what is expressed by gold, which surpasses all other metals, but the excellence of holiness? What by the most excellent color but the reverence that is about religion, to all people lovely? What are signified by the stones of the sanctuary but persons in sacred orders? What is figured under the name of streets but the latitude of this present life? For, because in Greek speech the word for latitude is platos, streets (plateoe) have been so called from their breadth, or latitude. But the Truth in person says, “Broad and spacious is the way that leads to destruction.” Gold, therefore, becomes dim when a life of holiness is polluted by earthly doings; the most excellent color is changed when the previous reputation of persons who were believed to be living religiously is diminished. For, when anyone after a habit of holiness mixes himself up with earthly doings, it is as though his color were changed, and the reverence that surrounded him grew pale and disregarded before the eyes of people. The stones of the sanctuary also are poured out into the streets, when those who, for the ornament of the church, should have been free to penetrate internal mysteries as it were in the secret places of the tabernacle seek out the broadways of secular causes outside. For indeed to this end they were made stones of the sanctuary that they might appear in the vestment of the high priest within the Holy of Holies. But when ministers of religion exact not the Redeemer’s honor from those that are under them by the merit of their life, they are not stones of the sanctuary in the ornament of the pontiff. And truly these stones of the sanctuary lie scattered through the streets when persons in sacred orders, given up to the latitude of their own pleasures, cleave to earthly businesses. And it is to be observed that they are said to be scattered, not in the streets but at the head of the streets; because, even when they are engaged in earthly matters, they desire to appear at the top so as to occupy the broad ways in their enjoyment of delight, and yet to be at the top of the streets in the dignity of holiness.

Let us implore the tears of Jeremiah; let him consider our death, and lamenting say: "How is the gold become dim, the most fine color is changed, the stones of the sanctuary are scattered at the head of every street." For the gold has become dim, because the life of priests, once bright through the glory of virtues, is now shown to be reprobate through the basest actions. The most fine color is changed, because that habit of holiness has come to the disgrace of contempt through earthly and abject works. But the stones of the sanctuary were kept within, nor were they placed on the body of the high priest except when, entering the holy of holies, he appeared in the secret place of his Creator. We therefore, dearest brothers, we are the stones of the sanctuary who ought always to appear in the secret place of God; whom it is never necessary to be seen outside, that is, never to be seen in external affairs. But the stones of the sanctuary are scattered at the head of every street, because those who through their life and prayer ought always to have been within, through their reprobate life are occupied outside.

Let us implore the tears of Jeremiah; let him consider our death, and lamenting say: "How is the gold become dim, the most fine color is changed, the stones of the sanctuary are scattered at the head of every street." For the gold has become dim, because the life of priests, once bright through the glory of virtues, is now shown to be reprobate through the basest actions. The most fine color is changed, because that habit of holiness has come to the disgrace of contempt through earthly and abject works. But the stones of the sanctuary were kept within, nor were they placed on the body of the high priest except when, entering the holy of holies, he appeared in the secret place of his Creator. We therefore, dearest brothers, we are the stones of the sanctuary who ought always to appear in the secret place of God; whom it is never necessary to be seen outside, that is, never to be seen in external affairs. But the stones of the sanctuary are scattered at the head of every street, because those who through their life and prayer ought always to have been within, through their reprobate life are occupied outside. Behold, now there is almost no worldly business which priests do not administer. Therefore, while established in the holy habit, they perform external things, and like stones of the sanctuary they lie outside. For since in the Greek tongue "platea" is named from breadth, the stones of the sanctuary are in the streets when religious persons follow the broad ways of the world. Nor are they scattered only in the streets, but also at the head of the streets, because they both carry out works through desire for this world, and yet seek the height of honor from their religious habit. Therefore they are scattered at the head of the streets, because they both lie prostrate through the service of worldly work, and wish to be honored for the appearance of holiness.