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The Epistles of Pope Callistus — To Bishop Benedictus

Unidentified papal letter writer

Chapter 2

About this work

Author: Unidentified papal letter writer

II.

(Of accusations against doctors.)

‹ Chapter 1

Moreover

,

let

no

one

take

up

an

accusation

against

a

doctor

(

teacher

)

,

because

it

is

not

right

for

sons

to

find

fault

with

fathers

,

nor

for

slaves

to

wound

their

masters

.

Now

,

all

those

whom

they

instruct

are

sons

of

doctors

;

and

as

sons

ought

to

love

their

fathers

after

the

flesh

,

so

ought

they

to

love

their

spiritual

fathers

.

For

he

does

not

live

rightly

who

does

not

believe

rightly

,

or

who

reprehends

fathers

,

or

calumniates

them

.

Doctors

therefore

,

who

are

also

called

fathers

,

are

rather

to

be

borne

with

than

reprehended

,

unless

they

err

from

the

true

faith

.

Let

no

one

,

consequently

,

accuse

a

doctor

by

writing

(

per

scripta

)

;

neither

let

him

answer

to

any

accuser

,

unless

he

be

one

who

is

trustworthy

and

recognised

by

law

,

and

who

leads

also

a

life

and

conversation

free

from

reproach

.

For

it

is

a

thing

unworthy

that

a

doctor

should

reply

to

a

foolish

and

ignorant

person

,

and

one

who

leads

a

reprehensible

life

,

according

to

the

man’s

folly

;

as

Scripture

says

,

Answer

not

a

fool

according

to

his

folly

.

He

does

not

live

rightly

who

does

not

believe

rightly

.

He

means

nothing

evil

who

is

faithful

.

If

anyone

is

faithful

(

a

believer

)

,

let

him

see

to

it

that

he

make

no

false

allegations

,

nor

lay

a

snare

for

any

man

.

The

faithful

man

acts

always

in

faith

;

and

the

unfaithful

man

plots

cunningly

,

and

strives

to

work

the

ruin

of

those

who

are

faithful

,

and

who

live

in

piety

and

righteousness

,

because

like

seeks

like

.

The

unfaithful

man

is

one

dead

in

the

living

body

.

And

on

the

other

hand

,

the

discourse

of

the

man

of

faith

guards

the

life

of

his

hearers

.

For

as

the

Catholic

doctor

,

and

especially

the

priest

of

the

Lord

,

ought

to

be

involved

in

no

error

,

so

ought

he

to

be

wronged

by

no

machination

or

passion

.

Holy

Scripture

indeed

says

,

Go

not

after

thy

lusts

,

but

refrain

thyself

from

thine

appetites

;

and

we

must

resist

many

allurements

of

this

world

,

and

many

vanities

,

in

order

that

the

integrity

of

a

true

continence

may

be

obtained

,

whereof

the

first

blemish

is

pride

,

the

beginning

of

transgression

and

the

origin

of

sin

;

for

the

mind

with

lustful

will

knows

neither

to

abstain

nor

to

give

itself

to

piety

.

No

good

man

has

an

enemy

except

in

the

wicked

,

who

are

permitted

to

be

such

only

in

order

that

the

good

man

may

be

corrected

or

exercised

through

their

means

.

Whatever

,

therefore

,

is

faultless

is

defended

by

the

Church

Catholic

.

Neither

for

prince

,

nor

for

any

one

who

observes

piety

,

is

it

lawful

to

venture

anything

contrary

to

the

divine

injunctions

.

Consequently

an

unjust

judgment

,

or

an

unjust

decision

(

diffinitio

)

,

instituted

or

enforced

by

judges

under

the

fear

or

by

the

command

of

a

prince

,

or

any

bishop

or

person

of

influence

,

cannot

be

valid

.

The

religious

man

ought

not

to

hold

it

enough

merely

to

refrain

from

entering

into

the

enmities

of

others

,

or

increasing

them

by

evil

speech

,

unless

he

also

make

it

his

study

to

extinguish

them

by

good

speech

.

Better

is

a

humble

confession

in

evil

deeds

,

than

a

proud

boasting

in

good

deeds

.

Moreover

,

all

who

live

the

blessed

life

,

choose

rather

to

run

that

course

in

the

proper

estate

of

peace

and

righteousness

,

than

to

involve

themselves

in

the

avenging

pains

of

our

sins

.

For

I

am

mindful

that

I

preside

over

the

Church

under

the

name

of

him

whose

confession

was

honoured

by

our

Lord

Jesus

Christ

,

and

whose

faith

ever

destroys

all

errors

.

And

I

understand

that

I

am

not

at

liberty

to

act

otherwise

than

to

expend

all

my

efforts

on

that

cause

in

which

the

well

-

being

of

the

universal

Church

is

at

stake

(

infestatur

)

.

I

hope

,

too

,

that

the

mercy

of

God

will

so

favour

us

,

that

,

with

the

help

of

His

clemency

,

every

deadly

disease

may

be

removed

,

God

Himself

expelling

it

,

and

that

whatever

may

be

done

wholesomely

,

under

His

inspiration

and

help

,

may

be

accomplished

to

the

praise

of

thy

faith

and

devotion

.

For

all

things

cannot

otherwise

be

safe

,

unless

,

as

far

as

pertains

to

the

service

of

the

divine

office

,

sacerdotal

authority

upholds

them

.

Given

on

the

21st

day

of

November

in

the

consulship

of

the

most

illustrious

Antoninus

and

Alexander

.

Notes

1
Prov. xxvi. 4.
2
Ecclus. xviii. 30.
3
See Augustine’s Confessions, book ix. ch. ix.
4
See Augustine on Ps. xciii.
5
See Ambrose, Epistle xxi.
6
In the year 222.