Letter 13031: Glory to God in the highest who, according as it is written, changes times, and transfers kingdoms, seeing that He has made apparent to all what He vouchsafed to speak by His prophet, That the most High rules in the kingdom of men, and gives it to whomsoever he will Daniel 4:17. For in the incomprehensible dispensation of Almighty God there are ...
Pope Gregory the Great→Phocas|c. 603 AD|gregory great
Imperial politics; Slavery or captivity; Economic matters
Gregory to Phocas Augustus.
Glory to God in the highest, who, as it is written, changes the times and transfers kingdoms, and who has made plain to all what He declared through His prophet: "The Most High rules in the kingdom of men, and gives it to whomever He wills" (Daniel 4:17).
For in the unfathomable ordering of Almighty God, mortal life passes through alternating seasons of governance. Sometimes, when the sins of many must be struck down, one ruler is raised up through whose harshness the necks of his subjects are bowed under the yoke of tribulation — as our long affliction has proved all too well. But at other times, when the merciful God has determined to refresh the grieving hearts of many with His consolation, He raises someone to the summit of power and, through the depth of His mercy, pours the grace of rejoicing into the minds of all.
We trust that we will shortly be confirmed in just such an abundance of rejoicing, we who are glad that the kindness of Your Piety has ascended to the imperial throne. "Let the heavens rejoice, and let the earth be glad" (Psalm 96:11). Let the whole people of the republic, so long and so grievously afflicted, grow cheerful at your generous deeds. Let the proud minds of enemies be brought low under the yoke of your authority. Let the crushed and downcast spirits of your subjects be revived by your mercy. Let heavenly grace make you fearsome to your enemies and merciful to your people.
Let the whole republic find rest in your most fortunate reign. Let the plundering of peace under cover of legal proceedings be exposed. Let conspiracies over wills cease and forced exactions end. Let secure possession of their own property be restored to all, so that they may enjoy without fear what they have acquired without fraud. Let every person's liberty at last be restored under the yoke of empire.
For here is the difference between the kings of the nations and the emperors of the republic: the kings of the nations are lords of slaves, but the emperors of the republic are lords of free men.
Book XIII, Letter 31
To Phocas, Emperor .
Gregory to Phocas Augustus.
Glory to God in the highest who, according as it is written, changes times, and transfers kingdoms, seeing that He has made apparent to all what He vouchsafed to speak by His prophet, That the most High rules in the kingdom of men, and gives it to whomsoever he will Daniel 4:17. For in the incomprehensible dispensation of Almighty God there are alternate controlments of mortal life; and sometimes, when the sins of many are to be smitten, one is raised up through whose hardness the necks of subjects may be bowed down under the yoke of tribulation, as in our affliction we have long had proof. But sometimes, when the merciful God has decreed to refresh the mourning hearts of many with His consolation, He advances one to the summit of government, and through the bowels of His mercy infuses the grace of exultation in Him into the minds of all. In which abundance of exultation we believe that we shall speedily be confirmed, who rejoice that the Benignity of your Piety has arrived at imperial supremacy. Let the heavens rejoice, and let the earth be glad Psalm 95:11; and let the whole people of the republic, hitherto afflicted exceedingly, grow cheerful for your benignant deeds. Let the proud minds of enemies be subdued under the yoke of your domination. Let the crushed and depressed spirits of subjects be revived by your mercy: let the power of heavenly grace make you terrible to your enemies, your piety kind to your subjects. Let the whole republic have rest in your most happy times, the pillage of peace under color of processes at law being exposed. Let plottings about wills cease, and benevolences exacted by force. Let secure possession of their own return to all, that they may rejoice in having without fear what they have acquired without fraud. Let every single person's liberty be now at length restored to him under the yoke of empire. For there is this difference between the kings of the nations and the emperors of the republic, that the kings of the nations are lords of slaves, but the emperors of the republic lords of freemen. But we shall better speak of these things by praying than by putting you in mind of them. May Almighty God in every thought and deed keep the heart of your Piety in the hand of His grace; and whatever things should be done justly, whatever things with clemency, may the Holy Spirit who dwells in your breast direct, that your Clemency may both be exalted in a temporal kingdom, and after courses of many years attain to heavenly kingdoms. Given in the month of June, Indiction 6.
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Source. Translated by James Barmby. From Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, Second Series, Vol. 13. Edited by Philip Schaff and Henry Wace. (Buffalo, NY: Christian Literature Publishing Co., 1898.) Revised and edited for New Advent by Kevin Knight. <https://www.newadvent.org/fathers/360213031.htm>.
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Gregory to Phocas Augustus.
Glory to God in the highest, who, as it is written, changes the times and transfers kingdoms, and who has made plain to all what He declared through His prophet: "The Most High rules in the kingdom of men, and gives it to whomever He wills" (Daniel 4:17).
For in the unfathomable ordering of Almighty God, mortal life passes through alternating seasons of governance. Sometimes, when the sins of many must be struck down, one ruler is raised up through whose harshness the necks of his subjects are bowed under the yoke of tribulation — as our long affliction has proved all too well. But at other times, when the merciful God has determined to refresh the grieving hearts of many with His consolation, He raises someone to the summit of power and, through the depth of His mercy, pours the grace of rejoicing into the minds of all.
We trust that we will shortly be confirmed in just such an abundance of rejoicing, we who are glad that the kindness of Your Piety has ascended to the imperial throne. "Let the heavens rejoice, and let the earth be glad" (Psalm 96:11). Let the whole people of the republic, so long and so grievously afflicted, grow cheerful at your generous deeds. Let the proud minds of enemies be brought low under the yoke of your authority. Let the crushed and downcast spirits of your subjects be revived by your mercy. Let heavenly grace make you fearsome to your enemies and merciful to your people.
Let the whole republic find rest in your most fortunate reign. Let the plundering of peace under cover of legal proceedings be exposed. Let conspiracies over wills cease and forced exactions end. Let secure possession of their own property be restored to all, so that they may enjoy without fear what they have acquired without fraud. Let every person's liberty at last be restored under the yoke of empire.
For here is the difference between the kings of the nations and the emperors of the republic: the kings of the nations are lords of slaves, but the emperors of the republic are lords of free men.
Modern English rendering for readability. See the 19th-century translation or original Latin/Greek for scholarly use.