Letter 3038: Gregory to Libertinus, Præfect of Sicily. From the very beginning of your administration God has willed you to go forth to vindicate His cause, and of His mercy has reserved for you this reward, with praise attending it. For it is reported that one Nasas, a most wicked Jew, has with a temerity that calls for punishment erected an altar under the...

Gregory to Libertinus, Prefect of Sicily. From the very start of your administration, God has directed you to champion His cause, and in His mercy has reserved this distinction for you, with the praise that accompanies it. We are informed that one Nasas, a most wicked Jew, has with punishable audacity erected an altar under the name of the blessed Elijah and, through sacrilegious enticement, has lured many Christians into worshipping there. He is also said to have acquired Christian slaves and put them to work for his own service and profit. While he deserved the harshest punishment for such grave offenses, the distinguished Justinus — seduced, as we have been told, by greed — failed to act and left God's honor unavenged. Your Glory must now institute a strict investigation into all of this. If the facts are confirmed, move swiftly to impose the severest physical punishment on this wicked man. In doing so, you will both secure God's favor for yourself and set an example for posterity, to your lasting credit. Moreover, in accordance with the requirements of the law, free without any equivocation whatever Christian slaves he is found to have acquired. God forbid that the Christian faith should be degraded by subjection to Jews. Correct these matters with all urgency, so that we may not only commend you for this act of discipline but also bear testimony to your integrity whenever the occasion calls for it.

Book III, Letter 38 To Libertinus, Præfect. Gregory to Libertinus, Præfect of Sicily. From the very beginning of your administration God has willed you to go forth to vindicate His cause, and of His mercy has reserved for you this reward, with praise attending it. For it is reported that one Nasas, a most wicked Jew, has with a temerity that calls for punishment erected an altar under the name of the blessed Elias, and by sacrilegious seduction has enticed many Christians to worship there; nay, has also, it is said, acquired Christian slaves, and devoted them to his own service and profit. Whilst, then, he ought to have been most severely punished for such great crimes, the glorious Justinus , soothed (as has been written to us) by the charm of avarice, put off avenging the injury done to God. But let your Glory institute a strict examination into all these things, and, if it should be found manifest that such things have been done, make haste to visit them most strictly and corporally on this wicked Jew, in such sort that you may thereby both conciliate the favour of God to yourself, and show yourself by this example, to your own reward, a model to posterity. Moreover, set at liberty, without any equivocation, according to the injunctions of the laws , whatever Christian slaves it shall appear that he has acquired; lest (which God forbid) the Christian religion should be polluted by being subjected to Jews. You should therefore with all speed correct these things most strictly, that not only may we give thanks to you for this discipline, but also bear testimony to your goodness in case of need. About this page Source. Translated by James Barmby. From Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, Second Series, Vol. 12. Edited by Philip Schaff and Henry Wace. (Buffalo, NY: Christian Literature Publishing Co., 1895.) Revised and edited for New Advent by Kevin Knight. <https://www.newadvent.org/fathers/360203038.htm>. Contact information. The editor of New Advent is Kevin Knight. My email address is feedback732 at newadvent.org. (To help fight spam, this address might change occasionally.) Regrettably, I can't reply to every letter, but I greatly appreciate your feedback — especially notifications about typographical errors and inappropriate ads.