Epistolae Duae De Monacho Energumeno [Incertus]

Two Letters Concerning a Monk Possessed by a Demon In a copy of St. Germanus belonging to the Pratum Scholasticorum, after the three books on the Offices, these two letters followed. The first was believed to be by Ambrose, because its subject matter was suited to that time, concerning Antony, Hilarion, Macarius, Gervasius, Protasius, and the city of Milan, where it was evidently written. Only one thing made us doubt: that he calls them Germans, English, and Italians. The second has less of Ambrose in it; yet we have appended both, because we judged both to be ancient and useful. LETTER ONE. A certain religious man, at that time established in the monastic habit, has in our own day been assailed by an unheard-of temptation of the ancient enemy, so that the same malignant spirit more frequently befouled the particles of his garments, both those outside him and even those not in order, with foul filth. This was so horrible, stinking, and harmful that the part of the garment which it had touched was thereafter fit for no use, even if it had been washed. When I was asked about this, why almighty God had given such power over him to the crafty serpent, so that it might outwardly display the uncleanness of his heart—which it would never have done in his outward habit unless it had completely corrupted his inner self, whether by unbelief and blasphemy, or certainly by empty and vain glory—I replied: The pus within the heart has indeed flowed outward through the garments.

Because he was situated far away, I indeed did not see him, but nevertheless, as I think, I truly foresaw these things in him. But if it is not so, is it nevertheless thought to have happened without cause, and was it done for this reason, that in him that foulness might preserve cleanness of heart, and that the crafty enemy might not defile it with vainglory, just as Paul received the goad of the flesh so that he might not fear the magnitude of the revelation? If, therefore, any of these things is the case, or certainly if it was not so, will what I am about to set down at the end nevertheless not be true? It is entirely true. What I say is true: that external filth is not harmful to the soul if it itself strives to preserve cleanness of heart within. Meanwhile, as you yourself have taken care to judge, I hear that some among you say that no one can be perfect in the land of his birth, taking as proof that the Lord said: "No prophet is accepted in his own country" (Luke 4). They must first be refuted by the reason of truth, and then it must be shown how the uttered statement is to be understood. Therefore, let those who say these things listen patiently, because while they do not prudently consider the sense of sacred Scripture, they almost despise all the saints.

If indeed it is as they assert, then all who are converted from among the Romans, dwelling among the Romans; all from among the Greeks, among the Greeks; all from among the Italians, among the Italians; all from among the Iberians, among the Iberians; all from among the Germans, among the Germans; all from among the Aquitanians, among the Aquitanians; all from among the English, among the English, living religiously, will be imperfect. Behold, Paul and Antony, from among the Thebans, were perfected among the Thebans. Behold, Hilarion, from among the Palestinians, was perfected among the Palestinians. Behold, Macarius, from among the Egyptians, was perfected among the Egyptians. Behold, the city of Oxyrhynchus was wholly perfected from its own citizens. Behold, to come to our nearest and dearest neighbors, Protasius and Gervasius, remaining in this very city of Milan, in their own home, and for ten years living the life of monks, were so perfected that they became martyrs. Shall then our single province alone be excepted from this rule, so that it has monks not from its own people, but only from the farthest regions? Therefore, one must rather strive, that wherever a person may be, he live according to the rule of the perfect, and not decline from the path of perfection through the allurements of parents, relatives, or in-laws (Matthew 19). Thus, indeed, according to the Savior’s saying, he will be able to renounce father, mother, brothers, and sisters, wives, children, homes, fields, and all that he possesses.

I say this not because I do not hold in the highest praise those who withdraw from kingdom to kingdom, from public life to the desert; but also to show that those who flee their homeland more by their affections than by their steps are happy and perfect. Therefore I beseech those who deny that these things can happen among you to consider with vigilant attention why the Lord did not say: "No prophet is perfect in his own country," but: "No one is accepted in his own country" (Luke 4). But what else is to be understood there, except that he said "not accepted," meaning by no means received? He wished this to be understood as said concerning the ancient prophets and himself, who among the unbelieving Jews were not accepted, but rather spurned, as Stephen says to them: "Which of the prophets did they not persecute?" (Acts 7). LETTER TWO. The preacher of the almighty Lord, the apostle Paul, says: "Do not rebuke an elder" (Titus 5). But this saying of his is to be observed in that matter when the fault of the elder does not, by his example, hand over the hearts of the younger to destruction. However, when an elder provides an example to the young for destruction, then he is to be struck with severe rebuke, because it is written: "You are all a snare for the young" (Isaiah 42); and again the Prophet says: "And a sinner of a hundred years is accursed" (Ibid., 65). Moreover, such great wickedness has reached my ears concerning your old age that, unless we were still to consider it more humanely, we would already strike it with a fixed curse.

It has indeed been said that before you celebrated the solemnities of the Mass on the Lord's Day, you went to reap the harvest of the bearer of this letter, and after its reaping you celebrated the solemnities of the Mass. After the solemnities of the Mass, you also did not fear to uproot the boundaries of his possessions. We had indeed been in doubt about such great perversity, but our son, Abbot Quiriacus, when asked by us at Caralis, testified that he had known it to be so. And because we still spare your gray hairs, we urge you: sometimes come to your senses, old man, and restrain such great perversity of character and works, contrary to such gentleness of conduct; the nearer you become to death, the more anxious and timid you ought to be. And indeed a sentence of punishment should have been hurled against you, but because we know your simplicity along with your old age, we remain silent for now. However, we decree that those by whose counsels you have done these things are to be excommunicated for two months, so that if anything human should befall them within the space of two months, they are not to be deprived of the blessing of the viaticum. Henceforth, be cautious of their counsels and guard yourself diligently: lest if you are a disciple to them in evil, when you ought to have been a master to them in good, we will no longer spare either your simplicity or your old age.