Question — Decretum of Gratian
Question V
GRATIAN. But now it is asked whether anyone is to be judged malicious because he reports another's crime. Concerning this Augustine writes thus, [sermon III On the Common Life of Clerics, or rule 3, saying]:
GRATIANUS. Nunc autem queritur, an sit aliquis iudicandus maliuolus, quia crimen alterius indicat. De hoc ita scribit Augustinus: [serm. III. de communi uita clericorum, seu regula 3., dicens]
Friedberg, col. 549/550
C. I. One who conceals a crime does more harm than one who reports it amicably.
Do not judge yourselves malicious because you report another's crime. Indeed, you are more harmful if, by keeping silent, you permit your brothers—whom you can correct by reporting them—to perish. For if your brother has a wound in his body which he wishes to be concealed because he fears its being cut, is it not cruelly kept silent by you and mercifully reported? How much more, therefore, ought you to disclose it, lest it putrefy more grievously in the heart?
C. I. Magis nocet qui crimen celat quam qui amicabiliter indicat.
Non uos iudicetis maliuolos, quoniam crimen alterius indicatis. Magis quippe nocentes estis, quam si fratres uestros, quos indicando corrigere potestis, tacendo perire permittitis. Si enim frater tuus uulnus habet in corpore, quod uelit occultari, cum timet secari, nonne crudeliter a te siletur et misericorditer indicatur? quanto ergo potius debes manifestare, ne deterius putrescat in corde?
Friedberg, col. 549/550
C. II. Neither is one who spares a friend, nor one who strikes an enemy.
The same to Vincentius, a Donatist and Rogatist, [letter XLVIII]. Not everyone who spares is a friend, nor is everyone who strikes an enemy. “The wounds of a friend are better than the voluntary kisses of an enemy.” It is better to love with severity than to deceive with gentleness. § 1. Bread is more usefully taken away from a hungry person if, secure concerning food, he was neglecting justice, than bread is broken for a hungry person so that, seduced, he may acquiesce in injustice. § 2. Both one who binds a madman and one who rouses a lethargic person are troublesome to both and love both. § 3. Who can love us more than God? And yet He does not cease not only to teach us gently but also to frighten us beneficially. To the gentle fomentations by which He consoles us He often also joins the most biting medicine of tribulation; He exercises the patriarchs, even the pious and religious, by hunger; He drives a contumacious people with graver punishments; when the Apostle asks three times, He does not remove from him the thorn of the flesh, so that virtue may be perfected in infirmity. And below: § 4. You should know that at times a thief scatters fodder to turn cattle away, and at times a shepherd recalls wandering cattle to the flock with a whip.
C. II. Nec qui parcit est amicus, nec qui uerberat inimicus.
Idem ad Vincentium Donatistam et Rogatistam. [epist. XLVIII.] Non omnis, qui parcit, amicus est, nec omnis, qui uerberat, inimicus. "Meliora sunt uulnera amici quam uoluntaria oscula inimici." Melius est cum seueritate diligere quam cum lenitate decipere. §. 1. Utilius esurienti panis tollitur, si de cibo securus iustitiam negligebat, quam esurienti panis frangitur, ut iniustitiae seductus acquiescat. §. 2. Et qui freneticum ligat, et qui lethargicum excitat, ambobus molestus ambos amat. §. 3. Quis nos potest amplius amare quam Deus? Et tamen nos non solum docere suauiter, uerum etiam salubriter terrere non cessat. Fomentis lenibus, quibus consolatur, sepe etiam mordacissimum medicamentum tribulationis adiungit, exercet fame patriarchas, etiam pios et religiosos; populum contumacem penis grauioribus agitat; non aufert ab Apostolo stimulum carnis tertio rogatus, ut uirtutem in infirmitate perficiat. Et infra: §. 4. Noueris aliquando furem auertendis pecoribus pabulum spargere, et pastorem aliquando flagello ad gregem pecora errantia reuocare.
Friedberg, col. 549/550
C. III. One who is chastised and corrected is not held in hatred but is loved.
Likewise from the sermon [LXXXIV] of Ambrose, “Perhaps More Bitter.” A father does not always kiss his son, but sometimes chastises him. Therefore, when one who is loved is chastised, then dutiful affection is exercised toward him. For love too has its own wounds, which are sweeter when they are inflicted more bitterly. For religious chastisement is sweeter than flattering remission. Hence the Prophet says: “The wounds of a friend are sweeter than the voluntary kisses of an enemy.” GRATIAN. From these words it is given to be understood that one who pursues a crime by accusing or judging has contributed more to a brother's benefit than one who strives to foster it by concealing it. Eusebius, however, appears to enact the contrary when he prohibits those who voluntarily confess the crimes of others from being received in the accusation of bishops, saying [letter I to the Bishops of Gaul]:
C. III. Non odio habetur, sed diligitur, qui castigatur et corripitur.
Item ex sermone [LXXXIV.] Ambrosii, "Amarior fortasse." Non osculatur pater filium semper sed aliquando castigat. Ergo quando castigatur qui diligitur, tunc circa eum pietas exercetur. Habet enim et amor plagas suas, que dulciores sunt, cum amarius inferuntur. Dulcior est enim castigatio religiosa quam blanda remissio. Unde ait Propheta: "Dulciora sunt uulnera amici quam uoluntaria oscula inimici." Gratian. Ex his uerbis datur intelligi, quod magis contulerit utilitati fraternae, qui crimen accusando uel iudicando persequitur, quam qui celando fouere nititur. Eusebius autem contra statuere uidetur, dum aliorum crimina sponte confitentes in episcoporum accusatione recipi prohibet dicens: [epist. I. ad Episcopos Galliae]
Friedberg, col. 549/550
C. IV. Those who voluntarily confess the crimes of others shall not be admitted to an accusation.
Those who are suspect either in the Catholic faith or because of enmity shall not be admitted to the accusation of bishops. Nor shall those who voluntarily confess the crimes of others. And therefore the truth, brought forth voluntarily, must be carefully elicited anew, though it cannot have a voice in them. A religious torturer ought to exact this truth from its hiding places by diverse tortures, so that, while bodies are subjected to punishments, the things that were done may be faithfully and truthfully investigated.
C. IV. Ad accusationem non admittantur aliorum crimina sponte confitentes.
Illi, qui aut in fide catholica, aut inimicitia suspecti sunt, ad pulsationem episcoporum non admittantur. Nec illi, qui aliorum sponte crimina confitentur. Et ideo replicanda sollicite est ueritas, quam sponte prolata in illis habere uox non potest. Hanc diuersis cruciatibus e latebris suis religiosus tortor exigere debet, ut dum penis corpora subiciuntur, que gesta sunt fideliter et ueraciter exquirantur.
Friedberg, col. 549/550
C. V. Concerning the same.
Likewise in Proverbs, [c. 11]. One who walks deceitfully reveals secrets; but one who is faithful conceals what was committed to his mind. And below, [c. 25]: § 1. Do not quickly bring forth in a quarrel what your eyes have seen, lest afterward you be unable to make amends when you have dishonored your friend. GRATIAN. But it is one thing to report the crimes of others out of charity, so that those whom we cannot correct by a secret admonition may, once convicted, be corrected by a judge's sentence, and another thing either to charge false things by plotting or readily to reproach true things by taunting. The former is an office of charity, but the latter of impiety. § 1. Hence it is said in the same Proverbs, [c. 12]: “The words of the impious lie in wait for blood; the mouth of the just shall deliver them.” And below: “One who speaks what he knows is a judge of justice; but one who lies is a deceitful witness.” Likewise: “The lip of truth shall be steadfast forever; but one who is a sudden witness fashions a tongue of falsehood.” Likewise, [c. 13]: “One who guards his mouth guards his soul; but one who is inconsiderate in speaking shall experience evils. The just man will detest a lying word; but the impious man confounds and shall be confounded.” § 2. Likewise Augustine on Psalm 34: “If at any time through human infirmity our feet are moved into some sin, the most iniquitous tongues of our enemies rise up; when pity ought to have been shown, the impious ridicule that for which the pious grieve.”
C. V. De eodem.
Item in Prouerbiis. [c. 11.] Qui ambulat fraudulenter, reuelat archana; qui autem fidelis est, celat animi commissum. Et infra: [c. 25.] §. 1. Que uiderunt oculi tui ne proferas in iurgio cito, ne postea emendare non possis, cum dehonestaueris amicum tuum. Gratian. Sed aliud est ex karitate aliorum crimina deferre, ut quos secreta ammonitione corrigere non possumus conuictos iudicis sententia corripiat, atque aliud insidiando falsa obicere, uel insultando uera facile exprobrare. Illud autem karitatis, hoc uero inpietatis est offitium. §. 1. Unde in eisdem prouerbiis [cap. 12.] dicitur: "Verba inpiorum insidiantur sanguini: os iustorum liberabit eos." Et infra: "Qui quod nouit loquitur, iudex iustitiae est: qui autem mentitur, testis est fraudulentus." Item: "Labium ueritatis firmum erit in perpetuum: qui autem testis est repentinus, concinnat linguam mendacii." Item: [c. 13.] "Qui custodit os suum, custodit animam suam: qui autem inconsideratus est ad loquendum, sentiet mala. Verbum mendax iustus detestabitur: inpius autem confundit et confundetur." §. 2. Item Augustinus in Psalmo 34.: "Si aliquando humana infirmitate pedes nostri in aliquod peccatum mouentur, insurgunt linguae iniquissimae inimicorum; cum fuisset miserendum, irrident inpii, unde dolent pii."
Friedberg, col. 549/550