How Pope Boniface sent the Pall and a letter to Justus, successor to Mellitus [624 A.D.]
JUSTUS, bishop of the church of Rochester, immediately succeeded
Mellitus in the archbishopric. He consecrated Romanus bishop of
that see in his own stead, having obtained authority to ordain
bishops from Pope Boniface, whom we mentioned above as successor
to Deusdedit: of which licence this is the form:
"Boniface, to his most beloved brother Justus. We have
learnt not only from the contents of your letter addressed to us,
but from the fulfilment granted to your work, how faithfully and
vigilantly you have laboured, my brother, for the Gospel of
Christ; for Almighty God has not forsaken either the mystery of
His Name, or the fruit of your labours, having Himself faithfully
promised to the preachers of the Gospel, 'Lo! I am with you
alway, even unto the end of the world'; which promise His mercy
has particularly manifested in this ministry imposed upon you,
opening the hearts of the nations to receive the wondrous mystery
of your preaching. For He has blessed with a rich reward your
Eminence's acceptable course, by the support of His loving
kindness; granting a plentiful increase to your labours in the
faithful management of the talents committed to you, and
bestowing it on that which you might confirm to many generations.
This is conferred on you by that recompense whereby, constantly
persevering in the ministry imposed upon you, you have awaited
with praiseworthy patience the redemption of that nation, and
that they might profit by your merits, salvation has been
bestowed on them. For our Lord Himself says, 'He that endureth to
the end shall be saved.'' You are, therefore, saved by the hope
of patience, and the virtue of endurance, to the end that the
hearts of unbelievers, being cleansed from their natural disease
of superstition, might obtain the mercy of their Saviour: for
having received letters from our son Adulwald, we perceive with
how much knowledge of the Sacred Word you, my brother, have
brought his mind to the belief in true conversion and the
certainty of the faith. Therefore, firmly confiding in the
long-suffering of the Divine clemency, we believe that, through
the ministry of your preaching, there will ensue most full
salvation not only of the nations subject to him, but also of
their neighbours; to the end, that as it is written, the
recompense of a perfect work may be conferred on you by the Lord,
the Rewarder of all the just; and that the universal confession
of all nations, having received the mystery of the Christian
faith, may declare, that in truth 'Their sound is gone out into
all the earth, and their words unto the end of the world.'
"We have also, my brother, moved by the warmth of our
goodwill, sent you by the bearer of these presents, the pall,
giving you authority to use it only in the celebration of the
Sacred Mysteries; granting to you likewise to ordain bishops when
there shall be occasion, through the Lord's mercy; that so the
Gospel of Christ, by the preaching of many, may be spread abroad
in all the nations that are not yet converted. You must,
therefore, endeavour, my brother, to preserve with unblemished
sincerity of mind that which you have received through the
kindness of the Apostolic see, bearing in mind what it is that is
represented by the honourable vestment which you have obtained to
be borne on your shoulders. And imploring the Divine mercy, study
to show yourself such that you may present before the tribunal of
the Supreme Judge that is to come, the rewards of the favour
granted to you, not with guiltiness, but with the benefit of
souls. "God preserve you in safety, most dear brother!"