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Des actes du procès de Pélage

19.

Pendant que je lisais la justification de Pélage dans le manuscrit que je venais de recevoir, j'avais auprès de moi quelques-uns de nos frères qui se déclarèrent possesseurs des livres ascétiques et consolateurs adressés à une veuve, et sans aucun nom d'auteur, quoiqu'ils fussent bien l'oeuvre de Pélage. Ils me prièrent de m'assurer si les propositions dont il niait la paternité se trouvaient dans ces ouvrages, car ils l'ignoraient eux-mêmes, Je lus donc ces livres et j'y trouvai les propositions contestées. Or, ceux qui m'avaient procuré les volumes, affirmaient qu'ils les possédaient depuis quatre ans et qu'ils les avaient toujours regardés comme l'oeuvre de Pélage, sans que personne eût soulevé le moindre doute à cet égard.La fidélité de ces serviteurs de Dieu m'était connue, je compris par un examen plus attentif encore qu'elle ne pouvait être en défaut sur cette matière. De là j'ai dû conclure que Pélage avait fait à ses juges une fausse déposition, car il ne nous paraissait pas possible que des ouvrages lui fussent attribués depuis tant d'années sans qu'il en fût réellement l'auteur ; cependant ces fidèles n'ont jamais dit qu'ils les eussent reçus de lui, ou qu'il leur eût avoué qu'il en était l'auteur. N'ai-je pas appris moi-même de quelques-uns de nos frères que des ouvrages étaient parvenus en Espagne sous le couvert de mon nom ?mais alors il arrivait toujours que les uns refusaient de me les attribuer, pour peu surtout qu'ils eussent lu quelques-uns de mes livres; d'autres, au contraire, continuaient à soutenir que j'en étais l'auteur.

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A work on the proceedings of pelagius

Chapter 19.--The Same Continued.

Now it so happened that, while we were reading this defence of Pelagius in the small paper which we received at first, ¹ there were present certain holy brethren, who said that they had in their possession some hortatory or consolatory works which Pelagius had addressed to a widow lady whose name did not appear, and they advised us to examine whether the words which he had abjured for his own occurred anywhere in these books. They were not themselves aware whether they did or not. The said books were accordingly read through, and the words in question were actually discovered in them. Moreover, they who had produced the copy of the book, affirmed that for now almost four years they had had these books as Pelagius', nor had they once heard a doubt expressed about his authorship. Considering, then, from the integrity of these servants of God, which was very well known to us, how impossible it was for them to use deceit in the matter, the conclusion seemed inevitable, that Pelagius must be supposed by us to have rather been the deceiver at his trial before the bishops; unless we should think it possible that something may have been published, even for so many years, in his name, although not actually composed by him; for our informants did not tell us that they had received the books from Pelagius himself, nor had they ever heard him admit his own authorship. Now, in my own case, certain of our brethren have told me that sundry writings have found their way into Spain under my name. Such persons, indeed, as had read my genuine writings could not recognise those others as mine; although by other persons my authorship of them was quite believed.