A Source Book for Ancient Church History - Mirrors

426 A Source Book for Ancient Church HistoryGregory and others approved of manumission of slaves as anact of self-denial, for therein a man surrendered what belongedto him, as in almsgiving; but he and others also justified thepractice of manumission upon lines that recall Stoic ideas ofman's natural freedom. Yet, at the same time, Gregory couldinsist upon the strict discipline of slaves in the administrationof the Church property.The following is a letter of manumission addressed apparentlyto a man and his wife.[389]Since our Redeemer, the Maker of every creature, vouchsafed toassume human flesh for this end, that when by the grace of Hisdivinity the chain of slavery wherewith we were held had beenbroken He might restore us to our pristine liberty, it is a salutarydeed if men, whom nature originally produced free, and whomthe law of nations has subjected to the yoke of slavery, be restoredby the benefit of manumission to the liberty in which they wereborn. And so moved by loving-kindness and consideration ofthe case, we make you Montana and Thomas, slaves of the holyRoman Church, which with the help of God we serve, free fromthis day and Roman citizens, and we release to you all yourprivate property. 142(g) Codex Theodosianus, XV, 12, 1; A. D. 325. Cf. Kirch, n.754.Constitution of Constantine regarding gladiatorial shows.This edict was by no means enforced everywhere. In a shorterform it passed into the Cod. Just. (XI, 44, 1), but only afterthe edict of Honorius had stopped these shows.142 The peculium of the slave, property which he was allowed to possess butonly by the sufferance of the master.