A Source Book for Ancient Church History - Mirrors

745election, we have sent you our fellow-servants as the bearers ofthis letter (names), most holy bishop (name), venerable presbyter(name), regionary notary (name), regionary subdeacons (names),honorable citizens, and from the most flourishing and successful [682]Roman army (name), most eminent consul, and (names) chiefmen, tribunes of the army, begging and praying together that yourexcellency, whom may God preserve, may with your accustomedgoodness agree with our pious choice; because he, who has beenunanimously elected by our humility, is such that so far as humandiscernment is able to see, no spot of reproach appears in him.And therefore we beg and beseech you, by God's inspiration, togrant our petition quickly, because there are many questions andother matters arising daily which require for remedy the care ofpontifical favor. And the affairs of the province and the need ofcauses connected therewith also seek and await the control of dueauthority. Besides we need some one to keep the neighboringenemy in check, which can only be done by the power of God,and of the Prince of the Apostles through his vicar, the bishop ofRome; since it is well known that at various times the bishop ofRome has driven off enemies by his warnings, and at other timeshe has turned aside and restrained them by his prayers; so thatby his words alone, on account of their reverence for the Princeof the Apostles, they have offered voluntary obedience, and thusthey, whom the force of arms had not overcome, have yielded tothe warnings and prayers of the Pope.Since these things are so, we again and again beseech you, ourexalted lord, preserved by God, that, with the aid and inspirationof God in your heart, you may quickly give orders to adornthe Apostolic See by the completed ordination of the same, ourfather. And we, your humble servants, on seeing our desiresfulfilled, may then give unceasing thanks to God and to you, andwith our spiritual pastor, our bishop, enthroned in the ApostolicSeat, we may pour out prayers for the life and health and completevictories of our most exalted and Christian lords (names),