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History of the Franks

St Gregory of Tours, tr. Dalton, 1927

Book 2, 34. How Gundobad Would Be Converted

Gundobad, perceiving the doctrines of the heretics to be worthless, confessed that Christ, the Son of God, and the Holy Ghost are both equal to the Father, and asked secret baptism of the holy bishop of Vienne. But the bishop replied: ‘If thou verily believest, it is thy duty to follow the teaching of our Lord Himself, when He said: “If any man will confess Me before men, him will I also confess before My Father which is in heaven; but whosoever shall deny Me before men, him will I also deny before My Father which is in heaven.”¹ This also did our Lord urge even upon His holy and beloved, the blessed apostles, when He said: “But beware of men; for they will deliver you up to councils, and in their synagogues they will scourge you; yea, and before governors and kings shall ye be brought for My sake, for a testimony to them and to the Gentiles.”² But thou that art a king, and needest not to fear that any shall lay hands on thee, see how thou dreadest revolt among the people, not daring to confess in public the Creator of all men. Forsake this foolishness, and that which thou professest to believe in thy heart declare with thy lips before the people. For according to the word of the blessed apostle: “With the heart man believeth unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.”³ Likewise also the prophet saith: “I will give Thee thanks in the great congregation, I will praise Thee among much people.”⁴ And again: “I will give thanks unto Thee, O Lord, among the peoples; I will sing praises unto Thee among the nations.”⁵ Thou fearest the people, O king; but perceivest thou not that it is more meet for the people to follow thy belief, than for thee to indulge their weakness? For thou art the head of the people; the people is not thy head. If thou goest a warfare, it is thou that goest before the troops of thy host, which follow whither thou leadest. Wherefore it is better that thou shouldst lead them to the knowledge of the truth than that thou shouldst perish and leave them in their error. “For God is not mocked,”⁶ nor doth He love the man who for an earthly kingdom refuseth to confess Him before the world.’ Though troubled by these arguments, Gundobad persisted to his dying day in this madness, nor ever would publicly confess that the three Persons of the Trinity are equal. The blessed Avitus was at this time of great eloquence; for heresy springing up in Constantinople, both that taught by Eutyches and that of Sabellius, to the effect that our Lord Jesus Christ had in Him nothing of the divine nature, at the request of King Gundobad he wrote against them. There are to-day extant among us his admirable letters, which, as they once quelled heresy, so now they edify the Church of God. He wrote a book of Homilies, six metrical books on the creation of the world and on various other subjects, and nine books of Letters, including those just mentioned. In a homily composed on the Rogations, he relates that these solemnities which we celebrate before the triumph of our Lord’s Ascension were instituted by Mamertus, bishop of Vienne (his own see when he wrote), at a time when the city was alarmed by many portents. For it was frequently shaken by earthquakes, and wild creatures, stags and wolves, entered the gates, wandering without fear through the whole city. These things befell through the circle of the year, till at the approach of the Easter festival the whole people looked devoutly for the mercy of God, that at last this day of great solemnity might set a term to all their terror. But on the very vigil of that glorious night, while the holy rite of the Mass was being celebrated, on a sudden the royal palace within the walls was set ablaze by fire from heaven. All the congregation, stricken with fear, rushed from the church, believing that the whole city would be consumed in this fire, or that the earth would open and swallow it up. The holy bishop, prostrate before the altar, with groans and tears implored the mercy of God. What need for me to say more? The prayer of the illustrious bishop penetrated to the height of heaven; the river of his flowing tears extinguished the burning palace. When, after these events, the day of the Lord’s Ascension drew near, he imposed a fast upon the people, instituted the form of prayer, the order of their repasts, and the manner of their joyful almsgiving to the poor. Thereupon all these terrors ceased; the fame of this deed spread through all the provinces, putting all the bishops in mind to follow the example of his faith. And down to our day these rites are celebrated in all churches in Christ’s name, in compunction of the heart and a contrite spirit.

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