If the first consideration always is, invincible emperor, the devotion observed by rulers, if favor with lords is won solely by obedience; you will undoubtedly recognize with what gratitude the oracles of your holy command were received by your senate. Especially since to these also adds the spirit of our most invincible lord King Theodoric, your son, commanding obedience to your mandates, and we know that we are more uplifted by your benefits when you consider us worthy of being commanded. Therefore, soon with the zeal for fulfilling the sacred command, we believed it necessary to beseech the most blessed Pope Hormisdas. It is not enough to say about him that he anticipated the prayers of the supplicants with kindness; he also joined his prayers with ours, so that what you urge may be done, affirming his will with Gospel testimonies, showing that the world is more burdened by scandals above the multitude of its sins, while this is the divine voice: “Woe to the world because of scandals” (Matthew 18). And the same, that men should cut off parts of their members that cause scandal, rather than be thrown into eternal fire, not renouncing scandals.

Moreover, after these divine reading examples, he showed how good the fruits of peace are when he said: “And the apostle Paul, full of the grace of God, found nothing better to wish for those to whom he wished well, except that the peace of God, which is above all excellence, should abound in their senses; and that in the Gospel of the Lord, there is this voice saying: ‘For the peacemakers will be called the children of God’ (Matthew 5).” And again, returning to the teacher of all Scriptures, he showed how much greater love is, even than the faith by which we presume the heavenly kingdoms and are saved from the torments of sins by believing, adding such a testimony: “Hope, faith, love, but the greatest of all is love” (1 Corinthians 13), that is, the Spirit, by divine grace, elevates love above all virtues. Therefore, if we avoid scandals for fear of punishment and pursue peace for the sake of the goods of peace, and Christ, who is love, urges us toward love, what is it that retains us with Catholic ardor? What is it that prevents us, who wish to see Christ, by the persona of the delinquent Acacius? What is it that, free from his own error, burdens us with a foreign one?

These things, more elaborately explained by the venerable pope in writings, we believed should be presented for our devotion’s obedience, lest we be thought not to have asked by concealing the answer we received when pleading. Therefore, most pious emperor, provoked in your name, the senate added these things to the clemency of your Serenity, so that you, who have been so benevolently inclined in reconciling both republics, may also be known to be pious in restoring the unity of the Church. For as that peace of the kingdoms is known to benefit the subjects, so this religious peace profits the ruling with its people. Indeed, who would not think that the followers of perfidious heresies have sinned more than the authors themselves? Who would not condemn those who, after the cross’s gallows, again divide the members of Christ? If only this cause had begun under your reign, so that the evils, more easily suppressed at their birth than when advanced, might be restrained. For who would doubt that the error could not exist, which one would see corrected during their times? Through Ennodius and Fortunatus, bishops, Venantius, presbyter, Vitalis, deacon, and Hilarius, notary.