History of the FranksGregory, Bishop of Tours, Saint
History
History of the Franks
Gregory, Bishop of Tours, Saint
France -- Church history -- To 987; France -- History -- To 987; Franks -- History -- To 768
[16. Felix’s niece had been married to Pappolenus but Felix brought
about their separation. Pappolenus now recovered his wife from a
nunnery.]
17. King Chilperic ordered many Jews to be baptized that year and
received a number of them from the sacred font. Some of them however
were purified in body only, not in heart, and lying to God they
returned to their former perfidy so that they could be seen to
observe the Sabbath as well as honor the Lord’s day. But Priscus
could not be influenced in any way to recognize the truth. The king
was angry at him and ordered him to be put into prison, in the idea
that if he did not wish to believe of his own accord he would force
him to hear and believe. But Priscus offered gifts and asked for time
until his son should marry a Hebrew girl at Marseilles; he promised
deceitfully that he would then do what the king required. Meantime a
quarrel arose between him and Phatir, one of the Jewish converts who
was now a godson to the king. And when on the Sabbath Priscus clad
in an orary and carrying nothing of iron in his hand, was retiring
to a secret place to fulfill the law of Moses, suddenly Phatir came
upon him and slew him with the sword together with the companions
who accompanied him. When they were slain Phatir fled with his men
to the church of St. Julian which was on a neighboring street. While
they were there they heard that the king had granted to the master
his life but ordered the men to be dragged like malefactors from
the church and put to death. Then, their master being already gone,
one of them drew his sword and killed his comrades and then left
the church armed with his sword, but the people rushed upon him and
he was cruelly killed. Phatir obtained permission and returned to
Gunthram’s kingdom whence he had come. But soon after he was killed
by Priscus’s kinsmen.
[18. Legates returning from Spain report that king Leuvigild admits
that Christ is the equal of God but denies that the Holy Spirit is
God at all. 19. Gunthram’s men cross the river Orge and do damage in
Chilperic’s territory.]
20. In that year Chrodinus died, a man of magnificent goodness and
piety, a great almsgiver and helper of the poor, a lavish enricher
of churches and supporter of the clergy. For he often started at the
beginning and cleared estates, laying out vineyards, building houses,
making fields. And he would then invite bishops who were poor and
give them a feast and generously distribute among them houses with
fields and men to till them and silver and bedding and utensils and
officers and slaves saying: “Let these properties be given to the
church, that when poor men are supported upon them they may obtain
pardon for me before God.” I have heard many other good things
of this man which it would take too long to tell. He died in his
seventieth year.
[21. List of prodigies.]
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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