Justus’ Promotion to Archbishop

Boniface, to our most beloved brother Justus.

The devotion and indeed the vigilance, my dear brother, with which you have toiled for the gospel of Christ are known to us not only from the contents of your letter but still more from the successful fruition which heaven has bestowed upon your work. God Almighty has not failed either to uphold the honor of His name or to grant fruit to your labors, in accordance with His faithful promise to those who preach the gospel, “Behold, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world” (Matthew 28:20). This promise He has in His mercy specially fulfilled in the ministry He has given you, opening the hearts of the Gentiles to receive the wondrous mystery of the gospel you preach. For by His grace and favor, He has crowned the gratifying progress of your toils with a great reward, and He has prepared an abundant harvest for the faithful employment of those talents entrusted to you, having presented to you what you can hand back to Him in the form of a multitude of souls born again. This is given to you in compensation for the exemplary patience with which you have awaited the redemption of that nation, continually persistent in your appointed mission, and salvation has been gifted to them so that they too might profit by your merits. For our Lord says, “He that endures to the end will be saved” (Matthew 24:13). You have been saved by your patient hope and courageous endurance in the work of cleansing the hearts of unbelievers from their inherent disease of superstition, so that they might win the mercy of the Savior. We have learned from the letters received from our son King Eadbald how you, brother, by your knowledge and holy eloquence, have guided his soul to the certainty of true conversion and a state of real faith. For this reason and because we have complete faith in the patient mercy of God, we are certain that the result of your ministry will be the complete conversion not only of the peoples subject to him but also of their neighbors. In this way, as it is written, you will receive the reward of a finished task from the Lord and Giver of all good things, and indeed all nations will confess having received the mystery of the Christian faith and will declare in truth that “their sound is gone out into all the earth, and the words unto the end of the world” (Psalm 19:3). Moved by your zeal, we are sending you a pallium by the bearer of this present letter and grant you permission to use it only when celebrating the sacred mysteries. We also grant you the privilege of consecrating bishops as occasion demands and as the Lord in His mercy guides you so that the gospel of Christ may be spread abroad by the preaching of many among all those peoples who are not yet converted. And, my brother, see to it that with unimpaired integrity of heart you preserve what you have received through the favor of the apostolic see, remembering the significance of this honorable vestment which you have been given to wear on your shoulders.

Seek God’s mercy and study to show yourself such that, before the tribunal of the great Judge who is to come, you may display this honor which has been granted to you, not only without stain or guilt but also enriched by your reward of souls converted. May God keep you safe, most beloved brother.