Godescalc, Lettre à Gislemar de Corbie, et défense contre Hincmar de Reims

Abstract

Hincmar of Rheims, in his treatise Ad reclusos et simplices, quotes a short extract of a Letter of Gottschalk to Gislemar, monk of Corbie. Actually, this text is excerpted from S. Augustine’s De correptione et gratia 7, 14 and, second distinctive feature, it forms - before some practical recommendations - the conclusion of the Opuscule théologique XVIII of Gottschalk (edition of Dom Lambot). Consequently : 1. It becomes possible to reconstruct as a whole the De praedestinatione which is the supposed Letter to Gislemar, by reading one after the other the Opuscules théologiques VII, XI and XII, XIV, XV and XVI, ending with XVIII. The other Opuscules (VIII, IX, X and XIII) are a collection of Sentences de l’Écriture et des saints Pères, which preserves the content of the booklet Gottschalk was forced to burn, as a result of its condemnation at the council of Quierzy (Spring 849). 2. The condemnation of a text of Augustine in order to denounce a supposed error of Gottschalk resulted in a complete loss of credit of the accusation by Hincmar before the bishops. It is thus suitable to revise the procedures against Gottschalk and to establish that he is not a heretic and consequently that there is no controversy on the double predestination until Hincmar raised it when he asked for an examination by John Scot of the Augustinian doctrine as defended by Gottschalk.