lost, as the course of our proceedings, and the been asked, and the choice of the clergysentence which was pronounced by us after things which those who know the rules of the holding the inquiry testifies. fathers are wont to observe in the ordination of priests that the rule of the Apostle's

IV. Hilary's treatment of Projectus does not authority might in all things be kept, which

redound to his credit.

enjoins that one who is to be the priest of a church should be fortified, not only by the When this business was so concluded, the attestation of the faithful but also by the complaint of our brother and fellow-bishop, Pro- testimony of "those who are without," and jectus 9, next came before us: who addressed that no occasion for offence be left, when, in us in a tearful and piteous letter, about the peace and in GOD-pleasing harmony with the ordaining of a bishop over his head. A letter full approval of all, one who will be a teacher was also brought to us from his own fellow- of peace is ordained. citizens, corroborated by a great many indi

out, and we have restored Projectus.

vidual signatures, and full of the most unplea- v. Hilary's action was very reprehensible throughsant complaints against Hilary: to the effect that Projectus, their bishop, was not allowed to be ill, but his priesthood had been transferred to But Hilary came upon them unawares and another without their knowledge, and the heir departed no less suddenly, accomplishing many brought into possession by Hilary, the intruder, journeys with great speed, as we have asceras if to fill up a vacancy, though the possessor tained, and traversing distant provinces with was still alive 1. We should like to hear what such haste that he seems to have coveted you, brothers, think on the point: although a reputation for the swiftness of a courier we ought not to entertain any doubt about your feelings, when you picture to yourselves a brother lying on a sick-bed and tortured, not so much by his bodily weakness as by pains of another kind. What hope in life is left a man who is visited with despair about his priesthood, whilst another is set up in his place? Hilary gives a clear proof of his gentle heart when he believed that the tardiness of a brother's death is but a hindrance to his own ambitious designs. For, as far as in him lay, he quenched the light for him; he robbed him of life by setting up another in his room, and thus causing him such pain as to hinder his recovery. And supposing that his brother's passage from this world was brief, but after the common course of men, what does Hilary seek for himself in another's province, and why does he claim that which none of his predecessors before Patroclus possessed? whereas that very position which seemed to have been temporarily granted to Patroclus by the Apostolic See was afterwards withdrawn by a wiser decision2. At least the wishes of the citizens should have been waited for, and the testimony of the people 3: the opinion of those held in honour should have

9 Projectus was perhaps a bishop of the province of Gallia

Narbonensis I.: Perthel, f. 27.

Quod Projecto episcopo suo agrotare liberum non fuisset eiusque sacerdotium in alium præter suam notitiam esse trans latum, et tamquam in vacuam possessionem ab Hilario pervasore hæredem viventis inductum. The construction is changed from

quod.... fuisset, to the ordinary accus. and infin.

2 Patroclus had been Bishop of Arles circ. 416, and the then Bishop of Rome, Zosimus. had granted him metropolitan rights over the provinces of S. E. Gaul, which did not gain the acceptance of the other chie bishops in the district, and Boniface 1. (Ep 12), in 422 seems to have withdrawn the rights granted by Zosimus (Schaff, 1, p. 297).

3 Civium: populorum. The former are apparently called lower down fidelium, and the latter qui foris sunt.

rather than for the sobriety of a priest 5. For these are the words of the citizens in the letter that has been addressed to us :-" He departed before we knew he had come." This is not to return but to flee, not to exercise a shepherd's wholesome care, but to employ the violence of a thief and a robber, as saith the LORD: "he that entereth not by the door into the sheepfold, but climbeth up some other way, is a thief and a robber." Hilary, therefore, was anxious not so much to consecrate a bishop as to kill him who was sick, and to mislead the man whom he set over his head by wrongful ordination. We, however, have done what, as GOD is our Judge, we believe you will approve: after holding counsel with all the brethren we have decreed that the wrongfully ordained man should be deposed and the Bishop Projectus abide in his priesthood: with the further provision that when any of our brethren in whatsoever province shall decease, he who has been agreed upon to be metropolitan of that province shall claim for himself the ordination of his successor.

These two matters, as we see, have been settled, though there are many other points in them which seem to have violated the principles of the Church, and ought to be visited with just censure and judgment. But we cannot linger on them any further, for we are called off to other matters on which we must carefully confer with you, holy brethren.

4 1 Tim. iii. 17.

5 Gloriam de scurrili velocitate potius quam de sacerdotali moderatione captasse.

6 In cortem ovium: the low Latin word (cors) is in the Vulgate changed to ovile.

VI. Hilary's practice of using armed violence VII. Hilary is deposed not only from his

must be suppressed.

usurped jurisdiction, but also from what of right belongs to him, and is restricted to his own single bishopric.

Let each province be content with its own councils, and let not Hilary dare to summon synodal meetings besides, and by his interference disturb the judgments of the LORD'S priests. And let him know that he is not only deposed from another's rights, but also deprived of his power over the province of Vienne which he had wrongfuily assumed. For it is but fair, brethren, that the ordinances of antiquity should be restored, seeing that he who claimed for himself the ordinations of a province for which he was not

A band of soldiers, as we have learnt, follows the priest through the provinces and helps him who relies upon their armed support in turbulently invading churches, which have lost their own priests. Before this court 7 are dragged for ordination men who are quite unknown to the cities over which they are to be set. For as one who is well known and approved is sought out in peace, so must one who is unknown, when brought forward, be established by violence. I beg and entreat and beseech you in GoD's name prevent such things, brethren, and remove all occasion for discord from your provinces. At all events we acquit ourselves before GOD in beseeching responsible, has been shown in a similar way you not to allow this to proceed further. In in the present case also to have acted so that, peace and quietness should they be asked as he has on more than one occasion brought for who are to be priests. The consent of the on himself sentence of condemnation by his clergy, the testimony of those held in honour, rash and insolent words, he may now be kept the approval of the orders and the laity should by our command in accordance with the clebe required. He who is to govern all, should mency of the Apostolic See 3 to the priestbe chosen by all 9. As we said before, each hood of his own city alone. He is not to metropolitan should keep in his own hands the be present then at any ordination: he is not ordinations that occur in his own province, to ordain because, conscious of his deserts, acting in concert with those who precede the when he was required to answer for his action, rest in seniority of priesthood, a privilege re- he trusted to make good his escape by disgracestored to him through us. No man should ful flight, and has put himself out of Apostolic claim for himself another's rights. Each communion, of which he did not deserve to should keep within his own limits and bound- be a partaker 4: and we believe this was by aries, and should understand that he cannot GOD's providence, who brought him to our pass on to another a privilege that belongs to himself. But if any one neglecting the Apostle's prohibitions and paying too much heed to personal favour, wishes to give up his precedence, thinking he can pass his rights on to another, not he to whom he has yielded, but he who ranks before the rest of the priests within the province in episcopal seniority, should claim to himself the power of ordaining. The ordination should be performed not at random but on the proper day: and it should be known that any one who has not been ordained on the evening of Saturday, which precedes the dawn of the first day of the week, or actually on the LORD's day cannot be sure of his status. For our forefathers judged the day of the LORD'S resurrection as alone worthy of the honour of being the occasion on which those who are to be made priests are given to GOD.

court, though we did not expect him, and caused him to retire by stealth in the midst of holding the inquiry, that he should not be a partner in our communion 5.

VIII. Excommunication should be inflicted only on those who are guilty of some great crime, and even then not hastily.

No Christian should lightly be denied communion, nor should that be done at the will of an angry priest which the judge's mind ought to a certain extent unwillingly and regretfully to carry out for the punishment of a great crime. For we have ascertained that some have been cut off from the grace of communion for trivial deeds and words, and that the soul for which Christ's blood was shed has been exposed to the devil's attacks and wounded, disarmed, so to say, and stript of all

3 Pro apostolicæ sedis pietate, or "as loyalty to the Apostolic See demands." 4 This does not mean that Hilary is excommunicated, but that he is to have no share in episcopal privileges, as a successor of the apostles.

5 These words of course refer to Hilary's journey on foot to Rome, and his subsequent escape from something very much like prison see Introduction, p. vi. : for his degradation, cf. Letter XII. chap. ix., where a similar punishment is enacted.

6 Here, no doubt, excommunication pure and simple is meant. Cf. note 4, supr.

defence by the infliction of so savage a punish- the rest of the priests in their own provinces. ment as to fall an easy prey to him. Of GOD keep you safe, beloved brethren.

course if ever a case has arisen of such a kind as in due proportion to the nature of the crime committed to deprive a man of communion, he only who is involved in the accusation must be subjected to punishment and he who is not shown to be a partner in its commission ought not to share in the penalty. But what wonder that one who is wont to exult over the condemnation of priests, should show himself in the same light towards laymen.

LETTER XI.

AN ORDINANCE OF VALENTINIANUS III. (Confirming Leo's sentence upon Hilary.)

LETTER XII.

Leo, bishop of the city of Rome, to all the bishops of Mauritania Cæsariensis in Africa greeting in the LORD.

I. The disorderly appointments of bishops which have been made in the province are reprehensible.

IX. Leontius is appointed in Hilary's room. Wherefore, because our desire seems very different to this (for we are anxious that the settled state of all the Churches and the harmony of the priests should be maintained,) Inasmuch as the frequent accounts of exhorting you to unity in the bond of love, those who visited us made mention of certain we both entreat, and consistently with our unlawful practices among you with regard to affection admonish you, in the interests of the ordination of priests, the demands of reyour peace and dignity, to keep what has been ligion required that we should strive to arrive decreed by us at the inspiration of GoD and at the exact state of the case in accordance the most blessed Apostle Peter, after sifting and with that solicitude which by the Divine testing all the matters at issue, being assured command we bestow on the whole Church : that what we are known to have decided in and so we delegated the charge of this to our this way is not so much to our own advantage brother and fellow-priest, Potentius, who was as to yours. For we are not keeping in our own setting out from us: and who, according to hands the ordinations of your provinces, as what we wrote and adaressed to you by him, perhaps Hilary, with his usual untruthfulness, was to make inquiry as to the facts about may suggest in order to mislead your minds, the bishops whose election was said to be holy brethren but in our anxiety we are claim- faulty, and to report everything faithfully to ing for you that no further innovations should us. Wherefore, because the same Potentius be allowed, and that for the future no oppor- has most fully disclosed all to our knowledge, tunity should be given for the usurper to and has by his truthful account made clear to infringe your privileges. For we acknowledge us, under what and what manner of governors that it can only redound to our credit, if the some of Christ's congregations are placed in diligence of the Apostolic See be kept un- certain parts of the province of (Mauritania) impaired among you, and if in our mainten- Cæsariensis, we have found it necessary to ance of Apostolic discipline we do not allow open out the grief wherewith our hearts are what belongs to your position to fall to the vexed for the dangers of the LORD's flocks, by ground through unscrupulous aggressions. sending this letter also to you beloved: for And since seniority is always to be respec- we are surprised that either the over-bearing ted, we wish Leontius 7, our brother and conduct of intriguers or the rioting of the fellow-bishop, a priest well-approved among people had so much weight with you in a you, to be promoted to this dignity, if it please time of disorder, that the chief pastorate and you that without his consent no further council governance of the Church was handed over be summoned by you, holy brethren, and that to the unworthiest persons, and such as were he may be honoured by you all as his age and farthest removed from the priestly standard. good fame demands, the metropolitans being This is not to consult but harm the peoples' secured in their own dignity and rights. For interests: and not to enforce discipline but it is but fair, and no injury seems to accrue to to increase differences. For the integrity of any of the brethren, if those who come first the rulers is the safeguard of those who are in seniority of the priesthood should, as their under them: and where there is complete obeage deserves, have deference paid to them by dience, there the form of doctrine is sound. But an appointment which has either been made by sedition or seized by intrigue, even though it offend not in morals or in practice, is nevertheless pernicious from the mere example of its beginning: and it is hard for

7 Leontius seems to have had little but his age to recommend him for this promotion: the name of his bishopric is unknown: and the weakness of the appointment may, I think, be gathered from Leo's insisting so strongly on the principle of seniority both here and in chap. vi. above.

things to be carried to a good issue which even in the wife of the priest-elect: lest were started with a bad beginning. she should happen to have been married to another man before she entered into wedlock

II. In no case ought bishops to be ordained with him, even though he himself had had no

hastily.

other wife. Who then would dare to allow this injury to be perpetrated upon so great But if in every grade of the Church great forethought and knowledge has to be em- a sacrament 3, seeing that this great and venerployed, lest there be any thing disorderly able mystery is not without the support of the or out of place in the house of the LORD: statutes of Gon's law as well, whereby it is how much more carefully must we strive to clearly laid down that a priest is to marry prevent mistakes in the election of him who is a virgin, and that she who is to be the wife set over all the grades? For the peace and of a priest is not to know another husband? order of the LORD's whole household will For even then in the priests was prefigured be shaken, if what is required in the body be the Spiritual marriage of Christ and His not found in the head. Where is that precept of the womans," the spouse of the Word may of the blessed Apostle Paul uttered through learn to know no other man but Christ, the Spirit of GOD, whereby in the person of

Church: so that since "the man is the head

Timothy the whole number of Christ's priests are who did rightly choose her only, loves her instructed, and to each one of us is said: "Lay only, and takes none but her into His alliance. hands hastily on no one, and do not share in If then even in the Old Testament this kind other men's sins??" What is to lay on hands of marriage among priests is adhered to, how hastily but to confer the priestly dignity on much more ought we who are placed under unproved men before the proper age, before the grace of the Gospel to conform to the there has been time to test them, before they Apostle's precepts: so that though a man be have deserved it by their obedience, before found endowed with good character, and furthey have been tried by discipline? And nished with holy works, he may nevertheless what is to share in other men's sins but for the in no wise ascend either to the grade of ordainer to become such as is he who ought to the highest rank of the bishopric, if it has deacon, or the dignity of the presbytery, or not to have been ordained by him? For just as a man stores up for himself the fruit of his been spread abroad either that he himself good work, if he maintains a right judgment wife is not the wife of one husband. is not the husband of one wife, or that his in choosing a priest so one who receives an unworthy priest into the number of his colleagues, inflicts grievous loss upon himself. We must not then pass over in the case of any one that which is laid down in the general ordinances nor is that advancement to be reckoned lawful which has been made contrary to the precepts of God's law.

IV. Premature promotions are to be avoided.

But when the Apostle warns and says: "and let these also first be proved, and so let them minister"," what else do we think must be understood but that in these promotions we should consider not only the chastity of their marriages, but also the deserts of their labours, lest the pastoral office be III. The Apostolic precept about the marriage entrusted to men who are either fresh from of the clergy based upon the marriage of baptism, or suddenly diverted from worldly Christ with the Church of which it is a pursuits? for through all the ranks of the figure. Christian army in the matter of promotions For as the Apostle says that among other it ought to be considered whether a man rules for election he shall be ordained bishop can manage a greater charge. Rightly did who is known to have been or to be "the the venerable opinions of the blessed Fathers husband of one wife," this command was in speaking of the election of priests reckon always held so sacred that the same condition those men fit for the administration of sacred was understood as necessary to be observed things who had been slowly advanced through

the various grades of office, and had given such good proof of themselves therein that in each one of them the character of their practices bore witness to their lives?. For

a Cf. Letter IV., chap. ii., and elsewhere.

3 No one will by this time be surprised to find Leo calling Sacred Orders either a sacramentum, as here, or a mysterium, as in the next sentence: the two terms are indeed in his usage almost equivalents. 4 Lev. xxi. 13. 61 Tim. iii. 10.

5 Eph. v. 23.

7 The shorter edition of this letter, which is extant, gives this

if it is improper to attain to the world's dig- done should be cleansed by a severer judg nities without the help of time and without the ment than usual, and that not only the rulers merit of having toiled, and if the seeking of themselves, but also those who ordained them office is branded unless it be supported by proofs should receive condign punishment? But of uprightness, how diligently and how carefully there stand on our one hand the gentleness ought the dispensing of divine duties and of mercy, on our other the strictness of justice. heavenly dignities to be carried out, lest And because "all the paths of the LORD are in aught the apostolic and canonical decrees loving-kindness and truth9," we are forced acbe violated, and the ruling of the LORD's cording to our loyalty to the Apostolic See so Church be committed to men who being ig- to moderate our opinion as to weigh men's norant of the lawful constitutions and devoid misdeeds in the balance (for of course they of all humility wish not to rise from the lowest are not all of one measure), and to reckon grade, but to begin with the highest for it is some as to a certain extent pardonable, extremely unfair and preposterous that the but others as altogether to be repressed. For inexpert should be preferred to the expert, they who have either entered into second the young to the old, the raw recruits to marriages or joined themselves in wedlock those who have seen much service. In a with widows are not allowed to hold the great house, indeed, as the Apostle explains, priesthood, either by the apostolic or legal there must needs be divers vessels, some of authority: and much more is this the case gold and of silver, and some of wood and of with him who, as it was reported to us, is the earth but their purpose varies with the qua- husband of two wives at once, or him who lity of their material, and the use of the being divorced by his wife is said to have precious and of the cheap kinds is not the married another, that is, supposing these same. For everything will be in disorder if charges are in your judgment proved. But the earthen ware be preferred to the golden, the rest, whose preferment only so far incurs or the wooden to the silver. And as the blame that they have been chosen to the wooden or earthen vessels are a figure of episcopal function from among the laity, and those men who are hitherto conspicuous for are not culpable in the matter of their wives, no virtues; so in the golden or silver vessels we allow to retain the priesthood upon which they no doubt are represented who, having they have entered, without prejudice to the passed through the fire of long experience, statutes of the Apostolic See, and without and through the furnace of protracted toil, have deserved to be tried gold and pure silver. And if such men get no reward for their devotion, all the discipline of the Church is loosened, all order is disturbed, while men who have undergone no service obtain undeserved preferment by the wrongful choice of the electing body.

V. He distinguishes between laymen who have been raised to the bishoprics and digamous clerks, forgiving the former and not the latter. Since then either the eager wishes of the people or the intrigues of the ambitious have had so much weight among you that we understand not only laymen, but even husbands of second wives or widows have been promoted to the pastoral office, are there not the clearest reasons for requiring that the churches in which such things have been

sentence in a very different form: the qualifications are much more exactly defined, e.g., bishops are to have spent their lives in orders a puerilibus exordiis usque ad provectiores annos. I think Quesnel is right in considering this a later version and alteration the better to inculcate the usage of the Chunch. For although no doubt persons were often mere boys [Readers (lectores) for instance: see Bright's note 46 when they entered minor orders, yet the fact that one was an adult layman before taking orders could not ipso facto have precluded a man from becoming bishop, however desirable the rule and general principle might be: in fact Cyprian at least is evidence to the contrary.

8 Sc. 2 Tim. ii. 20.

breaking the rules of the blessed Fathers, whose wholesome ordinance it is that no layman, whatever amount of support he may receive, shall ascend to the first, second, or third rank in the Church until he reach that position by the legitimate steps. For what we now suffer to be to a certain extent3 venial, cannot hereafter pass unpunished, if any one perthe forgiveness of a sin does not grant a petrates what we altogether forbid: because licence to do wrong, nor will it be right to repeat an offence with impunity which has partly been condoned.

VI. Donatus, a converted Novatian, and Maximus, an ex-Donatist, are retained in their episcopal office.

Donatus of Salacia, who, as we learn, has been converted from the Novatians 5 with his people, we wish to preside over the LORD'S flock, on condition that he remembers he must send a certificate of his faith to us, in which