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western church acknowledged the latter as bishop', and Pope Innocentius even required Alexander of Antioch to receive in their honour and degrees, the clergy ordained by Evagrius 3.

Answer. It is probable that Theodoret was misinformed, for Socrates, (v. 15) and Sozomen, (vii. 15) affirm, that Evagrius was ordained bishop after the death of Paulinus, and are silent as to the fact of his ordination by one bishop. The reason which induced the eastern church not to acknowledge him or his clergy, did not arise from doubt as to the validity of his ordination, but from their regarding him as a schismatic, separated from Flavianus the legitimate bishop of Antioch.

II. Synesius says that Siderius was ordained by Philo of Cyrene alone, contrary to all the ancient laws; yet, since it is necessary in times of danger to dispense with the highest laws, Athanasius, in order to cherish and increase the spark of faith which remained in Ptolemais, raised him to govern that metropolitan church *.

Answer. I reply that either S. Athanasius afterwards completed what was defective; or else he may have thought, that in a case of urgent necessity, where the preservation of the faith was at stake, God would supply what was deficient in the mode of vocation; or that the church could in such a case give a sufficient commission without reordination.

III. When S. Augustine, archbishop of Canterbury, wrote to consult Gregory the Great, whether he might

Theodoret. Hist. Eccl. lib. p. 1010.

v. c. 23.

s Innocent. I. Epist. xiv. ad Bonifacium. Hard. Conc. t. i.

Synesius, Epist. lxvii. p. 210. ed Petav.

perform episcopal consecrations without the aid of other bishops, the latter replied "Quidem in Anglorum ecclesia in qua adhuc solus tu episcopus inveniris, ordinare episcopum non aliter nisi sine episcopis potes ". Therefore in case of necessity, ordination by one bishop is sufficient.

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Answer. Habertus affirms that the reading in ancient manuscripts is this, "Et quidem in Anglorum ecclesia, &c. ordinare episcopum non aliter nisi cum episcopis potes. Nam quando de Gallia episcopi veniant, illi in ordinationem episcopi testes tibi assistent." This reading is supported by the edition of Bede, published in Paris 1586, and it is to be supposed that Habertus had found it in ancient manuscripts . It would be unsafe to rest a question of so much importance on a disputed text.

But even conceding that the passage as quoted is correct, Gregory may perhaps have proceeded on uncertain principles in affording this permission, as we believe he did mistake, in affirming that the apostles consecrated the eucharist with no other form but the Lord's prayer.

IV. In fact it appears that Augustine acted on this permission, and ordained several bishops, such as Justus and Mellitus.

Answer. Even Hallier, who is favourable to the validity of such ordinations, is "unwilling to infer that Justus and Mellitus were ordained by Augustine alone,” because though Bede mentions no other consecrators, it is customary with him only to mention the name of the metropolitan ordaining ". It is more probable that Augustine may have obtained the assistance of some

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of the French bishops. We find that afterwards they were so careful in England to observe the rule requiring more than one bishop to assist, that when there was only one bishop remaining in the AngloSaxon church before the arrival of Theodore of Tarsus, they called in the aid of two bishops of the British or Irish church which was viewed as schismatical, in order to consecrate Ceadda *. This they would scarcely have done, if S. Augustine alone had consecrated several bishops. It appears probable also that Theodore of Tarsus reordained Ceadda, thus affording an additional proof of the doctrine and practice of the church.

V. The apostles ordained bishops alone. E. g. St. Peter ordained Linus at Rome, St. Mark ordained Anianus at Alexandria.

Answer. We are not certain that these apostles and evangelists did, without any assistance, ordain bishops. However I do not deny that the apostles might do so sometimes but it does not follow that they intended the bishops in this respect to imitate their example.

* Beda, Hist. Eccl. lib. iii. c. 28.

y

"Ordinationem ejus denuo

catholica ratione consummavit." -Beda, Hist. Eccl. lib. iv. c. 2.

CHAPTER VI.

ON REORDINATIONS.

I. IT is unlawful to reiterate ordinations once validly performed in the catholic church, because such reordinations would throw doubt on the sufficiency of the former ordinations, every minister of Christ lawfully ordained being capable of administering sacerdotal offices in all churches where he is lawfully called to do so, though limited ordinarily to one by apostolical institution. Thus we read that Polycarp, bishop of Smyrna, celebrated the eucharist in the church of Rome, when he travelled there to confer with Soter; and the canons of the catholic church approve of this practice, and sanction the translation of bishops (in cases of urgent necessity and benefit to the church) always without any reordination. The sixty-eighth apostolical canon exhibiting the early discipline of the East, forbids reordinations, under pain of deposition both to the ordained and the ordainer, unless the former ordinations have been conferred by heretics". The council

* Εἴ τις ἐπίσκοπος, ἢ πρεσβύ- αἱρετικῶν ἔχει τὴν χειροτονίαν. τερος, ἢ διάκονος, δευτέραν χειρο- τοὺς γὰρ παρὰ τῶν τοιούτων βαπτονίαν δέξεται παρά τινος, καθαι- τισθέντας ἢ χειροτονηθέντας, οὔτε ρείσθω καὶ αὐτὸς καὶ ὁ χειροτονήσας πιστοὺς οὔτε κληρικοὺς εἶναι δυ εἰ μήγε ἄρα συσταίη, ὅτι παρὰνατόν.—Beveregii Pandect. t. i.

of Carthage (canon 52) forbids rebaptizations or reordinations of bishops, as it had been decreed in a synod at Capua"; which the learned canonists, Balsamon, patriarch of Antioch, Zonaras, and Aristanus, understand only to refer to ordinations formerly conferred by the orthodox. Pope Gregory I. says, that "he who has been once ordained ought not again to be ordained to the same degree." Provincial synods at Rome, and Ravenna also under pope John IX. forbad reordinations". These are sufficient to show the general rule of the church as to the impropriety of reordaining those who have already received valid ordination in the catholic church; and indeed there is so little danger of such reordinations generally, that it does not seem that there is any severe penalty in the western churches provided for this offence. The sixty-eighth apostolical canon is only received by the eastern church as a rule: it is not found among the western canons; and Henriquez says, that "even if orders be unlawfully reiterated, the ordainer does not incur irregularity; because it is not expressed in the canon law."

II. This general rule against reordinations does not apply in cases where ordinations have previously taken place in sects separated from the church. The catholic church is not bound to know anything of their ordinations, or to examine into the intricate questions which may surround them. She repudiates them in general

b Beveregii Pandect. t. i. p. 574. The question of reordinations is treated by Morinus.Comment. de Sacr. Eccl. Ordin. pars iii. exercit. v. p. 74, &c.

6.

d

Beverege, ut supra, p 514—

ep. 46. ad Jo. Episc. Ravennat. t. ii. p. 608. Oper. ed. Ben. Morinus, p. 87.

e

"Si quis tamen illicite iteraret, non fit irregularis. . quia non est in jure expressum." Henriquez, Summa, lib. x. de

4 Gregor. Mag. Epist. lib. ii. Ord. Sacramento, c. 14.

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