I. COUNCIL OF NICE,

A.D. 315.

CANON IV. (Against the Usurpation of the Bishop of Rome.)

It is most fitting that a bishop be appointed by all the bishops in the province. But if this be difficult, by reason of any urgent necessity, or through the length of the way, three must by all means meet together, and when those who are absent have agreed in their votes, and signified the same by letters, then let the ordination take place. But in every province the ratification of what is done, must be allowed to the metropolitan.

Κάνων δ'.

Ἐπίσκοπον προσήκει μάλιστα μὲν ὑπὸ πάντων τῶν ἐν τῇ ἐπαρχίᾳ καθίστασθαι. εἰ δὲ δυσχερὲς εἴη τὸ τοιοῦτο, ἢ διὰ κατεπείγουσαν ἀνάγκην, ἢ διὰ μῆκος ὁδοῦ· ἐξ ἅπαντος τρεῖς ἐπὶ τὸ αὐτὸ συναγομένους, συμψήφων γινομένων καὶ τῶν ἀπόντων καὶ συντιθεμένων διὰ γραμμάτων, τότε τὴν χειροτονίαν ποιεῖσθαι. τὸ δὲ κῦρος τῶν γινομένων δίδοσθαι καθ' ἑκάστην ἐπαρχίαν τῳ μητροπολίτῃ.—Conc. ii. 29.

CANON VI.-(Against the Usurpation of the Bishop of Rome.)

Let the ancient customs prevail, which are in Egypt, Libya, and Pentapolis; that the Bishop of Alexandria have authority over all, since this is customary also to the Bishop of Rome. In like manner also as regards Antioch, and in all the other provinces, let the churches preserve their dignity. This is altogether certain, that if any one become a bishop without the consent of the Metropolitan, the great synod has determined that he ought not to be a bishop.

Κάνων ς'.

Τὰ ἀρχαῖα ἔθη κρατείτω, τὰ ἐν Αἰγύπτῳ καὶ Λιβύῃ καὶ Πενταπόλει, ὥστε τὸν ̓Αλεξανδρείας ἐπίσκοπον πάντων ἔχειν τὴν ἐξουσίαν, ἐπειδὴ καὶ τῷ ἐν Ρώμῃ ἐπισκόπῳ τοῦτο σύνηθές ἐστιν. Ομοίως δὲ καὶ κατὰ τὴν ̓Αντιόχειαν, καὶ ἐν ταῖς ἄλλαις ἐπαρχίαις τὰ πρεσβεία σώζεσθαι ταῖς ἐκκλησίαις. Καθόλου δὲ πρόδηλον ἐκεῖνο, ὅτι εἴ τις χωρὶς γνώμης τοῦ μητροπολίτου γένοιτο ἐπίσκοπος, τὸν τοιοῦτον ἡ σύνοδος ἡ μεγάλη ὥρισε μὴ δεῖν εἶναι ἐπίσκοπον, κ. τ. λ. Conc. ii. 32.

FROM GELASIUS'S HISTORY OF THE NICENE COUNCIL, Book ii. Chap. 32.

(Against the constrained Celibacy of the Clergy.)

They wrote a decree therefore concerning its not being right that those of the priesthood, whether bishops or presbyters, or deacons, or subdeacons, or any one of the priestly list, should sleep with the wives which they had married while they were laymen. These things being thus fashioned, the divine Paphnutius, standing in the midst of the crowd of bishops, cried with a loud voice, and said, "Do not make the yoke of the priesthood grievous; for it says, 'marriage is honourable in all, and the bed undefiled.' Take heed, lest by

Ἔγραφον οὖν περὶ τοῦ μὴ δεῖν τοὺς ἱερωμένους, εἴτε ἐπίσκοποι, εἴτε πρεσβύτεροι, εἴτε διάκονοι, εἴτε ὑποδιάκονοι, ἔιτε τὶς τοῦ ἱερατικοῦ καταλόγου, συγκαθεύδειν ταῖς γαμεταῖς, ὡς ἔτι λαϊκοὶ ὄντες ἠγάγοντο, τούτων οὕτω διατυπουμένων, ἀναστὰς ἐν μέσῳ τοῦ ὄχλου τῶν ἐπισκόπων ὁ θεῖος Παφνούτιος, μεγάλῃ τῇ φωνῇ ἐβόησε, λέγων· μὴ βαρύνετε τὸν ζυγὸν τῶν ἱερωμένων· τίμιος γὰρ, φησὶν, ὁ γάμος ἐν πᾶσι, καὶ ἡ κοίτη ἀμίαντος. μὴ τῇ ὑπερβολῇ τῆς ἀκριβείας τὴν

an excess of severity ye rather injure the church; for it says, all men cannot endure the denial of all the affections. No one, I think, will be preserved in chastity, when men are deprived of their own wives. But I consider a man's intercourse with his lawful wife to be excellent chastity; and that she cannot be separated whom God has joined, and whom the man, when a reader, or singer, or layman, has once married. And these things the great Paphnutius spake, though he was himself unmarried, having been brought up in a monastery from his childhood. Wherefore the whole assembly of bishops being persuaded by the man's advice, ceased from that question, and left it to the judgment of all, who were so disposed, by mutual consent to abstain from their own wives.

ἐκκλησίαν μᾶλλον προσβλάψητε· οὐ γὰρ, φησὶ, πάντας δύνασθαι φέρειν τῆς ἀπαθείας τὴν ἄσκησιν. οὐδεὶς, ὡς οἶμαι, φυλαχθήσεται ἐν τῇ σωφροσύνῃ, τῆς ἑκάστου γαμετῆς τοῦ ἀνδρὸς στερουμένου. σωφροσύνην δὲ καλὴν καὶ τῆς νομίμου γαμετῆς ἑκάστου τὴν συνέλευσιν λέγω· μὴ μὴν ἀποζεύγνυσθαι ταύτην ἣν ὁ Θεὸς ἔζευξε, καὶ ἣν ἅπαξ ἀναγνώστης, ψάλτης, ἢ λαϊκὸς ὢν ἠγάγετο καὶ ταῦτα ἔλεγεν ὁ μέγας Παφνούτιας ἄπειρος ὢν γάμου, διὰ τὸ νηπιόθεν ἐν ασκητηρίοις ανατρέφεσθαι αὐτόν. διὸ πεισθεὶς ὁ πᾶς τῶν ἐπισκόπων σύλλογος τῇ τοῦ ἀνδρὸς συμβουλίᾳ, ἀπεσίγησε περὶ τοῦ ζητήματος τούτου, τῇ γνώμη καταλήψαντες τῶν βουλομένων κατὰ συμφωνίαν απέχεσθαι τῆς ἰδίας γαμετῆς.—Conc. ii. 246. 248.

II. COUNCIL OF CONSTANTINOPLE I. A.D. 381.

CANON II. (Against the Usurpations of the Bishop of Rome.)

Let not the bishops go out of their diocese (patriarchate), to churches beyond their bounds, nor cause a confusion of Churches; but, according to the canons, let the Bishop of Alexandria order the affairs in Egypt only; and the bishops of the East the East only; saving the dignity to the Church of Antioch, expressed in the canons of Nice, &c.

Let not the bishops go out of the diocese for ordination, or any other ecclesiastical offices, unless they are summoned; but, observing the above-written canon concerning dioceses, it is clear, that the synod of each province will manage the affairs of the province according to the decrees of Nice.

Κάνων β'.

Τοὺς ὑπὲρ διοίκησιν ἐπισκόπους, ταῖς ὑπερορίοις ἐκκλησίαις μὴ ἐπιέναι, μηδὲ συγχέειν τὰς ἐκκλησίας· ἀλλὰ κατὰ τοὺς κανόνας, τὸν μὲν ̓Αλεξανδρείας ἐπίσκοπον τὰ ἐν Αἰγύπτῳ μόνον οἰκονομεῖν. τοὺς δὲ τῆς ἀνατολῆς ἐπισκόπους τὴν ἀνατολὴν μόνην διοικεῖν. φυλαττομένων τῶν ἐν τοῖς κανόσι τοῖς κατὰ Νικαίαν πρεσβείων τῇ Αντιοχέων ἐκκλησίᾳ, κ. τ. λ.

̓Ακλήτους δὲ ἐπισκόπους ὑπὲρ διοίκησιν μὴ ἐπιβαίνειν ἐπὶ χειροτονίαις, ἤ τισιν ἄλλαις οἰκονομίαις ἐκκλησιαστικαῖς. φυλαττομένου δὲ τοῦ προγεγραμμένου περὶ τῶν διοικησέων κανόνος, ἔνδηλον ὡς τὰ καθ' ἑκάστην ἐπαρχίαν ἡ τῆς επαρχίας σύνοδος διοικήσει, κατὰ τὰ ἐν Νικαίᾳ ὡρισμένα, κ. τ. λ.—Conc. ii. 947.