A D. 397. pany. Upon hearing this name, he besought the Saint to restore his sight. The Saint answered; "Go to Milan, and "meet my brethren," mentioning the day on which they were to arrive, "and thou shalt recover thy sight." Then, though he had never been at Milan, he went straight thither by the direct road. 29. Mai. et Ruinart. p. 611.] Carm. c. 2. 'Bolland. St. Vigilius of Trent wrote also some time after a letter' to St. John Chrysostom, then Bishop of Constantinople, on 66610, the subject of these Martyrs, to accompany the relics which Usuard. Count James carried into the East. St. Vigilius' was himMartyr. [Jun. 26.1 self martyred by these barbarians, who stoned him on the Fortunat. I. sixth of the calends of July, in the Consulship of Stilicho. It is supposed, that this was his first Consulship, and consequently that it happened A. D. 400, on the 26th of June. Homil.17. St. Gaudentius of Brixia also received relics of these Martyrs [p.336, &c. Die Dedi- of Anaunia, as he testifies in a sermon3 preached on the feast of the Forty Martyrs'. Besides these Forty, he reckons ten other Martyrs whose relics were preserved in his Church; namely, those of St. John Baptist, St. Andrew, St. Thomas, [ Supra, ch. 14. St. Luke, St. Gervasius, St. Protasius, St. Nazarius, St. Sinote p.] [omittitur sinnius, St. Martyrius, and St. Alexander, the last of whom were martyred, he says, not long before, at a place called the Altar of Agathinus". cationis Basilica Concilii Sancto rum.] in Edit. noviss. et leg. in Anaunia.] XXIII. Labours of quæst. ad [ Supra, 9 St. Simplician being Bishop of Milan, wrote an affectionate St. Austin. letter to St. Augustine, acquainting him that he had read his books, urging him to go on writing, and proposing different questions from the Scripture. St. Augustine answered him in Tom. 6. two books which he sent, submitting them to his censure, for he always respected him as his master. This was the Ep. 37. de divers, first work that he composed after his promotion to his Simplician. Bishopric. He wrote about the same time his book on' the bk. 18. ch. Christian Contest, in a plain and simple style, for such as 51.] were not well acquainted with the Latin language. He speaks there of the manner of warring against the devil, by warring against our passions, and he refutes the Manichees. Retract. This also he does more openly in his book Against the Epistle Contr. Ep. of Manes, which they called the Epistle of the Foundation, Fund. tom. and which contained all the essentials of their doctrine. He A. D. 397.] argues only against the first part, of which he cites the text, and only makes notes upon the rest, intending a fuller 9 Retract. 2. c. 1. 1 Ibid. c. 3. 2. c. 2. 8. [p. 151. c. 4. answer when he was at leisure'. He shews the motives A. D. 397. which engaged him to adhere to the Catholic Church; viz. ['p. 182.] general consent; the authority, begun by miracles, nourished by hope, increased by charity, and confirmed by antiquity; the succession in the see of St. Peter; the name of Catholic, so well established, that if a stranger should ask, "Where is "the Catholic Church," no heretic would dare shew him his own church or house. 3 Vit. c. 9. The authority of St. Augustine being increased by the dignity of the Episcopate, he applied himself to preaching with greater ardour, not only in his own church, but wherever he was desired. The Donatists, among others, were Possid. careful to report his discourses to their Bishops, and to bring their answers to him; to which he replied with mildness and patience, labouring day and night to convince them of their errors. He even wrote letters to some of these Bishops, or to some of the laity of distinction, to shew them his reasons for his faith, and to exhort them to undeceive themselves, or at least to enter into a conference with him. But they, mistrusting their cause, would not so much as return an answer, but uttered against him whatever their rage could suggest; they cried out in public and in private, that he was an impostor, and a wolf that must be destroyed; and that whoever should deliver their flock from him, would obtain remission for all their sins. 4 5 62.] $ 5. 6 Proculeianus, the Donatist Bishop of Hippo, being one day' in a house with Evodius, a friend of St. Augustine, S. Aug, Ep. 33. al. said he was desirous to have a conference with him in the 147. § 2. presence of ten persons of probity on either side. This [tom. 2. p. Evodius joyfully told St. Augustine, who was no less pleased, & Ep. 34. and wrote a letter to Proculeianus full of meekness and charity; desiring him to keep his word as to the conference, and allowing him the choice of the witnesses; but demanding, that what should pass in the conference might be set down in writing. He likewise offered to confer with him privately, or by means of writing, which should be afterwards read to the people. "In short," said he, "I willingly embrace whatever you shall appoint, and will answer for the venerable Vale"rius, who is at present absent." Proculeianus did not accept the conference, pretending' that St. Augustine ought to go to Ep. 34.al. Ep. 33. § 4. 7 168. ad Eu scb. § 5. tinam, also metropolis of Numi dia.] A. D. 397. Constantinople' or to Milevis, where the Donatists were about Constan- to hold a Council. St. Augustine replied, that this proposal called Cir- was ridiculous. "I am concerned," said he, "only with the ta, the civil Church of Hippo; I have nothing to do with any but Pro"culeianus; if he find himself too weak, let him obtain the "assistance of any one of his colleagues that he thinks fit. "We do not treat of the ecclesiastical affairs in other cities, any further than the Bishops, our brethren, give us licence "or commission; neither do I see what a man, who has "taken upon him the title of Bishop so many years, has to "fear from a novice like me. If it be, that I am skilled in "human literature, this has nothing to do with our question. "In fine, here is my colleague Samsucius, Bishop of Turris, "who has not applied himself to such studies; I will beg him "to take my place, and am confident that the LORD will "assist him in combating for the truth." [2 § 6.] XXIV. Third Carthage. 3 Conc. tom. 2 p. 1167. [Mans. 3. p. 875.] St. Augustine about the same time was present at the Council of Council of Carthage, which is reckoned the third held in that city, and the first under the Bishop Aurelius3. There were present forty-four Bishops, assembled in the Council chamber' of the Basilica of [Perpetua, called] Restituta a [from having been recovered by the Catholics from the Donatists], under the Consulship of Cæsarius and Atticus on the fifth of the calends of September, that is, the twenty-eighth of August, 397. We have fifty Canons, bearing the name of this Council; some of which are supposed to have been added by following ones: but the discipline is not on that account less holy. The first' imports, that "all the African Bishops shall be directed by the "Church of Carthage as to the day on which Easter is to be "celebrated b" and another Canon adds, that those who should be deputed annually to the Council, should carry this direction in writing to their respective provinces. 7 can. 1. can. 41. St. Perpetua was martyred with St. Felicitas, A. D. 202, et Carthage. For authorities on the controversy touching their Acta, see Giesel. vol. 1. § 57. note 9. St. Perpetua is commemorated in our English calendar, March 7. a Concerning the names of churches, see Bingham, 8. 9. § 9. See too, supra, bk. 18. ch. 4. note g. 19. ch. 15. note r. ch. 29. note g. and ch. 51. 8 Lest ecclesiastical affairs should be too long neglected, to the A. D. 397. prejudice of the people, it was ordained', that the general' can. 2. Council of Africa shall be convened every year: and that all the provinces that had principal sees2, shall send to it three [2 primas] deputies from their particular Councils. The number was not to be greater, lest they should be burdensome to their hosts, that is, the Bishops who exercised hospitality towards their brethren3. The province of Tripolis was to send but one [ deputy, because it had so few Bishops, being but five' altogether. 8 6 6 Bing. 5. I. § 1.] can. 39. 20. 20.] 9 2 can. 3. et consa can. 38. [Supr. bk. 18. ch.3. f.] As to ordinations it is said, "That no Clerk shall be or- can. 22. "dained, who has not been examined by the Bishop, or had "the testimony of the people." "That none shall be ordained © can. 4. "Deacon under the age of twenty-five years"." “That the [2 Bing. 2. "decrees of the Councils shall be read to the Bishops or "Clerks before they are ordained, that none may plead "ignorance of them." "That they who in their infancy can. 48. "have been baptized by the Donatists, may after their con"version be admitted' to administer at the Holy Altar." [ Bing. 4. 3. 12.] The Bishops said that on this point they would consult their brethren, Siricius and Simplician, the Pope and the Bishop [fratres of Milan, the two chief Bishops on this side the sea. Trans- cerdotes lations are forbidden, as well as reordinations and rebaptiza- nostros] tions. Upon complaint made of the encroachment of a Bishop named Cresconius, who had quitted his Church to usurp another, the Council ordains [in the same Canon], "That after a charitable admonition, the governor of the “province shall be applied to, that he may be ejected by the "secular power, according to the decrees of the Emperors." In order to restrain the usurpation of two Bishops of Numidia, who had ordained a Bishop, it was proposed' that ordinations can. 39. of Bishops might not be performed by less than twelve [Bing. 2. 16. 12.] Bishops. To this Aurelius, Bishop of Carthage, said, "That "the ancient form should be observed, according to which "three are sufficient. It is said, that there are but five Bishops in Tripolis, and two of these may be otherwise unavoidably employed; and out of any number it is difficult "for twelve to be present. Should the advantage of the See Bingham, bk. 2. 11. § 4. The Chorepiscopi (supr. bk. 18. ch. 25. note h.) might be ordained by one Bishop. 4 A. D. 397. "Church be neglected on this account? In this church "where you are assembled, we ordain almost every Sunday; "Can I often bring together ten or twelve Bishops? but to "get two to assist me is easy." It may be observed, from this great number of Bishops ordained at Carthage, that they were not always ordained in their sees'. Aurelius adds: “If any opposition arise in the election of a Bishop, then three "must not be sufficient to acquit the person to be ordained, [1 See Bingh. bk. 2. 11. § 7.] 2 can. 40. 8 can. 20. 4 3 44. Vid. Gr. can. 55. 6 748.] one or two more must be added to the number; and the "matter must be publicly determined at the place itself, for "which he is to be ordained, before the Bishops proceed to "ordination." All the Bishops agreed to this opinion. The encroachments of the Bishops on each other's dioceses can. 21, are prohibited. None may usurp the people of another, none' may retain or promote another's Clerks to higher orders without his permission; readers, singers of psalms, and doorkeepers being included under that title. Upon which Aucan. 45. relius said: "It sometimes happens, that Churches which "want Bishops or Priests, demand them of me. To act according to rule, I apply to the Bishop, and give him notice "that his Clerk is demanded by such a Church. None have "" opposed hitherto; but in case this should happen, what do you think best to be done, if a Bishop should refuse, "after I have made a demand in the presence of two or "three of our brethren? For you know that the care of all "the Churches lies upon me." Numidius and Epigonius testified, that the see of Carthage always had a right to ordain Bishops for any place that required them, choosing them out of what Church it pleased, after one requisition to the Bishop, and that Aurelius had been very sparing in the use of this privilege. A Bishop named Posthumianus said; “If a man have but one Priest, must he be taken from him?" Aurelius answered; "If he is wanted for the Episcopal office "he ought to be granted; for it is easier to find Priests than "Bishops." can. 36. "A Priest shall not consecrate any virgins without an "order from the Bishop, and shall by no means make the "Readers are not to salute the people "." Holy Chrism"." 8 "Such places as have never had any Bishop, are not to re i. e. by way of benediction, "The LORD be with you," &c. ! |