601. received baptism. For at this time the Holy Church chastises some things through zeal, and tolerates others through leniency, and connives at some things through discretion, that so she may often, by this forbearance and connivance, suppress the evil which she disapproves. But all that come The faith ful who to the faith are to be admonished not to perpetrate such contract crimes. And if any shall be guilty of them, they are to them are be excluded from the communion of the Body and Blood communiof the Lord, although the offence is, in some measure, to cated. be tolerated in those who have done it in ignorance. to be ex consecra Augustine's Sixth Question: Whether a bishop may be 6. Conordained without other bishops being present, in case there cerning the be so great a distance between them that they cannot easily tors of a assemble? bishop. Gregory answers: As for the Church of the English, in Consecrawhich you are as yet the only bishop, you can no otherwise tion by one bishop is ordain a bishop than in the absence of other bishops; for valid if when do bishops come from Gaul, to be present as witnesses necessary, to you in ordaining a bishop? But we would have you, my brother, to ordain bishops in such a manner that the said bishops may not be far asunder, that when a new bishop is to be ordained, there be no difficulty, but that other pastors also, whose presence is necessary, may easily come together. Thus when, by the help of God, bishops shall be so consti- but the tuted in places everywhere near to one another, no ordination canonical of a bishop is to be performed without assembling three or be observfour bishops. For, even in spiritual affairs, we may take ed if possible. example by the temporal, that they may be wisely and deliberately conducted. It is certain, that when marriages Such witare celebrated in the world, some married persons are natural and assembled, that those who have preceded in the way of advisable. matrimony should partake in the joy of the subsequent union also; why, then, at this spiritual ordination, wherein, by means of the sacred ministry, man is joined to God, should not such persons be assembled as may either rejoice rule should nesses are 601. 7. Con cerning the British and Gallic bishops. Augustine has no Gallic jurisdiction, in the advancement of the new bishop, or jointly pour forth their prayers to Almighty God for his preservation? Augustine's Seventh Question: How are we to deal with the bishops of the Gauls and Britain? Gregory answers: We give you no authority over the bishops of the Gauls, because the bishop of Arles received the pall in ancient times from my predecessors, and we are not to deprive him of the authority he has received. If it shall therefore happen, my brother, that you go over into the province of the Gauls, you are to treat with the said bishop of Arles, and if there be any faults among the bishops, they may be amended; and if he shall be lukewarm in keeping up discipline, he must be corrected by your zeal. but is to To him we have also written, that when your holiness shall provoke to be in Gaul, he may also use all his endeavours to assist you, love and good and restrain among the bishops all that shall be opposite to works. the command of our Creator. But you shall not, outside your own jurisdiction, have power to judge the bishops of the Gauls, but by persuading, soothing, and showing good works for them to imitate, you shall reform the minds of wicked men to the pursuit of holiness; for it is written in the Law, 'When thou comest into the standing corn of thy neighbours, then thou mayest pluck the ears with thine hand; but thou shalt not move a sickle unto thy neighbour's standing corn, but rub the ears of corn in thine hand and eat. For thou mayest not apply the sickle of judgment to that harvest which seems to have been committed to another; but by the love of good works, thou shalt clear. the Lord's wheat from the chaff of their vices, and convert them into the body of the Church by admonition and persuasion, as it were taking a bite [mandendo]. But whatsoever is to be done by authority, must be transacted in conjunction with the aforesaid bishop of Arles, lest that should be omitted, which the ancient institution of the fathers has Full juris appointed. But as for all the bishops of Britain, we commit diction is 601. them all to your care, that the unlearned may be taught, the weak strengthened by persuasion, and the perverse corrected allowed by authority. [Various other answers follow on questions of ceremonial purity.] over the British Bishops. IV. GREGORY THE GREAT'S SCHEME OF ENGLISH THIS Scheme was communicated to St. Augustine in a letter which arrived at the same time as the previous document. Bede, H. E. i. 29 ; Gregory, Ep. xi. 65. [Gidley's tr. revised.] 601. lus and secrate To the most reverend and holy brother and fellow- As a stimubishop, Augustine, Gregory, servant of the servants of God. honour we Although it is certain that the unspeakable rewards of the grant you eternal kingdom are kept for those who labour for God the pall, Almighty, it is, however, necessary for us to render to them the benefits of honours, that from this recompense they may be able to labour more abundantly in the zeal of their spiritual work. And because the new Church of the English and desire is brought to the grace of Almighty God by the bounty of you to conthe same Lord, and by your toil, we grant to you the use twelve of the pall in the same to perform the solemnities of masses suffragans. only, so that in several places you ordain twelve [several] bishops to be under your authority so far as that the bishop You are to of the City of London ought always hereafter to be conse- appoint a bishop for crated by his own synod and receive the pall of honour York who from this holy and Apostolic See which, by God's authority, is also to I serve. Moreover we will that you send a bishop to York, twelve whom you shall have seen fit to ordain-yet only so that if suffragans. the same city shall receive the word of God along with the neighbouring places, he himself also ordain twelve bishops, have 601. The primacy of Canterbury is over all, but for your life only, and after that the senior bishop, whether of London or and enjoy the honour of metropolitan, because if our life. last we intend, with the Lord's favour, to give him also the pall. But we will that he be subject to your authority, my brother, and that after your decease he should preside over the bishops he has ordained, but without being in any wise subject to the Bishop of London. Moreover, for the future, let there be this distinction of honour between the bishops of the City of London and of York, that he himself take the precedence who has been first ordained. But whatever things are for the zeal of Christ must be done by common counsel and harmonious action let them arrange these concordantly, York, is to let them take right views and give effect to their views withtake prece out any mutual misunderstanding. But you, my brother, shall have subject to you not only the bishops you ordain, and not solely those ordained by the Bishop of York, but as well all the priests of Britain, by the authority of our Lord Jesus Christ, so that from the lips and life of your holiness they may receive the form both of correct belief and of holy life, and fulfilling their office in faith and morals, may, when the Lord wills, attain the kingdom of under your heaven. May God keep you safe, most reverend brother. authority. Dated the 22nd of June in the 19th year of the reign of Mauritius Tiberius, the most pious Augustus, in the 18th year after the consulship of the same lord, in the 4th indiction. dence. In any case let harmony subsist. You are to be an example to all priests as well as bishops 673. Circum stances of V. COUNCIL OF HERTFORD, A.D. 673. THE following document is a translation of Bede, H. E. iv. 5, in which he describes the circumstances and the canons of a Council held by Theodore at Hertford, Sept. 24, A.D. 673. [Gidley's tr. revised.] In the name of our Lord God and Saviour Jesus Christ, the synod, in the perpetual reign and government of our Lord Jesus 673. Christ. It seemed good that we should come together according to the prescription of the venerable canons, to treat of the necessary affairs of the Church. We are met together on this 24th day of September, the first indiction, in a place called Hertford, I, Theodore, bishop of the Church of Canterbury, appointed thereto, unworthy as I am, by the Apostolic See, and our most reverend brother Bisi, bishop of the East Angles, together with our brother and fellow-bishop Wilfrid, bishop of the nation of the Northumbrians, who was present by his proper legates, as also our brethren and fellow-bishops, Putta, bishop of the Castle of the Kentishmen, called Rochester, Leutherius, bishop of the West Saxons, and Winfrid, bishop of the province of the Mercians were present; and when we were assembled and had taken our proper places, I said: I beseech you, beloved brethren, for the fear and love of our Redeemer, that we may faithfully enter into a common treaty for the sincere observance of whatsoever has been decreed and determined by the holy and approved fathers. I enlarged upon these and many other things tending unto charity, and the preservation of the unity of the Church. And when I had finished my speech I asked them singly and in order whether they consented to observe all things which had been of old canonically decreed by the fathers? To which all our fellow-priests answered: we are all well agreed readily and cheerfully to keep whatever the canons of the holy fathers have prescribed. Whereupon I presently produced the book of canons, and pointed out ten particulars, Theodore which I had marked as being in a more special manner produces known by me to be necessary for us, and proposed that all for their would undertake diligently to observe them, namely: ten canons accept ance. 1. That we shall jointly keep Easter Day on the Lord's 1. Date of Day after the fourteenth day of the moon in the first Easter. month. 2. Episcopal 2. That no bishop invade the diocese [parochia] of limits. |