The Canons of the CCXVII Blessed Fathers who…

 The Canons of the CCXVII Blessed Fathers who assembled at Carthage.

 Introductory Note.

 An Ancient Introduction.

 The Canons of the 217 Blessed Fathers who…

 The Canons of the 217 Blessed Fathers who assembled at Carthage.

 Canon I.

 Canon II.

 Canon III.

 Canon IV.

 Canon V.

 Canon VI.

 Canon VII.

 Canon VIII.

 Canon IX.

 Canon X.

 Canon XI.

 Canon XII.

 Canon XIII.

 Canon XIV.

 Canon XV.

 Canon XVI.

 Canon XVII.

 If any cleric is ordained he ought to be admonished to observe the constitutions.

 That if any bishop is accused the cause should be brought before the primate of his own province.

 Canon XX. (Greek xxiii.)

 Canon XXI. (Greek xxiv.)

 Canon XXII. (Greek xxv.)

 Canon XXIII. (Greek xxvi.)

 Canon XXIV. (Greek xxvii.)

 Canon XXV. (Greek xxviii.)

 Canon XXVI. (Greek xxix.)

 Canon XXVII. (Greek xxx.)

 Canon XXVIII. (Greek xxxi.)

 Canon XXIX. (Greek xxxii.)

 Canon XXX. (Greek xxxiii.)

 Canon XXXI. (Greek xxxiv.)

 Canon XXXII. (Greek xxxv.)

 Canon XXXIII. (Greek xxxvi.)

 Canon XXXIV. (Greek xxxvii.)

 Canon XXXV. (Greek xxxviii.)

 Canon XXXVI. (Greek xxxix.)

 Canon XXXVII. (Greek xl.)

 Canon XXXVIII. (Greek xli.)

 Canon XXXIX. (Greek xlii.)

 Canon XL. (Greek xliii.)

 Canon XLI. (Greek xliv.)

 Canon XLII. (Greek xiv.)

 Canon XLIII. (Greek xlvi.)

 Canon XLIV. (Greek xlvii.)

 Canon XLV. (Greek xlviii.)

 Canon XLVI. (Greek l.)

 Canon XLVII. (Greek li.)

 Canon XLVIII. (Greek lii.)

 Canon XLIX. (Greek liii.)

 Canon L. (Greek liv.)

 Canon LI. (Greek lv.)

 Canon LII. (Greek lvi.)

 Canon LIII. (Greek lvii.)

 Canon LIV. (Greek lviii.)

 Canon LV. (Greek lix.)

 Canon LVI. (Greek lx.)

 Canon LVII. (Greek lxi.)

 Canon LVIII. (Greek lxii.)

 Canon LIX. (Greek lxiii.)

 Canon LX. (Greek lxiii.)

 Canon LXI. (Greek lxiv.)

 Canon LXII. (Greek lxv.)

 Canon LXIII. (Greek lxvi.)

 Canon LXIV. (Greek lxvii.)

 Canon LXV. (Greek lxviii.)

 Canon LXVI. (Greek lxix.)

 Canon LXVII. (Greek lxx.)

 Canon LXVIII. (Greek lxxi.)

 Canon LXIX. (Greek lxxii.)

 Canon LXX. (Greek lxxiii.)

 Canon LXXI. (Greek lxxiv.)

 Canon LXXII. (Greek lxxv.)

 Canon LXXIII. (Greek lxxvi.)

 Canon LXXIV. (Greek lxxvii.)

 Canon LXXV. (Greek lxxviii.)

 Canon LXXVI. (Greek lxxix.)

 Canon LXXVII. (Greek lxxx.)

 Canon LXXVIII. (Greek lxxxi.)

 Canon LXXIX. (Greek lxxxii.)

 Canon LXXX. (Greek lxxxiii.)

 Canon LXXXI. (Greek lxxxiv.)

 Canon LXXXII. (Greek lxxxv.)

 Canon LXXXIII. (Greek lxxxvi.)

 Canon LXXXIV. (Greek lxxxvii.)

 Canon LXXXV. (Greek lxxxviii.)

 Canon LXXXVI. (Greek lxxxix.)

 Canon LXXXVII. (Greek xc.)

 Canon LXXXVIII. (Greek xci.)

 Canon LXXXIX. (Greek xcii.)

 Canon XC. (Greek xciii.)

 Canon XCI. (Greek xciv.)

 Canon XCII. (Greek xcv.)

 Canon XCIII. (Greek xcvi.)

 Canon XCIV. (Greek xcvii.)

 Canon XCV. (Greek xcviii.)

 Canon XCVI. (Greek xcix.)

 Canon XCVII. (Greek c.)

 Canon XCVIII. (Greek cii.)

 Canon XCIX. (Greek ciii.)

 Canon C. (Greek civ.)

 Of making peace between the Churches of Rome and Alexandria.

 Canon CII. (Greek cv.)

 Canon CIII. (Greek cvi.)

 Canon CIV. (Greek cvii.)

 Canon CV. (Greek cviii.)

 Canon CVI. (Greek cix.)

 Canon CVII. (Greek cx. continued.)

 Canon CVIII. (Greek cxii.)

 Canon CIX. (Greek cxij. continued.)

 That infants are baptized for the remission of sins.

 Canon CXI. (Greek cxiij.)

 Canon CXII. (Greek cxiij. continued.)

 Canon CXIII. (Greek cxiiii.)

 Canon CXIV. (Greek cxv.)

 Canon CXV. (Greek cxvi.)

 Canon CXVI. (Greek cxvii.)

 Canon CXVII. (Greek cxviii.)

 Canon CXVIII. (Greek cxix.)

 Canon CXIX. (Greek cxx.)

 Canon CXX. (Greek cxxi.)

 Canon CXXI. (Greek cxxii.)

 Canon CXXII. (Greek cxxiii.)

 Canon CXXIII. (Greek cxxiv.)

 Canon CXXIV. (Greek cxxv.)

 Canon CXXV. (Greek cxxvi.)

 Canon CXXVI. (Greek cxxvii.)

 Canon CXXVII. (Greek cxxviii.)

 Canon CXXVIII. (Greek cxxix.)

 Canon CXXIX. (Greek cxxx.)

 Canon CXXX. (Greek cxxxi.)

 Canon CXXXI. (Greek CXXXII.)

 Canon CXXXII. (Greek cxxxiii.)

 Canon CXXXIII. (Greek cxxxiv.)

 Canon CXXXIV. (Continuation of cxxxv. in the Greek.)

 Canon CXXXV. (Not numbered in the Greek.)

 Canon CXXXVI. (Not numbered in the Greek but with a new heading.)

 Canon CXXXVII. (Continuation of the last in the Greek.)

 Canon CXXXVIII. (Not numbered in the Greek.)

Canon LXXXVI. (Greek lxxxix.)

Of the order of bishops, that those ordained more recently do not dare to take precedence of those ordained before them.

Valentine, the bishop, said: If your good patience will permit, I follow the things which were done in time past in the Church of Carthage, and which were illustrious having been confirmed by the subscriptions of the brethren, and I profess that we intend to preserve this. For this we know, that ecclesiastical discipline has always remained inviolate: therefore let none of the brethren dare to place himself before those ordained earlier than himself; but by the offices of charity this has always been shewn to those ordained earlier, which always should be accepted joyfully by those ordained more recently. Let your holiness give command that this order be strengthened by your interlocutions. Aurelius, the bishop, said: It would not be fitting that we should repeat these things, were it not for the existence of certain inconsiderate minds, which would induce us to making such statutes; but this is a common cause about which our brother and fellow bishop has spoken, that each one of us should recognize the order decreed to him by God, and that the more recent should defer to the earlier ordained, and they should presume to do nothing when these have not been consulted. Wherefore I say, now that I think of it, that they who think they may presume to take precedence over those ordained before them, should be coerced suitably by the great council. Xantippus, bishop of the first see of Numidia, said: All the brethren present have heard what our brother and fellow bishop Aurelius has said, what answer do we make? Datian, the bishop, said: The decrees made by our ancestors should be strengthened by our assent, so that the action taken by the Church of Carthage in past synods should hold fast, being confirmed by the full assent of all of us. And all the bishops said: This order has been preserved by our fathers and by our ancestors, and shall be preserved by us through the help of God, the rights of the primacy of Numidia and of Mauritania being kept intact.

Of the archives and matricula of Numidia.

Moreover it seemed good to all the bishops who subscribed in this council that the matricula and the archives of Numidia should be at the first see and in the Metropolis, that is Constantina.

Notes.

Ancient Epitome of Canon LXXXVI.

Thou shalt not prefer thyself to thine elders, but shalt follow them. For he that spurns those who were before him should be frowned down upon.

The introduction belongs to the Synod of Milevis, of August 27, a.d. 402.

This canon (lxxxvj.) is Canon j., of the above named Synod.

Johnson.

From this canon it appears that the primacy in Africa was ambulatory, and belonged to the senior bishop of the province. If the primacy had been fixed to the bishop of any certain city, as in other countries, there would have been a salvo or exception for that bishop, as there is in the 24th canon of the Synod of Bracara [Braga] in Spain, which orders that all bishops take place according to their seniority, with a reserve to the bishop of the metropolis. The bishop of Carthage was not included in this canon; for it is evident that he had a precedence annexed to his see, and that he was in reality a sort of patriarch. The reason why Numidia and Mauritania are particularly mentioned is, that some disputes had been started there on that subject.