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 XCII. (Greek xcv.)

Form of convening the Donatists.

That bishop of that church said: What by the authority of that most ample see we shall have impetrated, we ask your gravity to have read, and that you order it to be joined to the acts and carried into effect. When the jussio had been read and joined to the acts, the bishop of the Catholic Church,54 i.e. Carthage. Migne reads “of that Church” and differs in what follows. said: Vouchsafe to listen to the mandate to be sent through your gravity to the Donatists, and to insert it in the acts, and to carry it to them, and informs us in your acts of their answer. “We, sent by the authority of our Catholic Council, have called you together, desiring to rejoice in your correction, bearing in mind the charity of the Lord who said: Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called the children of God; and moreover he admonished through the prophet those who say they are not our brothers, that we ought to say: Ye are our brethren. Therefore you ought not to despise this pacific commonitory coming of love, so that if ye think we have any part of the truth, ye do not hesitate to say so: that is, when your council is gathered together, ye delegate of your number certain to whom you intrust the statement of your case; so that we may be able to do this also, that there shall be delegated from our Council who with them delegated by you may discuss peacefully, at a determined place and time, whatever question there is which separates your communion from us; and that at length the old error may receive an end through the assistance of our Lord God, lest through the animosity of men, weak souls, and ignorant people should perish by sacrilegious dissension. But if ye shall accept this proposition in a fraternal spirit, the truth will easily shine forth, but if ye are not willing to do this, your distrust will be easily known.” And when this had been read, all the bishops said: This pleases us well, so let it be. And they subscribed: I, Aurelius, bishop of the Carthaginian Church, have consented to this decree, and having read it, have subscribed it. Likewise also the rest of the bishops signed.

This synod sent a legation to the Princes against the Donatists.

The most glorious emperor Honorius Augustus, being consul for the sixth time, on the Calends of July, at Carthage in the basilica of the second region. In this council Theasius and Euodius received a legation against the Donatists. In this council was inserted the commonitorium which follows.

Notes.

Ancient Epitome of Canon XCII.

What things should be said to the Donatists are these: “We greatly desire to rejoice in your conversion; for we have been commanded to say even to those not desiring to be our brethren, ‘Ye are our brothers.’ We come therefore to you and we exhort you that if you have any defence to make, ye should appoint certain persons to whom this should be entrusted, who, at a fixed time and place, shall urge your case; otherwise your distrust wilt be thenceforward patent.”

This canon is Canon ij. of the Synod of Carthage of August 25, a.d. 403.