A new history of ecclesiastical writers containing an account of the authors of the several books of the Old and New Testament, of the lives and writings of the primitive fathers, an abridgement and catalogue of their works ... also a compendious history of the councils, with chronological tables of the whole / written in French by Lewis Ellies du Pin.

Of the COUNCIL of Carthage in the Year 401, commonly call'd the Fifth.

'TIS commonly thought that this Council was in the Year 398, but it appears by the Code of the * 1.1 Canons of the African Church, that the greatest part of the Canons attributed to this Council were made in Two Assemblies held in the Year 401, in the Months of June and September; and there∣fore we follow this Code in the Abridgment of the Canons of this Council.

Aurelius remonstrates, That it was necessary for relieving the Churches of Africk, which were un∣der great Necessity and Grief, to depute some Bishops into the West, and particularly to St. Anastasius Bishop of the Apostolical See, and to Venerius Bishop of Milan. He represents that the Church of Africk was so abused and had suffered so great a Desolation, that it had no Deacon who was sufficiently learned, and much less a Priest; that therefore one might hear every day the Complaints of an infinite number of languishing People, and that if the Bishops did not relieve them they must be accountable to God for the loss of their Souls.

The 1st. Canon of this Council, which is the 57th. in the Greek Code of the African Church, con∣firms what had been ordain'd in a former Synod, That it should be lawful to Ordain those, who ha∣ving been baptized in their Infancy among the Donatists, were afterwards reconciled to the Church; and it leaves it to the Prudence of the Bishops to consider, whether or no they might not receive a whole Donatist Church with its Bishop, who should desire to be re united to the Catholicks.

In the 2d. Aurelius says, That the Emperours ought to be entreated to destroy the Remainders of Idolatry, and to demolish some Temples which were yet standing.

In the 3d. That they must also be desired to give Orders, that it shall not be lawful to Summon a Clergy-man for a Witness before a Secular Judge, who has been Arbitrator or Judge of some Dif∣ference.

The 4th. That they must be desired to forbid the Feasts and Dancings which are made to the ho∣nour of False Gods.

The 5th. That they must be prayed to hinder the showing of Sports, Plays and Comedies, on Sun∣days and Festivals, particularly at Easter-time, when it happens sometimes that more People go to the Circus than to the Church.

The 6th. That they must be entreated to give Order, that no Person shall defend an Ecclesiastick condemned by the Bishops, under the pain of Correction and a Fine.

The 7th, That they must be desired to hinder Comedians who turn Christians from being forced to exercise their Profession.

The 8th. That the Power of enfranchising Slaves in the Church must be desired.

The 9th. declares, That if one Equitius a Bishop, be found in Italy, who had been condemned in Africk, leave shall be desired to make a Process against him.

These are the Canons of this First Assembly in the Year 401.

The other Assembly was held the same Year on the 13th. of September. In it were read the Let∣ters of Pope Anastasius, who exhorted the Bishops of Africk not to dissemble the Vexations which they suffer from the Donatists. Nevertheless the Bishops were of Opinion, that they should be treated with gentleness, and that a Letter only should be written to the Governours of Cities, to pray them to cause those Churches to be restored to the Catholick Church, which the Maximianists had usurped. This is found in the Canons 66 and 67, of the Greek Code of the Canons of the African Church.

The 68th. permits the Bishops for Peace-sake, to receive into the Catholick Clergy, those Clergy-men of the Donatists who should be converted.

The 69th. declares, That some shall be deputed to the Donatists, to remonstrate to them, that they ought to be reconciled to the Church.

The 70th. Ordains Bishops, Priests and Deacons to have no more to do with their Wives, under pain of Degradation; for the lesser Orders, it does not oblige them to Celibacy.

The 71st. forbids a Bishop to forsake the principal Church of his Diocess and make his abode at another.

The 72d. declares, That Children ought to be baptized, when there is no proof, nor testimony that they have been already baptized.

The 73d. renews the Canon which Ordains, That the Bishop of Carthage shall publish Easter-day.

The 74th. forbids him, who has the care of a Church committed to him after the death of its Bishop, to continue there more than one Year; and obliges him to cause a Bishop to be chosen; and if he neglects it, the Canon ordains that at the end of the Year, another Steward shall be chosen for the Church.

The 76th. is against the Bishops who absent themselves without cause from the National Council.

The 77th. is against a particular Bishop named Cresconius, who refused to come thither. The Coun∣cil Ordains, That he shall come to the first National African Council, and if he did not, that a Sen∣tence should be pass'd against him.

The 78th. names Deputies for deciding a Difference of a Church in Africa.

The 79th. declares, That those Clergy-men are not to be admitted to justify themselves who have continued a Year without taking pains to take off the Excommunication which was pronounced against them.

The 80th. ordains, That if a Bishop give Holy Orders to a Stranger, or if he make a Monk of ano∣ther Monastery, Superiour of his own Monastery, he shall be separated from the Communion of the other Bishops, and shall enjoy only that of his own Church, and that he who was made Clergy-man or Superiour, shall not enjoy that Honour.

The 81st. is against those Bishops who should make Hereticks or Pagans their Heirs, tho' they should be of their Kindred.

The 82d. declares, That the Emperour shall be desir'd to grant the Power of setting Servants free to the Church.

The 83d. is concerning the Care which Bishops ought to take, to hinder the Faithful from honour∣ing False Relicks and False Martyrs.

The 84th. declares, That the Emperour shall be requested to demolish the remaining Temples and Idols.

The 85th. and Last gives Power to the Bishop of Carthage to Dictate and Subscribe, in the name of the whole Council, the Letters which the Council thought fit to write and send. These are the Canons of the Fifth Council of Carthage, which is commonly plac'd in the Year 398, but was in∣deed in the Year 401, according to the two Codes of the Canons of the African Church.

The Reflections which may be made on the Councils of Africa of which we have just now spoken, are these; First, That there were in Africa a great number of Bishops; Secondly, That the Title of Metropolitan in Africa, was not as in other places, affixed to the Bishop of the Civil Metropolis, but to the Antiquity of the Bishoprick; Thirdly, That the Bishop of Carthage had much Authority over all Africk; That he enjoy'd great Jurisdictions and Prerogatives; in a word, That he was as it were, the Exarch or Patriarch of all Africa; Fourthly, That Synods were very often held in Africa, and they were distinguished into two sorts, one Provincial and the other National or General, which were commonly held at Carthage, where the Bishops deputed from the Provinces assembled under the Au∣thority of the Bishop of that City; Fifthly, That they handled Matters of Discipline, and made such Canons as they saw the Juncture and State of Affairs requir'd; Sixthly, That their Discipline with respect to Clergy-men, was very Regular and Exact; Seventhly, That they endeavour'd to maintain the Ecclesiastical Authority by the Assistance of the Imperial Laws; Lastly, That they made many Canons very useful for all Christians. These Reflections seem'd necessary for explaining what I have said of these Councils, and they may conduce to represent and discover the usefulness of Councils in general.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Of the Fifth of Carthage, 401.