The Council of Carthage, held about the latter end of the Year 417.
THe Bishops of Africa having received Zosimus's Letter, assembled about the latter end of * 1.1 the Year 417. to deliberate about what they should do. They answered him immediately, That he was to blame, for offering to retract the Cause of Pelagius and Coelestius, which had been judged, and protested against whatsoever he might do in their behalf, without hearing them. This Letter is not extant, but it is mention'd in the 3d. Letter which Zosimus writ to them. After the first step, they collected all that had been done against Coelestius; and having confirmed the same, they sent it to Pope Zosimus by the Subdeacon Marcellinus: and further, they deputed Bishop Vindemi••lis to carry it to Court. To this Synod must be referred what Prosper saith in his Chronicon upon the Year 418. and elsewhere, That it consisted of Two hun∣dred and fourteen Bishops. They wrote a long Letter to the Pope; wherein they complained, That he did too easily believe Coelestius; telling him, That he should have been obliged to re∣voke his Errors by Name. They discovered the Evasions which he used to elude the difficulty, by equivocal Terms. They sent him a Memorial of those Errors, whereof they were to exact of him a clear and precise Condemnation; and exhorted him to maintain what was done by his Predecessor. Father Quesnel believes, not without probability, That in this Synod were concluded the Nine Canons concerning Grace; which are commonly ascribed to the Council of Milevis. But if they were proposed in this Council, they were not concluded upon nor subscri∣bed till that which was Assembled in May next Year, to which the Code of African Canons attribute them. The Endeavours of the Africans had good Success; for the Emperor Honorius made an Edict against Pelagius and Coelestius, the last day of April, 418. And shortly after, Pope Zosimus published, as we have said, his Sentence against them.