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Of the COUNCIL of RIES, Held in 439.
WE were not willing to interrupt the Connexion of the History of the Councils of * 1.1 Chalcedon and Ephesus, because these two Councils have a near Relation one to another. We will now resume our discourse of the private Councils.
The Council of Ries in France, and not Rhegium in Italy was called to Exa∣mine the Ordination of Armentarius, who had been Ordained Bishop of Ebredunum. This Ar∣mentarius was a Young Man, but a Person of Quality, who being led by the Advice of his Friends, was Ordained Bishop of Ebredunum by two Bishops, without the consent of the Bishops of the Province, or of the Metropolitan; but afterward acknowledging his fault withdrew him∣self, renounced his Episcopal Charge, and desired that his Name might be rased out of the num∣ber of the Bishops of Ebredunum. Hilarius Bishop of Arles, and twelve other Bishops of France were present at this Council. They declared, That the Ordination of Armentarius was Null, according to the Canons; That the two Bishops who performed it, and who begged pardon for their fault, should for the future never be present at any Synod, or Ordination. As to Armen∣tarius, that they might be favourable to him, they granted him, according to the Eighth Canon of the Council of Nice, that he should have the Title of a Suffragan Bishop, or to enjoy the Com∣munion granted to Strangers, but upon Condition. 1. That he shall dwell in some other Pro∣vince than that of the Sea-Alpes; and if he returns thither, he shall be liable to all the punish∣ments his Action deserves. 2. That if he be met in any place that is not Publick, he shall claim no other place, nor title, than what his Quality in the World gives him. 3. That he shall have no power to Ordain any Clergy-man, nor Celebrate the Sacrament in any Church whatsoever, unless any be given to him out of Charity. 4. That it shall not be lawful for any Bishop to give place to him, as the more ancient. 5. That he shall not do any Office at a distance from the Church assigned him, and shall only have a Right to confirm Novices, and celebrate Sacraments before the Priests. They granted him also power to pronounce the Blessings in the Church; which Priests only have in private places, to consecrate Virgins in the Church, wherein he shall acknowledge himself Inferior to Bishops, but Superior to Priests. That if he changes his Church, he shall not be received in the second, unless he renounce the first. As to the Ministers which he hath Ordained, the Bishop of Ebredunum shall be left at Liberty, whether he will own them, or reject them.
For prevention of the like disorder for the Future, they forbid any Bishop going to a vacant Church, unless it be the next Neighbouring Bishop, who ought to go as a Visitor to order all things at the Bishops interment, that is to say, till the 7th day after his decease, but must after∣ward immediately withdraw himself; and waste the Order of the Metropolitan to come thither with other Bishops: strictly forbidding all other Bishops to enter upon a Vacant Church, unless they are invited by the Letters of the Metropolitan. Then they revived the fifth Canon of the Council of Nice concerning Provincial Councils.