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.

The Form of Ecclesiastical Decisions.

HEre follow the principal Rules observ'd by St. Gregory in Ecclesiastical Decisions.

He Judg'd in the first place the Bishops of Italy, Sicily, and the Neighbouring Isles, which im∣mediately depended upon Rome as their Metropolis; as for Example, he cites Januarius Bishop of Calaris, to Rome, to come and purge himself of the Accusation charged upon him, B. 2. Ind. 11. Ep. 36.

He causes the Bishop of Syracusa to come to Rome, B. 2. Ind. 11. Ep. 12.

He cites Maximus Bishop of Salone, B. 5. Ep. 3, & 25.

Having depos'd the Bishop of Naples, he writes to the Clergy and People of that City to choose another Bishop in his room, B. 2. Ind. 11. Ep. 3.

He requires his * 1.1 Warden in Sicily to send to Rome the Bishop of Messina, and his Accusers, B. 11. Ep. 32 & 33.

The Bishops of the Vicariate of Rome were oblig'd to come every year to his Synod: As to those of Sicily, they came thither once in three years, and St. Gregory assures them, that he will be satisfied if they come but once in five years, B. 6. Ep. 19.

Yet to facilitate the dispatch of Affairs, he makes Maximian Bishop of Syracuse, his Legat into Si∣cily, to whom he gives Power to judge of smaller Affairs, on condition that he should reserve to him such as were of greater Consequence. He Commissions the Bishop of Syracuse, and four other Bi∣shops, to judge the Cause of Mellitus Bishop of the Isle of Malta, B. 7. Ind. 2. Ep. 63. As to the o∣ther Bishops of the West, who did not depend upon his Metropolis, he would have them judged by a Synod of the Province, without an Appeal to the Holy See. He affirms, that a Bishop of Afric should be judg'd by a Synod held in Afric, B. 1. Ep. 82. He remits Paulinus of Tegesta, to the Judg∣ment of Columbus, B. 10. Ep. 32.

He affirms, That a Bishop ought never to be Depos'd till his Cause has been first heard in a Synod, B. 2. Ind. 11. Ep. 8 & 9. In case of an Appeal, or where recourse is had to the Holy See, he com∣monly commissions Judges upon the place: whereof here follow some Instances.

Florentius Bishop of Epidaurus, which is now Ragousa, had been condemn'd by his Metropolitan, without being judg'd or convicted in any Synod; but St. Gregory declares that his Deposition ought not to take place, but the Cause ought to be re-heard and decided in a Council. He commissions Antonius to be present at this Decision, B. 1. Ind. 4. Ep. 8 & 9.

He remits to Columbus Bishop of Numidia, the Judgment of two Bishops of Afric, B. 5. Ep. 36. B. 10 Ep. 32.

He Commissions one of his Wardens at Rome, to draw up a Process and Judge the Bishop of Ma∣laga, B. 11. Ep. 52 & 53.

The Judgment of this Deacon is related in the Letter 55, wherein he declares by virtue of his Commission, that Januarius Bishop of Malaga was unjustly forc'd away: He nulls all that had been done against him, altho it was null in it self: He ordains, that the other Bishops who were guilty of this bold Invasion of another's Right, shall be shut up in a Monastery, to do Penance there; that he who was Ordain'd in the room of Januarius, shall remain depriv'd of the Priesthood, and all Ec∣clesiastical Orders, and that Januarius shall re-enter upon the Possession of his Bishoprick. This Dea∣con pronounc'd the Sentence, in the presence of the four Gospels, and according to the Memorial of the Imperial Laws, about the Decisions of Bishops.

St. Gregory remits to the Bishop of Vienna the Judgment of an Abbot of Cesena, who was forsaken by his Bishop, B. 12. Ep. 1.

He Commissions Sigibert Bishop of Autun, to determine the Differences between the Bishop of Turin and Tarentasia about the Parishes of their Diocese, B. 7. Ind. 2. Ep. 120 & 121.

He pretends also to have a Right of Reviewing the Causes which were decided in the East, even after an Appeal.

The Affair of Hadrian Bishop of Thebes in Thessaly is too remarkable to be pass'd over here in si∣lence. This Bishop had been condemn'd by the Bishop of Larissa, upon a Civil Affair, and he had brought his Appeal; but having recourse to the Emperors, he was sent back to be judg'd before the Bishop of Corinth; yet he was afterward forc'd to acquiesce in the Judgment of the Bishop of Larissa. Some time after, two Deacons who had been depos'd, one for his Uncleanness, and the other for Embezelling the Revenues of the Church, accus'd Hadrian of suffering a Deacon of an ill Life, altho he knew of his Disorders, and of suffering Infants to die without Baptism. The Bishop

of Larissa condemn'd him now for a Criminal Affair as he had done before for a Civil Matter; be appealed from this Sentence; the Emperors caused the Informations to be communicated to Honora∣tus a Deacon, who found none of these things true which they charged upon Hadrian. Yet his Cause was remitted to the Metropolitan of the first Justinienna, Primat of Illyria, and Vicar of the Holy See. This Bishop, without ex•…•…ing the Cause judicially, confirm'd the Sentence of the Bishop of Larissa upon the 〈◊〉〈◊〉 of some Witnesses, who declar'd that they had heard from the Deacon Demetrius the things which were charg'd upon Hadrian, altho this Deacon deny'd it so stifly that he could not be made to confess it by putting him to the Torture. Hadrian had recourse to St. Gregory, who null'd the proceedings at Larissa and those of the Bishop of the first 〈◊〉〈◊〉, as contrary to the Laws and the Canons, and as null in themselves, even tho there had not been any Appeal. He cuts off the Bishop of Justin•…•… from Com•…•… for thirty days, threatens to Excommuni∣cate him of Larissa, takes from him all his Jurisdiction over the Bishop of Thebes, orders him to restore the Effects of the Church of Thebes, and remits the Cause in his own right only to his Resi∣dents at Constantinople, B. 2. Ind. 11. Ep. 6. & 7.

He believed also that the Holy See could call Causes of great Consequence to Rome, and judge them. Thus he judged and acquirred at Rome John a Priest of Chalcedon who was accused of He∣resie, and condemned by the Bishop of Constantinople▪ B. 5. Ep. 15 & 16. And he alledges this Ex∣ample to prove to the Bishop of 〈◊〉〈◊〉 th•…•… he could examin and judge at Rome the Cause of Clau∣dus the Abbot, who had a Difference with the Church of Ravenna, B 5. Ep. 24. He acquits also a Priest of Isauria, who was accused of Heresie, B. 5. Ep 64. But he rarely made use of his Jurisdi∣ction. And the Metropolitans 〈◊〉〈◊〉 it with him. Paul a Bishop of Afric came to Rome to purge himself: Witnesses are sent thither who are 〈◊〉〈◊〉 insufficient. Paul desires to be sent back to Con∣stantinople, the Pope allows him to go thither with two Bishops, B. 6. Ep. 2.

As to the ordinary Causes between the 〈◊〉〈◊〉 Clergy of the Bishopricks depending upon the Me∣tropolis of Rome, he left them to the Decision of the Bishops, and would not have his Wardens to meddle in them, nor to diminish the Jurisdiction of the Ordinary. For, says he, if we do not pre∣serve the Jurisdiction of each Bishop, we 〈◊〉〈◊〉 the Order of the Church which we should main∣tain. Nam si unicuique Epise•…•… sua jurisdictio non 〈◊〉〈◊〉, quid aliu•• agitur, nisi ut per nos, per quos Ecclesiasticus ordo custo•…•… debuit, 〈◊〉〈◊〉, B. 9. Ep. 32. Yet he punish'd a Priest of a Parish in the Diocese of another Bishop, B. 2. Ep. 16.

As to the Informations about the Disorders committed in the Person of a Bishop, he observes that they should be made by a Clergy-man together with the Judge, B. 2 Ind. 11. Ep. 1. He would not have a Bishop detained a long time in Prison. He says that he must be Deposed if he be guilty, or set at Liberty if he be innocent, B. 1. Ep. 32. The Custom for a Man to purge himself by Oath when there was no Conviction of him, was in use in the time of St. Gregory, which he approves and makes use of, B. 2. Ep. 23. B. 9. Ep. 12.

Notes

• * 1.1

  The De∣fensores of St. Peter's Patrimony were cer∣tain Offi∣cers ap∣pointed by Popes in the Provinces, for maintaining and taking care of the Patrimony of the Roman Church; which Offi∣cers were afterwards appointed for Parochial Churches, and are now call'd Churchwardens, Spelm. Gloss.