Canon 104
Instruction to the brethren, Theasius and Euodia, appointed envoys from the Council of Carthage to the autocrats, in connection with the refusal of the Donatists to participate in negotiations.
Instruction to the brethren, Theasius and Euodia, appointed envoys from the Council of Carthage to the most glorious and pious autocrats. When, with the help of the Lord, they approach the most pious kings: then they will show them how, during the council of last summer, the elders of the Donatists were invited with complete freedom, through city notices, to gather together, so that, if they had the boldness to defend their opinion, they would choose some who were able from among their number to peacefully compete with us, and with Christian meekness they would undoubtedly show that if or they withheld the truth from themselves, so that in this way the catholic sincerity, which shone from ancient times in past times, would now be similarly recognized from the confusion and stubbornness of those who contradict. But since they were almost overcome by hopelessness, they did not dare to answer anything.
And so, since the episcopal and peaceful way of acting on such people was used, and they, unable to respond against the truth, turned to absurd violent acts, so that many bishops and many clergy (let us keep silent about the laity) were constrained by slander, and some churches were invaded, and others were also attempted to be invaded: then the royal love of mankind must be taken care of, so that the Catholic Church, which gave birth to them in the pious womb of Christ and raised them with the strength of faith, was protected from their thoughts: so that in their pious times, daring people would not dominate the powerless people, through some kind of fear, when they cannot seduce them through persuasion. For it is known and has been repeatedly declared by laws that vile gatherings of renegades are produced. This was condemned many times and by the orders of the above-mentioned most pious autocrats themselves. Therefore, against the fury of these renegades, we ask you to give us Divine help, not extraordinary and not alien to the holy scriptures.
For the Apostle Paul, as shown in the true acts of the apostles, defeated the complicity of disorderly people with military help. And so we ask that the protection of the Catholic ranks of churches in every city and various places adjacent to each possession be strictly given. It is appropriate to ask the most pious autocrats about this, so that they observe the law issued by their father Theodosius, of blessed memory, about collecting ten pounds of gold from heretics who ordain and those who are ordained, as well as from the owners from whom their collection will be arranged. Moreover, let this law be commanded to be confirmed, with its power extended to those who have provided evidence against the slander of those who have taken care of the Catholic Church, so that, at least by this fear, those who put off their purification will be kept from causing schisms and from heretical madness, and corrected by the thought of eternal punishment.
It is also appropriate to ask for this, that by their piety the law that still exists may be renewed, which will take away from heretics the right to collect anything, either at ordinations, or by wills, or to leave, and simply say, from those blinded by their insane prejudice, and who want to remain in the error of the Donatists, that the power to either leave something or to collect their own will be taken away. And those who, with the thought of unity and peace, want to correct themselves, may it be allowed, even if such a law exists, to receive an inheritance, even if it was a gift or inheritance that they received while still in heretical error, with the exception, however, of those who, upon being called to trial, considered it necessary to go to the Catholic Church. For such things must be considered, as not out of fear of heavenly judgment, but out of hunger for earthly gain, they desired catholic unity. Above all this, help is needed from the authorities of each region. But even if the locums, promoting the benefit of the church, see something else: we give authority to do and do this.
And so, since the episcopal and peaceful way of acting on such people was used, and they, unable to respond against the truth, turned to absurd violent acts, so that many bishops and many clergy (let us keep silent about the laity) were constrained by slander, and some churches were invaded, and others were also attempted to be invaded: then the royal love of mankind must be taken care of, so that the Catholic Church, which gave birth to them in the pious womb of Christ and raised them with the strength of faith, was protected from their thoughts: so that in their pious times, daring people would not dominate the powerless people, through some kind of fear, when they cannot seduce them through persuasion. For it is known and has been repeatedly declared by laws that vile gatherings of renegades are produced. This was condemned many times and by the orders of the above-mentioned most pious autocrats themselves. Therefore, against the fury of these renegades, we ask you to give us Divine help, not extraordinary and not alien to the holy scriptures.
For the Apostle Paul, as shown in the true acts of the apostles, defeated the complicity of disorderly people with military help. And so we ask that the protection of the Catholic ranks of churches in every city and various places adjacent to each possession be strictly given. It is appropriate to ask the most pious autocrats about this, so that they observe the law issued by their father Theodosius, of blessed memory, about collecting ten pounds of gold from heretics who ordain and those who are ordained, as well as from the owners from whom their collection will be arranged. Moreover, let this law be commanded to be confirmed, with its power extended to those who have provided evidence against the slander of those who have taken care of the Catholic Church, so that, at least by this fear, those who put off their purification will be kept from causing schisms and from heretical madness, and corrected by the thought of eternal punishment.
It is also appropriate to ask for this, that by their piety the law that still exists may be renewed, which will take away from heretics the right to collect anything, either at ordinations, or by wills, or to leave, and simply say, from those blinded by their insane prejudice, and who want to remain in the error of the Donatists, that the power to either leave something or to collect their own will be taken away. And those who, with the thought of unity and peace, want to correct themselves, may it be allowed, even if such a law exists, to receive an inheritance, even if it was a gift or inheritance that they received while still in heretical error, with the exception, however, of those who, upon being called to trial, considered it necessary to go to the Catholic Church. For such things must be considered, as not out of fear of heavenly judgment, but out of hunger for earthly gain, they desired catholic unity. Above all this, help is needed from the authorities of each region. But even if the locums, promoting the benefit of the church, see something else: we give authority to do and do this.
Greek original
Κομμονιτόριον τοῖς ἀδελφοῖς Θεασίῳ καὶ Εὐοδίῳ, τοῖς πεμφθεῖσι πρεσβευταῖς ἐκ τῆς ἐν Καρχηδόνι συνόδου, πρὸς τοὺς ἐνδοξοτάτους καὶ θρησκευτικωτάτους αὐτοκράτορας. Ἡνίκα τῇ τοῦ Κυρίου βοηθείᾳ τοῖς εὐσεβεστάτοις προσέλθωσι βασιλεῦσι, τούτοις ἐμφανίσουσι, ποίῳ τρόπῳ τελείᾳ τῇ παῤῥησίᾳ κατὰ τὴν τοῦ ἀνωτέρου ἐνιαυτοῦ σύνοδον οἱ πρωτεύοντες τῶν Δονατιστῶν τοῖς πολιχνιωτικοῖς πεπραγμένοις συνελθεῖν προετράπησαν· ἵνα, εἰ ἐθάῤῥουν τοῦ οἰκείου δόγματος ἀντιλαβέσθαι, ἐπιλεγέντων τινῶν ἱκανῶν ἐκ τοῦ αὐτοῦ ἀριθμοῦ, μεθ᾽ ἡμῶν εἰρηνικῶς ἀμφέβαλλον, καὶ ἡμερότητι Χριστιανικῇ ἀναμφιβόλως εἶχον ἐπιδεῖξαι, εἰ τίποτ᾽ ἀληθείας μετεῖχον, ὅπως ἐκ τούτου ἡ καθολικὴ εἰλικρινότης, ἡ ἔκπαλαι τοῖς ἀνωτέρω διαλάμψασα χρόνοις, καὶ νῦν ὁμοίως διὰ τῆς ἀπειρίας καὶ μονοτονίας τῶν ἀντιλεγόντων ἐγνωρίζετο, ἀλλ᾽ ἐπειδὴ τῷ μὴ θαῤῥεῖν συνείχοντο, σχεδὸν οὐδὲν ἐτόλμησαν ἀποκρίνασθαι. Διό, ἐπειδὴ ἐπισκοπικὴ καὶ εἰρηνικὴ τάξις περὶ τοὺς τοιούτους πεπλήρωται, κἀκεῖνοι τῇ ἀληθείᾳ μὴ δυνηθέντες ἀποκριθῆναι, εἰς ἀτόπους βίας μετεστράφησαν, ὡς πολλοὺς ἐπισκόπους, καὶ πολλοὺς κληρικούς, ἵνα τὸ περὶ τῶν λαϊκῶν σιωπήσωμεν, ἐπιβουλαῖς συσχεῖν, καί τισι δὲ ἔτι μὴν ἐκκλησίαις ἐπέβησαν, καὶ ἄλλαις ἐπελθεῖν ὁμοίως ἐπειράθησαν, τῆς αὐτῶν φιλανθρωπίας λοιπόν ἐστι προνοήσασθαι, ἵνα ἡ καθολικὴ ἐκκλησία ἡ αὐτοὺς θρησκευτικῇ γεννήσασα γαστρί, καὶ τῇ βεβαιώσει τῆς πίστεως ἐκθρέψασα, τῇ αὐτῶν ἔτι μὴν προνοίᾳ ὀχυρωθῇ· μή ποτε προπετεῖς ἄνθρωποι ἐπὶ τῶν εὐσεβῶν αὐτῶν χρόνων φόβῳ τινὶ τῶν ἀσθενῶν λαῶν καταδυναστεύσωσιν, ἐπειδὴ ὑποπείθοντες τούτους ἀποφαυλίσαι οὐ δύνανται. Ἔγνωσται γάρ, καὶ πολλάκις τοῖς νόμοις ἐκβοᾶται, τῶν παρασυναγόντων ἡ βδελυκτὴ πληθὺς ποῖα διαπράττεται, ἅτινα καὶ πολλάκις τοῖς θεσπίσμασιν αὐτῶν τῶν προλεχθέντων εὐσεβεστάτων αὐτοκρατόρων κατεδικάσθησαν· κατὰ οὖν τῆς ἐκείνων μανίας δυνάμεθα συμμαχίας θείας τυχεῖν, οὐκ ἀήθους δέ, οὐδὲ ἀλλοτρίας, ἀπὸ τῶν ἁγίων Γραφῶν, ὁπόταν Παῦλος ὁ Ἀπόστολος, ὡς ταῖς ἀληθιναῖς Πράξεσι τῶν Ἀποστόλων δεδήλωται, τὴν σύμπνοιαν τῶν ἀτάκτων στρατιωτικῇ ἀπεκίνησε βοηθείᾳ. Ἡμεῖς τοίνυν τοῦτο αἰτοῦμεν, ἵνα ταῖς καθολικαῖς τάξεσι τῶν ἐκκλησιῶν, ἀνὰ ἑκάστην πόλιν καὶ ἀνὰ διαφόρους τόπους τῶν γειτονευουσῶν ἑκάστων κτήσεων, ἀνυπερθέτως παραφυλακὴ παρασχεθῇ. Ἅμα δὲ καὶ τοῦτο δεῖ αἰτῆσαι, ὥστε τὸν νόμον τὸν ἐκτεθέντα παρὰ τοῦ τῆς εὐσεβοῦς μνήμης πατέρος αὐτῶν Θεοδοσίου, τὸν περὶ τῶν δέκα τοῦ χρυσίου λιτρῶν, τὸν κατὰ τῶν χειροτονούντων καὶ χειροτονουμένων αἱρετικῶν, φυλάξωσιν ἔτι μὴν καὶ κατὰ τῶν κτητόρων τῶν παρ᾽ οἷς ἡ ἐκείνων εὑρεθῇ συναγωγή· εἶθ᾽ οὕτως βεβαιωθῆναι τὸν τοιοῦτον νόμον κελεύσωσιν, ὡς ἰσχύειν κατὰ τούτων, ὧν διὰ τὰς ἐπιβουλὰς οἱ τῆς καθολικῆς προτραπέντες διαμαρτυρίαν ἀπέθεντο, ἵνα κἂν τούτῳ τῷ φόβῳ ἐκ τοῦ ποιεῖν σχίσματα καὶ ἀπὸ τῆς τῶν αἱρετικῶν φαυλότητος παύσωνται, οἱ τῇ κατανοήσει τῆς αἰωνίας κολάσεως καθαρθῆναι καὶ διορθωθῆναι ὑπερτιθέμενοι. Κἀκεῖνο ἔτι μὴν αἰτῆσαι δεῖ, ἵνα τῇ αὐτῶν εὐσεβείᾳ ὁ μέχρι τοῦ παρόντος νόμος ἐπαναληφθείη, ὁ τὴν εὐχέρειαν τῶν αἱρετικῶν ἀφαιρούμενος τοῦ εἴτε ἀπὸ κληρονομιῶν, εἴτε ἀπὸ διαθηκῶν τούτους δύνασθαι λαμβάνειν τί ποτε, ἢ καταλιμπάνειν, καὶ ἁπλῶς εἰπεῖν, τοῦ εἴτε τι καταλιμπάνειν, εἴτε λαμβάνειν τὰ δίκαια, καὶ ἀφέληται τῶν τῇ μανίᾳ τοῦ ἰδίου πείσματος τυφλωθέντων καὶ ἐν τῇ τῶν Δονατιστῶν πλάνῃ ἐπιμένειν βουλομένων. Τοῖς δὲ τῇ κατανοήσει τῆς ἑνότητος καὶ εἰρήνης ἑαυτοὺς διορθώσασθαι βουλομένοις, ὑπερκειμένου τοῦ τοιούτου νόμου, ἀνοιχθείη ἡ ἀκρόασις τοῦ λαμβάνειν κληρονομίαν, εἰ καὶ ἔτι τούτοις αὐτοῖς ἐν τῇ τῶν αἱρετικῶν πλάνῃ καθεστῶσι, προσαρμόζει τίποτε ἀπὸ δωρεᾶς ἢ κληρονομίας, ἐξῃρημένων ἐκείνων δηλαδή, οἵτινες, μετὰ τὸ εἰς δίκην ἀναχθῆναι, ἐλογίσαντο ὀφείλειν πρὸς τὴν καθολικὴν μετελθεῖν· περὶ γὰρ τῶν τοιούτων πιστευτέον ἐστί, μὴ τῷ φόβῳ τῆς οὐρανίου κρίσεως, ἀλλὰ τῇ ἀπληστίᾳ τῆς γηΐνης λυσιτελείας, τὴν καθολικὴν ἑνότητα ἐπιποθῆσαι. Πρὸς τούτοις δὲ πᾶσι, τῆς βοηθείας χρεία ἐστὶ τῶν δυναστειῶν ἑκάστης ἐπαρχίας ἰδίας· καὶ ἄλλο δὲ εἰτιδήποτε κατανοήσουσι τῇ ἐκκλησιαστικῇ χρησιμότητι λυσιτελοῦν, τοῦτο διαπράττεσθαι καὶ ἐξανύειν αὐτεξούσιον ψηφιζόμεθα τοποτηρησίαν. Κἀκεῖνο δὲ πρὸς τούτοις ἤρεσεν, ἵνα γράμματα ἐκ τῆς ἡμετέρας συνελεύσεως πρὸς τοὺς ἐνδοξοτάτους βασιλεῖς καὶ τὰς ὑπερεχούσας ἐξουσίας ἀποσταλῶσι, δι᾽ ὧν πληροφοροῦνται, ὡς τῇ συναινέσει πάντων ἡμῶν ἐπὶ τὸ εὐτυχέστατον κομιτάτον τοὺς τοποτηρητὰς παρ᾽ ἡμῶν εἶναι ἀποσταλέντας· ἀλλ᾽ ἐπειδὴ τοῖς αὐτοῖς γράμμασι πάντας ἡμᾶς ὑπογράψαι βραδύτατόν ἐστιν, ἵνα μὴ ταῖς ἑκάστου ἡμῶν ὑπογραφαῖς τὰ αὐτὰ γράμματα φορτωθῶσιν, αἰτοῦμεν, ἀδελφὲ Αὐρήλιε, ἵνα ἐν τούτοις ἡ σὴ ἀγάπη ὑπογράψαι ἐπ᾽ ὀνόματι πάντων ἡμῶν καταξιῶσῃ. Καὶ ὑπέγραψαν. Αὐρήλιος ἐπίσκοπος τῆς ἐν Καρχηδόνι ἐκκλησίας, τῷ παρόντι ψηφίσματι συνῄνεσα, καὶ παραναγνωσθέντι ὑπέγραψα. Ὁμοίως καὶ οἱ λοιποὶ ὑπέγραψαν. Γράμματα ἔτι μὴν πρὸς τοὺς ἄρχοντας πέμψαι δεῖ, ἵνα ἕως οὗ ὁ Κύριος τοὺς τοποτηρητὰς ὑποστρέψαι πρὸς ἡμᾶς καταξιῶσῃ, παραφυλακὴν ἀνὰ τὰς τῶν πόλεων τάξεις, καὶ κτήτορας τῶν χωρίων τῇ καθολικῇ ἐκκλησίᾳ ἐπιμερίσωσιν. Ἔτι μὴν δεῖ προσζεῦξαι καὶ περὶ τοῦ Αἰκυτίου, ἵνα ἡ ἀναίδεια αὐτοῦ ἐξωθηθῇ ἀπὸ τῶν διοικήσεων, ἃς ἐκ τῶν φροντιστῶν τῆς ἐν Ἱππῶνι ἐκκλησίας ἱερατικῶν δικαίων πρὸς ἑαυτὸν διεκδικεῖ. Καὶ γράμματα δὲ πρὸς τὸν ἐπίσκοπον τῆς Ῥωμαϊκῆς ἐκκλησίας περὶ τοῦ παραθέσθαι τοὺς τοποτηρητὰς πεμφθῆναι ὀφείλουσι, καὶ πρὸς τοὺς ἄλλους δέ, ὅπου ἐστὶν ὁ βασιλεύς. Καὶ ὑπέγραψαν. Ὁμοίως Αὐρήλιος ἐπίσκοπος τῆς ἐν Καρχηδόνι ἐκκλησίας, τῷ παρόντι ψηφίσματι συνῄνεσα, καὶ παραναγνωσθέντι ὑπέγραψα. Ὁμοίως καὶ οἱ λοιποὶ ὑπέγραψαν.[1]
Parallel canons
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