Letter 17: from Dionysio Exiguo. I.

We have received the letters of your brotherhood, sent through the deacon Celestinus, and have reviewed the matters about which you wished to consult the apostolic see. As is right and fitting for the ancient order of our responsibility, we respond to each of your inquiries so that no room for doubt may remain. First, concerning priests who have been ordained by heretics or schismatics and come to the catholic Church: if they were validly ordained, that is in proper form, they may be received in their orders at the bishop's discretion, after suitable examination, provided they have not been implicated in the particular errors of the heresy. But if there is any doubt about the form of their ordination, they must be ordained anew, for we cannot recognize what was not properly performed. Concerning those who have been rebaptized by heretics, when they return to the Church, they are to receive the imposition of hands for the gift of the Holy Spirit, but are not to be baptized again, since their baptism, if administered in the name of the Trinity, remains valid. Concerning Bonosians, who are similar in error to the Photinians, those who were baptized while still infants and could have known nothing of the wickedness of that doctrine: when they come to the catholic Church, they may be received by the imposition of hands, since they received baptism not through their own error but through another's. Let your brotherhood observe these rules with diligence and report to us whatever further questions arise.

Ex Dionysio Exiguo. I. Ut si sacerdos vel quilibet ex clero viduam uxoretn duxerit , vel ejectam , suum perdnt officium. — II. Ut si quis catechumenus habuerit uxoreni, et, defunctq en, pnsl baplismum sortilus ftterit alteram, clericus non sit. — III. Quod non suscipiantur in clero ab haireticis ordinati. — ■ IV. Quod in vrdina- tionibuscriminn vct vitia non bcnc credantur tinfcrri. G — V. Qiroriii, ryiti aBonoso Imretico ordinati sunt, proplcrea sinl recepli, ne scandaium remauerei Ec- clesia'. — VI. Quod in Ecclcsia pectatum pvputi inultum svleai prtvlcriri. ■ — VII. Quod subrcpiiim ftierit apostolictr sedi, et suam in melius senlentium commutarit . Ex aniiquo codice Corbeiensi. I. De iis qui duas suggerunlur accepisse uxvrcs. — II. i\oii dici oportere dicjamum eum tj.n cutechttiueuus httbiuril tttque amiseril uxortm — III. Qwditer cri- iitina tiimitlaniur in baplismuni. — IV. De filiis qui aulc buptismuni nali fucrinl. — V. Dc calcclium nis, qiti sanclis iirlulibus slitducrint. — \l. De hwrcticis clericis qitaliler debeant reconciliari. — VII. De su- 0 criiegis ci atlulicris ad clcrum ttdmitti non debere. — VIII. El qualitcr hwiclici uccipianlur. — IX De his qiti sc c uharos ati;ne mundos cocaul.— X. De a Novatianis alque harclicis rcccitenlibus, — XI. De clciiciscalholicis em ttd Itwresim trtiiisctnt!. — ■ XII. hc reccplionc Fonlini c! Enslasi. INISOCENTIUS h R.UFO, ElsEHIO, EisrATHio, Claudio, Calecrtili, Xieiur, Acitilmjo, Martiati, cpitcnpts Ma- ceion if el dihconibus in Den snftrttrt. t^idem c dici conc.iiiil cl all t Colb. U ulc li |ii i, cx ordine, queui ill iiiscriiiiininlcis lnijiisinodi tenen episcopi, nnl- bim c m'i.'i posse liroiilm argumentu.u, quw ooriun di'cMlii;is vel :iiilii|nilas probftiur. Dioiyius Fxiguus 527 S. 1NN0CENTII I VAVJE 528 Maximiano, Eugenio, Gerontio , Joanni, Polv- A accepisse suggeruniur uxores, non solum clericos cubiinio, Sopiironio, Flavuno, IIilario. Macedo- nio, Calicratio, Zo-imo, Profuturo, Nicet,e, [Quidum mss. Nicetio], Uermogeni, Vincentio, Asiologo. Terentiano, IIerodiano et Marciano , 1. Magna me gratulatin habuit, cuni post lol dis- crimina tolins, ul iia dixcrim, mundi, Vilalis, ar- chidi iconus, vestrarum ponilor 1 tteraruin, ex illis parlibus ad nos usque directus ailvenit. Quein cuin vidissemus, illico, ul oporlebat, percnntaii de veslro statn snmus. Veruni ubib reperiinus vos ex senten- liadegere, Deo no-tro uberes gratias relulimus, qnml -uos laniulos suisque allariluis servienles el in adversis weiur, et in prosperis guberwire dignaiur. Quicuin iradidisset epistolas, easprseccpi illico rc- censeri : in quibus nmlla posita pervidi, quaa siupo- reni meniibusnostris c iriducereni, facerenique nos non modicum dubiiare, utium aliter putaremus, an iia illa essent pnsita queinadmodiim personabant. Quae cum saqiins repeii fecissem, adverli sedi apo- siolic.e, aJ quain relalio inissa quasi ad caput eccle- siarum currebal, d aliquam fieri iiijuriani, cujus ad- liuc in amliiguiim seuientia ducerelur. Unde de quibus jam dudum scripsisse memini, nunc iterare formam arguineniis evideniioribns, c relationis ve- slr* geininata perconlalio compellit. qap. i. _ 2, Eos {Ivo p. 8, c. 503), qui viduas effeclos agnovi , verum eliam nsqtie ad inlulas suinini sacerdolii pervenisse : quod conira legis essc prsecepla nullus ignorat. Nam cum Moy.>es legislator clainitet : Sucerdos uxorem virginem uccipiul iLev. xxn, 13, 14); ac ne in boc pr.ccepto alii|iiid puta- retur ainhiguuin, addidil, non viiluum,neque ejcctam. Contra quod prseceptum, divina auctoritate f sub- missum, nulla defensio mandati alierius opponitur, nisi consueiudo vesira : qu;i-, ut ipsi f.ueinini, ex iguoianiia, ul verecumlius dieam, non ex aposiolica tradiiioue ct iutegra ralione constilula e»t. Nos au- lem, omiiesque per Orieniein Occidentemque eccle- sias, noverit veslra dileciio li;ec peniliisuon adinil- lere ; nec ad ullimum ecelesiastici ordinis 6 locun) 15 tales assumere et, si reperli fuerint, removere. Cap. II. —5. Deimle ponilur, nnn dici {Dist. 26, c. 5 ; Ivo, p. i, c. 2j2, et p. 8, c. 5u5) oportere di- gamuiii eum, qui calechumenus hahueril atque ami - seril uxorein, si post baplismum lueiit aliam surti- lus ; eamque primam videri , qua: novo homiiii copulaia sit : quia iliud conjngium per lia|ilismi sa- craraenlum cum caeteris criininihus sit abluium. Quoil cum de una uiit|ue dicilur, certe si ires ha- hiierit in vetere |iosiius homine uxores, erit ei, quoe posi baptismum quarta est, sic interpreianiiuus prima : h virginisque nomen accii iet, quae quarto ducta esl loco. Qnis oro, istud non videat contra Apustoli esse pracceptum, qui ait (I Tim. m, 2 ; duos ex illis episcopis appellare conienlns, loi.nn inscii 'lion-m perstiingii in bunc modiim : Innocen- tins liufo, En*eb o et cceleris episcopis Macedonibus et dinconibiis in Domino sulutem : eiiin |iie piistea inii- tati siini llispanse colleciioiiis aucmr et isidoros. Chrysostnmus de exsilio epi-tolam 165, ad Macc- donas episcopos , scribens, Eus'ailiiiim , Eusebium, Maxitnianum, Euqenium ei Gerontiumw ms riptmne pariter appellai. llic ohoritur qua-stio, in M cedo- niane lot fuefint episcopi, quoi nune recen>emur. Neque enini Mnci.nii, quem episcq i luissecon- slat, nnineii ultiuio loco positiim peimitlil, ut sn- periiisaliquni cum episeopis diac >- appellatns sen tiainns. Forie Iniioeentins, cuiu quos et aliis lllyriei provinciis uoveiat episcopos proniis- coe oieinoiassel, aihlitlil ip';scop:s Macedanibut el diuconis. ui epistoiam siram, quainvis ena n vicina- ruin provinciiiruni episiOpis in-cnptim, ad .VI icedo- nas iu priuiis aitnere signilicaret : queaiadinodum amea Canuana ^yaodus, tesie Siricjo epist. '.), n. I, stiueri, ut finiiioii acvicioi B moso epi->copi, pra- cipue Maccdones, causam ejtis cognost erent. t> Corli. in^. cnm uuoColb., reperivimus. Mert., twstri inducerent. Nmi displuerel injicerent. A & poiionlnis ins-. IiiiC levocalur vox aUquum, qnai prms desiderahatur. Jam lonoceniius episl. 2, n. 7 el 8 , neciion episi.,3. n. 11 , vemeiai ne ad cletuin ailinilieretur, qui vel vidnam vel secundaui uxureui tluxii , etiamsi priinam accepisset ante bap- lismtim. Probabile aulem est eum, Siricii exemplo cuias-e, ut hujusmndi epistolie ac decrela per pro- vincias toinmeareni, m ipse loquitiir epist. I, n. 2, ne i|uis eoiuin igiioranliaiii pratleuderet. Cerie id, de quo antea scnpsisse se leslilicaiur, in tlno pr.c- dicta rapiia, uon in alia duo, qnce subinde tractan- lur, cndil. Im. gemina percontatio vestra. Vul^aiani lectionem asserva t veiera excmpl.v Codiris Quesu. iiuin i coucilium anno 574, can. i, slatuit, neini- nein posihac de digamis aul internuptarum marilis Macedooia D ordinari clericum po^se, sive anie baptisniuiii, sive poit in digamiaui iucurrerinl. Eos lamen, qui hac- leniis nrdinati fneranl, removere noii audet. Dc ilia eliain disciplio* severilale noonihil posten remise- runl GaHicana conril a Aransicaiiiiui i, can. 25, et Aiclaiense n, can. 45, ne bujiisiuodi viri iiltra -uh- diacouaiiim pronioveainur, inlerdicere saiis h.iboe- iiinl. Neque hac iu re Hispauos, Mmros Italosve ap.islolic.e regul.e observaiuiores fuisse, te-tes sunl