Letter 19: tNNOCENTIt PAr* I to ALEXANDRCM ANTI0CHENUM EPISCODIM.

We have received the report of your love, and from its content we learn that certain things need correction in your province, which it falls to us by apostolic responsibility to address. You have made known that some bishops in your region are ordaining clergy without proper examination, promoting men to sacred orders who are not qualified either by learning or by moral character. This we cannot permit, for the apostle himself commands that hands be laid on no one hastily, and whoever does so shares in the sins of others. We decree therefore that no one shall be promoted to any degree of the clergy unless he has been thoroughly examined both as to his life and as to his knowledge, and unless the testimony of his neighbors and of the faithful of his church confirms his worthiness. Furthermore, we decree that the intervals between orders must be observed, so that each candidate may be tested in the lower rank before being promoted to the higher. No one shall be made a deacon who has not first served as a subdeacon, nor a presbyter who has not shown himself worthy in the diaconate. We have also learned that some bishops are dedicating churches built by private individuals without first obtaining the permission of the metropolitan. This must not be done, for the dedication of churches pertains to the rights of the metropolitan, and no bishop may presume to perform it without his authority. Likewise, no bishop shall alienate the property of his church for any reason, since these goods are the patrimony of the poor and must be preserved for their benefit. Let these things be observed throughout your province, and report to us if any difficulties arise.

tNNOCENTIt PAr* I AD ALEXANDRCM ANTI0CHENUM EPISCODIM. De Pace. Qiuv Anlhu-liia: prap*er paccin suni gesta recoleus , summa volorum potittis , communionem libenter conccdit, eamque offcrt Acacio , modo et eadein pra'stet. i. Aposiolici favoris graiia niagno pacis usque ad nos (lec.re resplenduit : taninmqne lucis gaudio- inmqiie infiilsil lideltbns, ut dieenles Deo maximas laudes, niajores nos debere fateremur. Plusqiie a D Dcojiieunilati stitnns.quoil, discussis omnibus laieri- btts aclioniim tiiM fralcrnilalis, ila lotum pielale ac ilieniia gesuini eognovimus, til in omnibiis Doini- » In mss. coll lladr. crcdentibus : cui verbo eolle- ctionis lliso. aucior adilidit st>i.*eaqne lectlo etapnd Isid. et in vulgatis deinceps obtinuit. Veram suppedi- lal sinc»r;e collectiouis Dion. exemplar. Keg, Porro inier ecelesias , in quas Innoeanlius cpisi. 15, 11. 2, lluf < vieeui suani conitnittil, eliam Creirt nxenseliir. 11 Magis plaeeret, el obscrveut. Delndt! pn> udmini- strationc, tpiotl ex priesianli c.ulice Regio rcvoe.ituus, exstat in aliis aim mitione. Mox tns. Noviom. , ne talibus sortianlur : iiiule cbnfecia esl vul»ata lectio ne lulibus socentur. Ilelinentlutn ctiin poltoribus ttiss. , ne taiia so<tiantur, hoc esi , ut scieiilej quid de B11- balio el TaurtanQ sil iinlicaiuni , civeant ne lalia aganl, inileqne in paieni poenain incurranl. Qu;e au- letn fucril illa pirna, exvcibis, qui ditjni admini- str.nione t>unt, inieHigilur : Imc qnippe pcv anlipbra- situ tlieiiiin, cuni llulialius ct Tatiriauus al) atlmini- siraiioue etcle.siarmn ruis-cnt ilejecli. Mt EPISTOC/E hiilnni luis laboribus vidcamus, quod lota virnile pacis ainator existens , cain rei|iiis lam itive- neris, 8t repert.nn Miinma chaiiiale servaveiis, cnni erga onines, iiim pr.vcipue oirta ill»s, qni quondam 1'anlini atqua Evagrii episeoporum censiti ftterant nomine. (Ilaheo summain voionini meornm, quod aiitiipti naevi puigaiio tnis trinpoiibiis tnisque ineri- tis praTOgaiiir.) Qiiorum etiam illos ejusdem noini. nis, qni in llalia merita clericatns aeceperunt, con- siii bftnn quieiis gratiain reiinere susceptam. Ei quia noster compresbyler Cassiatms graiiim " dixit in;e fore iligoatiuni , si meo consilio iu civiiaie vesira eleiicains ordineni ilncere censerentiir ;siaiui prop- ler henevoleiiiiam luain, proinissaqiie niemoraii, ut inter ceierns sacerdoles minisirosque qui in civilale suni , annnmerenlur , frater charissime. Lihenlep preterea de episeopis11 EI|iiilio atque Pappocognnvi, quoil sine qtnesiioiic suas eeelesias recuperaverint : el mulium iu gesiis, ut r sulijecia icsianiur, spllici- tus Inquisivi, utrtim oinnibus esset condilionibus sa- lisfactum in causa beati et vere Deo digni sacerdo- ET DECRETA. F.42 A tis Jnannis. Et cnm per siugula asseriio legatorum ex voto cotnpleta csse fatereitir, graiias aeens Do- miiKi, cominunionem Ecelesise vesirse ita recepi, ut prae ine feram , apostnlicui srdis cnndiscipulos pri- iiuis dedissc caieris viam pncis, in qua firmalosvns nosf|iie Dmiiiiii Chrisli ila henignilas amplrx biltir alt|tie coiniiinniel, ul iiullo ile ca.-iero d liiillamento, vel lcvi cujusquam contenlionis pudore pulsetur. 2. Sciipla aulein e Acacii episcopi, i|uoni.im cum vesiris suni porrecta , suscei imus, ne pcr vsiram injnriam ille , qui olim a nohis suspnisus fuerat, lepudiariiiir : cl lamen satis ahuiule f in aciis sta- liiinius, siculi ilignauier relcg''re procurabis, quid iu cjus persoua debeat custodiri , ut si per nmuia R usiris cmisiliis aciibHSijne lam sanctis se rogaveiit csi-e coiniiiiiiiein, pnesteltir 6 -eni favote vesirono- strpqpe jmlicio cmiiniiinionis atijiie liticrarun: a nohis gralia prscrogala. Subsciipseiuni b viginli episcopi lialiie. • Merl. Crab. ciim mss. Reg. Novioin. el uno Colb. cluxii. Is Cassianus pulatur Collaiionuin scri- pior, qui,ui Pallailins m Vita Chrysost,, pag. 27, nir- rat, aiiiiu iii i lahenle adhuc diacnnus Romam vc- nit : si'd )ioslniiiilnm prrshyierii ;.'riulu liecoralus luil. Tolus llic lociis, ulpoii- aiiimi sir.nni alTectu loiitieiiiis, nec lam qno inoilo verba ordinei , quasti i|U0 :ilT.'clnin siiiiiu expritnal, curamis, ininc.iins Imsilan nonnullis vnlebiinr. Ad inielligciiliaui ejiis ic.colenduiii est, Antmrhenain ecclestam dti s :n paries, Paulini videlicct, cui Evagrius smce-sit, et Elaviimi, in ciijus loi iini Alexaoihi' p.i-l Porphy- riuni, Evagrin |iun viin funeto, snbrogaiii- est, Imsso disscisam. Quia vero Oceidens P.uilnin ac dcintic l',vagiio favebal , jll Ilidiaili scse coniulerant non- iinlli qui illis aihlicii eranl, ihiqne merucranl cleri- catus djgniiaicm. Ecclesiastica! autem disctpUna! iuos volehal, ul si his scrvaiiila judicarctur cullaia dignitas, ejits civiiali- eenseicnliir clcrici , a rujns episcopls nrdinnll vcl promoti frieranl. Ai Innocen- Ims clericis parliinn Pnulini i ul Evagrii iu llilia or- dmaiis vel prmuoiis primo servandain eensuit elpri- catns graiiam. ac ileimle Ca-siano anclore -tituil ul iiilein ihIci" cwleros sucerdot-s miiilstrosque, qui in ci- iilnle Aiiliucbena sunt, unnumerentur. Eudem ei in- fra episl. 23 flrniauliir, ac panlo apeiinis cnunliaii- iur. ilic obiter observare est, sacerdotum ve.cabuln, prieler iisilaiuiii aiitii|iioruin morem, prfeshyteros, noii episcopns signilicari. Eodein qnoqne iniellectn bac vuce utens Hieronymits io Ezechielis capnt 48 ariogantiani argmt diacnnorum, qni ignorantes Itu- militntem ordinis sni, ultra sncerdotes, hoc est presby- teros, iiitumescunt. Ei ui cpistola ad Evangelnm : Si ex diacono ordinalur preslyier, noverit se tucris niinn- rem, sacerdotio esse maiorem. Innocenlitis epist. 25, n. ti, presbyieros tecundos sncerdotes essc scriblt. Irienniuin in domibns snis iiiclusos fuisse P.i lladius pag. I!)r. , trailu his verlns ; Elpidius magnns ilte Lumiiciiv .Si/ iii episrQ/)it5, et 1'iipinis. i>e. lotum Irien- niiun di sciiln dnmus stuc iwu dcscen leniiit, precutio- nibus i acuntes. Iiinocen ios nnn prnis pnoem flrniavil, quam Alexan- dii legaios publico in coain atidiissel, cosqtte de il- lis qtire Antiocbi:e gesta fuerant diligenier inierro- gassei. Qna de re cum gesla confici stiidnissel, ea episloke liuic subjiei curavil. Paiilo anle Anliocheni vocaiiniin/ios/o/icrt' sedis con- disciputi : quiai Aniioclieua ecdes a eodem, quo Ko- niaua, Aposlolo ilmime fumlala esl. '■ Edii. eoncil. cum uiio ms. Colb. el Noviom., Altici : Verhi liujiis loco Lah. ail niarginem adscri- psii Aoacii; qnnd verhum mss. coll. Dmri. Iladr. et C cdit. Roni. evliihenl, ae iclincmluni esse epi-tnhc 21 ei 22 piane persuadeiil. lo hac pnrro Innocenlius niill.i se ah AHico scripta accepisse le-ialur, Ipse vei", qui bic sttbslitnil A<lici nomen, crrorem sniim in fronle ei isiohe 21 . i|ii:c lisilem in mss. ad Allicum Re.nen? episcapnm inseripta legilnr, manifeste pnnlii. Nain Beneic non Alticus, sed Acftcins praeerat- Hnnc Acaciinti iolcr Joaunis CliFysoslomi hoslos :ic prse- cipims tragcfiili c adversos eumdem excilaia- acnues Palladins prtninni reconsilre solei. (.("•''m obcansani iil :ih lniiocenlio suspcndereiiir nieinerat : qitod ila inlellig' n.liuii, ul es-ei Innoceiiiii eum ipso snspcnsa ci minio , uoii iil illi oiiniere sno inleidixei it. Meol suaiii iilcni papa episi. 22 planins aperil. D niauai syiimlosiib Dannso papa inlerliii-se ainul Ba- luziuiu iiov. coll. concil. pag. 7t.5 lcgiini. l,)uod anuo 378 contigisse supr.i pag. 491, n. 3 ei i, pro- baviinits. i' li.i itiagno eoiisensii niss.. At Merlin. Sutscripse- rtuit episcopi w, Ilnliir v\tv. I.xindc Crah. rcinola noia nmuiiica \.x retinuil \ iv, eaqne leciio deiu- Ceps ol"innii. Eriitndi caosa lluxn ex inss. colle- cn nis llispiin:c, inquibuspost verba, subscnpsmmt episcopi 20 Italia'. athliinr xxiv, nno ad epscoiiorniii snhsci ilieiiiiuin iiiiiiierniii, sfid ad > r.linein, quem se- queos epi^lola imer alias ea in colleciione tenei, in- liieanduin. 513