Letter 20: The bishops of the province of Tarraconensis to the most holy Pope Hilary, greetings.

Of the bishops of Tarraco to Pope Hilarus. [Summary heading:] Concerning Silvanus, bishop of Calahorra, who laid hands upon [ordained] a bishop although the people did not request one, and upon a presbyter of the bishop of Caesaraugusta [Saragossa], they make complaint, and they consult Hilarus as to what ought to be done in this matter, or by what method abuses of this kind ought to be met. To our most blessed lord, to be venerated by us in Christ with apostolic reverence, Pope Hilarus, from Ascanius the bishop and all the bishops of the province of Tarraco. 1. Even if no need of ecclesiastical discipline existed, that privilege of your see would in truth have to be sought by us, by which the singular preaching of the most blessed Peter, after the keys of the kingdom were received following the Savior's resurrection, made provision throughout the whole world for the enlightenment of all: whose vicar's primacy, as it stands forth, so is it to be feared and loved by all. Accordingly, we, first adoring God in you, whom you serve without reproach, have recourse for the faith to that which has been praised by the apostolic mouth, thence seeking responses, whence nothing through error, nothing through presumption, but everything is enjoined by pontifical deliberation. 2. Since these things are so, there is nevertheless among us a false brother, whose presumption, just as it was not permitted to be kept silent any longer, so also the necessity of the judgment to come has commanded that we speak of it. A certain Silvanus, a bishop established in the farthest part of our province at Calahorra, by usurping ordinations not due to him, has brought our humility to this point, that against his utterly empty superstition we beg the sole remedy of your see. For this man already seven or eight years ago and more, setting aside the rules of the fathers and despising your institutions, ordained a bishop though no peoples requested one: and we, judging that his over-hasty deed could be healed by fraternal and peaceful admonition, [he] advanced to worse. Indeed, when, contrary to the antiquity of the canons, contrary to the decrees of the synod, kindled only by a spirit of presumption, he had laid hands upon a presbyter of another of our brothers, in that very place which had been destined for the man, the presbyter being unwilling and resisting, and who had already been joined to our assembly, he made him a bishop: from this it came about that our brother the bishop of the city of Caesaraugusta reported to us concerning his most wretched rashness, whose diligence and solicitude had amply provided beforehand, if it had been of any avail. For indeed he very frequently warned all the bishops placed in the neighborhood not to join themselves to the schismatic; but with damnable obstinacy that man alone did not blush to commit by himself the whole of what was unlawful and what we are ashamed to say. 3. Accordingly, because such presumptions, which divide unity, which make schism, ought to be met swiftly, we beseech your see that we may be instructed, with apostolic blasts [inspiration], as to what you wish to be observed in this matter: so that, the brotherhood being gathered, the decrees of the venerable synod being brought forth into the midst, supported by your authority against the spirit of rebellion, we may be able, with God helping, to understand what ought to be done concerning the ordainer and concerning the ordained. It will assuredly be your triumph, if in the times of your apostolate the catholic Church should hear that which the chair of Saint Peter holds, if the fresh seeds of the tares should have been uprooted. Subscription. May the divine eternity preserve through unbroken age your holy apostolate, praying for us!

Episcoporum Tarraconensium ad Uilarum papam. ^64^) l3. De SUwmo CaiagtiritaHO episcopo, qui episcopum poptdis non petentibus ordi- mmii ei Caesaraugu9iani episcopi preebyiero manus imposuit^ conqueruntur, Hilarumque consuiuni, quid ibi faciendum aut qtia ratione ejusmodi abusibus occurrendum sit, Domino beatissimo' et apostolica reverentia a no- bis in Christo colendo papae Ililaro Ascanius episcopus et universi episcopi Tarraconensis provinciae. 1. Etiamsi nulla^) exst-aret necessitas ecclesiasticae disciplinae^ expetendum re vera nobis fuerat illud privilegium sedis vestrae, quo susceptis regni clavibus post resurrectionem Salvatoris per totum orbem beatissimi Petri singularis praedicjitio universonmi illumina- tioni prospexit: cujus^) vicarii principatus sicut emiuet, ita riietuen- dus est ab omnibus et amandus. Proinde nos Deum in vobis primi- tus^) adorantes, cui sine querela servitis, ad fidem recurrimus in*) et ad morg. NiciensiSj c* c** Nicaensis, A* Nictiaensis; sequimiir K' |5 F. Leonis definitio hic memorata desideratur, nisi forte illa geueralis epist. 10 n. 6. • n c* c" in altera merhoratarum^ alii editi in alterum. Restituendiun duximus iJi aliero memoraiorum scil. locorum, ut suadebat quod mox subjicitur: ad unius auttMiiiiM praedicia loca regimen revertantur, Hujus aut^^ni deoreti cxsecutioniis lucnlentimi exemplmn exhibent Aurelianensis V^ concilii subscriptionos, intor quas (egitar: Aeiius presbyier direcius a domno meo Magno episcopo ecclesiae Cemelensis ei Sieensis subscripsi. **) Ita c* c'* cum mBS. At a' quemdam modum prohibuit, Ita decemit Hila- nis, dno loca ad mium redire antistitem, ut simul excuset Ingenuum, quod in eorom altero (scil. Nicensi) episcopum consecrarit, ne alienao ambitioni (scil. Aaxanii) occasionem daret. ') In c^ librarii oscitantia deest nuUa, Deinde pliires mss. staret (et similiter infra giirpaia)^ H* a' et duo mss. (uuus secunda manu) instaretj aUi exstaret, F* muUe Miarei necessiiaiis, H^ Jam si ... staret, DeindtJ F* quod susceptis, mox- qae H' H* iihamnaHone. ») cujus (flcil. Petri) vicarii: intelligendus Romanus pontifex. Petri enim suc- cetaoTea jam priBciB temporibuB ejusdem vicarii vocari (;on6ueverunt. >) Ita msB. (F* W H"), h<. At c* c' penitus. ') Ita A*. In aliifl deest in. a. 463 aposiolico ore laudatam, inde responsa quaereutes^ unde nihil errorey ~~^^' nihil praesumptione, sed pontificali totum deliberatione praecipitur. 2. Quum haec ita se habeant, est tamen inter nos falsus frater, cujiis praesimiptionem ^) sicut diutius tacere non licuit, ita et loqoi futuri judicii necessitas imperavit. Silvanus quidam episcopusCalagurM in ultima parte nostrae provinciae constitutus^ ordinationes sibi inde- bitas usurpando; humilitatem uostram ad hoc usque perduxit, ut contni ejus vanissimam superstitiouem sedis vestrae unicum remedium fla- gitemus. Hic namque jam ante septem aut octo amplius ami06, jwstpouens patnim regulas et vestra^) instituta despiciens, nullis J petentibus populis episcopum ordinavit: cujus praeproperum factom ] existimantes fraterna et pacifica posse admonitione santiriy profecit iii pejus. Denique dum ') contra vetustatem canoniun; contra synodi constituta alterius fratris nostri presbyterum, spiritu tantum prae- sumptionis accensus, in eodem loco, qui ilii fuerat destinatus, coi invito et repugnanti imposuerat manus et qui nostro jam coetui fuerat aggregatus, episcopum fecit : hinc factum est, ut de ejus mi- serrima temeritate ad nas Caesaraugustanae urbis episcopus frater noster referret^), cujus diligentia et soUicitudo admodum prospexeraty si in aliquo profuisset. Siquidem cunctis in vicinia positis episcopiSy iie se scliismatico adjungereut, frequentissime contradixit; sed ob- ' stinatione danmabili totiim, quod erat illicitum et quod nobis pndor est dicere, non erubuit solus ille coinmittere. 3. ' Proinde quia his pracsumptionibus, quae unitatem diyidunt| quae schisma faciunt, velociter debet occurri, quaesumus sedem ve*,' stram, ut quid super hac parte observare^) velitis, apostolicis affii- ; tibus instniamur: quatenus fraternitat^ coUecta prolatis in medium '. venerandae synodi constitutis, contra rebellionis spiritum vestra ao- ' ctoritate subnixi, quid oporteat de ordinatore et de ordinato fieri^ ■ "*) In plerisque mss. (etiam H^ H^) hic additur dum (in H" ^inaii), quod edUi omiserunt; moxque F* H^ H^ accessus (loco accensus). — Is episcopus, cigQs ela* ricum episcopiun fecit Silvanus , ex sequeutibus intelligitur esse CaeBaraugusla- nus. Id vero factiun adversatur Nicaeno c. 16, Antioch. in encaeniis c. 13 et 2S, Sardic. c. IS et 19, Carthag. I c. 5, Innocentii epist. 2 n. 10 al. ®) H^ observari, moxque in H" deest et de ordinato. EPISTOLAE 13. 14. 157 intelligere Deo adjuyante possimus. Erit profecto vester triumphus, a. 463 si apostolatos yestri temporibuS; quod sancti Petri cathedra obtinet ^^)y ratholica audiat Ecclesia^ si novella zizaniorum semina fuerint ex- stirpata. St •absoriptio. Orantem pro nobis sanctum apostolatum Testmm jugi aeyo divina conservet aeternitas!