A Source Book for Ancient Church History - Mirrors

(B) The Hierarchical Organization 393The following canon is printed as the sixth canon of Constantinople,A. D. 381, in Hefele and the other collections,e.g., Bruns and Percival.… If persons who are neither heretics, nor excommunicated, norcondemned, nor charged with crime claim to have a complaintin matters ecclesiastical against the bishop, 124 the holy synodcommands such to bring their charges first before all the bishopsof the province, and to prove before them the charges against theaccused bishop. But should it happen that the comprovincialsbe unable to settle the charges alleged against the bishop, thecomplainants shall have recourse then to the larger synod ofthe bishops of that diocese, 125 who shall be called together onaccount of the complaint; and the complainants may not bringtheir complaint until they have agreed in writing to take uponthemselves the same punishment which would have fallen uponthe accused, in case the complainants in the course of the mattershould be proved to have brought a false charge against thebishop. But if any one, holding in contempt these directions,venture to burden the ear of the Emperor, or the tribunals of thesecular judges, or disturb an ecumenical synod, 126 dishonoringthe bishops of their patriarchal province, such shall not be admittedto make complaint, because he despises the canons andviolates the Church's order.[360](B) The Hierarchical Organization124 I.e., of their diocese.125 In the sense of patriarchal province, following the use of the word “diocese”in the administrative system of the Empire. It should be noted that the patriarchalcouncil seems not to have become well defined in the Church's systemand never to have come into actual use.126 For the development of the ecumenical council, see below, § 91, a. Thisscheme of nicely adjusted appeals never took permanent place in the Churchowing to obvious difficulties.