A Source Book for Ancient Church History - Mirrors

394 A Source Book for Ancient Church History(a) Council of Nicæa, A. D. 325, Canons. Text, Hefele, § 42.Cf. Kirch, nn. 364-368.Canons of organization.Canon 4 regulates the ordinations of bishops; Canon 5 ordersthat excommunications in one diocese shall hold goodeverywhere; Canon 6 defines the larger provincial organizationwhich eventually resulted in the patriarchates; Canon 7defines the position of the bishopric of Jerusalem; Canons 15and 16 place the bishops permanently in their sees and theclergy under their own proper bishop.Canon 4. It is by all means proper that a bishop should beappointed by all the bishops in the province; but should thisbe difficult, either on account of urgent necessity or because ofdistance, three at least should assemble, and the suffrages of theabsent should also be given and communicated in writing, andthen the ordination should take place. But in every province theratification of what is done should be left to the metropolitan.Canon 5. Concerning those, whether of the clergy or of thelaity, who have been excommunicated in the several provinces,let the provisions of the canon be observed by the bishops whichprovides that persons cast out by some be not readmitted by others.…Nevertheless, inquiry should be made whether they havebeen excommunicated through captiousness, or contentiousness,or any such like ungracious disposition in the bishops. Andthat this matter may have due investigation, it is decreed that inevery province synods shall be held twice a year, in order thatwhen all the bishops of the province are assembled together, suchquestions may be thoroughly examined by them, that so thosewho have confessedly offended against their bishop may be seenby all to be for just causes excommunicated, until it shall appearfit to a general meeting of the bishops to pronounce a mildersentence upon them. And let these synods be held, the one before