must bring them over to the communion of the Catholic Church. If however they have not been baptized, they may not baptize them amongst heretics, nor join them in marriage to an heretic, or Jew, or Heathen, unless the person who is married to the orthodox person shall pro

any one

mise to come over to the orthodox faith. But if transgresses this decision of the holy Synod, let him undergo canonical punishment. (Apost. Can. 26.)

XV. A woman must not be ordained a Deaconess under forty years of age, and that after a strict examination. But if after she has received ordination, and continued some time in her ministering, she shall give herself in marriage, despising the grace of God, let her be anathematized, together with him who is joined to her.

XVI. A virgin (1) who has dedicated herself to the Lord God, and in like manner Monks, are not permitted to contract matrimony. But if they are found to have done this, let them be excommunicated. We have determined, however, that the Bishop of the place should have the power of dealing leniently with them.

XVII. The rural and country parishes in every Province must continue without disturbance under the Bishops who have had possession of them, particularly if they have had them under their management for the space of thirty years without dispute. If however there has been or shall be any dispute respecting them within the thirty years, it is allowed to those who say that they are injured to move the question respecting these things before the Synod of the Province. But if any one is wronged by his Metropolitan, he is to be judged by the Exarch of the Diocese, or by the Throne of Constantinople, as has before been said. If however any city has been newly erected (1) by royal authority, or shall here

after be erected, let the order of the ecclesiastical parishes follow the political and public forms.

XVIII. The crime of conspiracy or banding together is utterly forbidden, even by the civil laws, much more then ought such a thing to be forbidden in the Church of God. If therefore any of the Clergy or Monks should be discovered either conspiring or banding together, or forming any evil designs against the Bishops, or their fellow Clergy, let them be altogether deposed from their proper rank.

XIX. It has come to our hearing that the Synods of the Bishops which are prescribed by the Canons in the Provinces, do not take place; and that from this cause many of the things which are required for the right settlement of ecclesiastical matters are neglected. The holy Synod has therefore determined according to the Canons of the holy Fathers, that the Bishops in every Province shall meet together twice in every year, at the place which the Bishop of the Metropolis shall approve, and settle whatever matters may have arisen. And that

the Bishops who do not come to the meeting, residing in their own cities, and being in good health, and being free from all unavoidable and necessary business, shall be reproved in a brotherly manner. (Apost. Can. 33. Nic. 5. Ant. 20.)

XX. The Clergy who minister in any Church, as we have already determined, are not to be allowed to be appointed to the Church of another city, but are to be contented with that in which they have been first counted worthy to minister, excepting those who, having been obliged to leave their own country by some necessity, have passed over to another Church. But if any Bishop, after this decision, shall receive a Clergyman belonging to another Bishop, it is decreed, that both the received

and the receiver shall be excommunicated, until such time as the Clergyman who has gone over shall return to his own Church.

XXI. Any Clergymen or Laymen who bring charges against any Bishops or Clergymen, are not to be received indiscriminately, and without examination, to make their accusation, but their character must first be inquired into.

XXII. The Clergy may not, after the death of their Bishop, seize upon the goods belonging to him, as has also been forbidden by former Canons (1), but those who do so will endanger their own rank.

XXIII. It has come to the hearing of the holy Synod, that certain Clergymen and Monks who have not received any charge from their own Bishop, and even at times some who have been excommunicated by him, betake themselves to the imperial city of Constantinople, and remain there a long time causing tumults, and troubling the settlement of the Church, and subverting other men's houses. The holy Synod has therefore determined, that such persons shall in the first instance be admonished by the Defender of the most holy Church of Constantinople, to depart out of the imperial city; but if they shall impudently continue in the same practices, they are to be cast out against their wills by the said Defender, and to return to their own places.

XXIV. The monasteries which have been once consecrated with the sanction of the Bishop, are to remain monasteries for ever, and the things which belong to them are to be preserved, and they are no more to become secular dwelling-places. But those who suffer this to be done shall undergo the Canonical punishments. XXV. Since some Metropolitans, as we have been informed, neglect the flocks committed to them, and put off the ordinations of Bishops, the holy Synod has de

creed that the ordination of Bishops shall take place within three months, unless some unavoidable necessity shall oblige the period of delay to be prolonged. But if he [i e. the Metropolitan] shall not do this, he shall undergo ecclesiastical punishment. In the mean time the revenues of the widowed Church shall be kept safely by the Steward of the same Church.

XXVI. Since in some Churches, as we have been informed, the Bishops manage the affairs of the Church without Stewards, it is decreed, that any Church having a Bishop, shall also have a Steward out of its own Clergy, who may manage the affairs of the Church with the sanction of his own Bishop, to the end that the administration of the Church may not be without witnesses, and so the goods belonging to it be wasted, and reproach be brought upon the Priesthood. But if the Bishop do not do this, he shall undergo the sentence of the divine Canons.

XXVII. With respect to those persons who carry off women under the pretence of marriage, or who assist or take part with those who do carry them off, the holy Synod has decreed, that if they be Clergymen, they shall be deposed from their rank, and if they be Laymen, they shall be anathematized.

XXVIII. We, following in all things the decisions of the holy Fathers (1), and acknowledging the Canon of the 150 most religious Bishops which has just been read, do also determine and decree the same things respecting the privileges of the most holy city of Constantinople, New Rome. For the Fathers properly gave the Primacy to the Throne of the elder Rome, because that was the imperial city. And the 150 most religious Bishops, being moved with the same intention, gave equal privileges to the most holy throne of New Rome, judging with

reason that the city which was honored with the sovereignty and senate, and which enjoyed equal privileges with the elder royal Rome, should also be magnified like her in ecclesiastical matters, being the second after her. And [we also decree], that the Metropolitans only of the Pontic, and Asian, and Thracian Dioceses, and moreover the Bishops of the aforesaid Dioceses who are amongst the Barbarians, shall be ordained by the abovementioned most holy Throne of the most holy Church of Constantinople; each Metropolitan of the aforesaid Dioceses ordaining the Bishops of the Province, as has been declared by the divine Canons; but the Metropolitans themselves of the said Dioceses shall, as has been said, be ordained by the Bishop of Constantinople, the proper elections being made according to custom, and reported to him.

XXIX. To reduce (1) a Bishop to the rank of a Presbyter is sacrilege: for if there be any just cause for removing any person from the office of Bishop, they ought not to have even the place of a Presbyter: but if they have been without any crime removed from their proper rank, they shall return to the dignity of the Episcopate. Anatolius, the most religious Archbishop of Constantinople, said, They who are reported to have been degraded from the Episcopal dignity to the rank of a Presbyter, if they are indeed punished for any reasonable causes, are not properly worthy to have even the honor of a Presbyter, but if they have been forced down into a lower degree without any reasonable cause, they ought with justice, if they appear upright, to receive again the dignity and sacerdotal authority of the Episcopate.

XXX. Since the most religious Bishops of Egypt (1) have put off for the present subscribing the Epistle of the most holy Archbishop Leo, not as contending against the