Canon XI.
(
Greek
.)
Bishop
Hosius
said: This also we ought to decree,
that
394
when a bishop comes from one city to
another city, or from one province to another province, to indulge
boastfulness, ministering to his own praises rather than serving
religious devotion, and wishes to prolong his stay [in a city], and the
bishop of that city is not skilled in teaching, let him [the visiting
bishop] not do despite to the bishop of the place and attempt by
frequent discourses to disparage him and lessen his repute (for this
device is wont to cause tumults), and strive by such arts to solicit
and wrest to himself another’s throne,
not scrupling to abandon the church committed
to him and to procure translation to another. A definite limit of
time should therefore be set in such a case, especially since not to
receive a bishop is accounted the part of rude and discourteous
persons. Ye remember that in former times our fathers decreed
that if a layman were staying in a city and should not come to divine
worship for three [successive] Sundays [that is], for three [full]
weeks, he should be repelled from communion. If then this has
been decreed in the case of laymen, it is neither needful, nor fitting,
nor yet even expedient that a bishop, unless he has some grave
necessity or difficult business, should be very long absent from his
own church and distress the people committed to him.
All the bishops said: We decide that this decree
also is most proper.
(
Latin
.)
Bishop
Hosius
said: This also ye ought to determine.
If a bishop comes from one city to another city, or from his own
province to another province, and serving ambition rather than
devotion, wishes to remain resident for a long time in a strange city,
and then (as it perchance happens that the bishop of the place is not
so practised or so learned as himself) he, the stranger, should begin
to do him despite and deliver frequent discourses to disparage him and
lessen his repute, not hesitating by this device to leave the church
assigned him and remove to that which is another’s—do ye
then [in such a case] set a limit of time [for his stay in the city],
because on the one hand to refuse to receive a bishop is discourteous,
and on the other his too long stay is mischievous. Provision must
be made against this. I remember that in a former council our
brethren decreed that if any layman did not attend divine service in a
city in which he was staying three Sundays, that is, for three weeks,
he should be deprived of communion. If then this has been decreed
in the case of laymen, it is far less lawful and fitting that a bishop,
if there be no grave necessity detaining him, should be absent from his
church longer than the time above written.
All said that such was their pleasure.
Notes.
Ancient Epitome of Canon XI.
A bishop when called in by another bishop, if he that
called him is unskilled, must not be too assiduous in preaching, for
this would be indecorous to the unlearned bishop, and an attack upon
his bishopric. And both improper. Without grave necessity
it is undesirable for a bishop to be absent from his church.
This is Canon XIV. of the Latin.
Van Espen.
To understand this canon it must be again remembered
that in the first ages of the Church bishops were wont to be appointed
at the demand of the people; wherefore whoever were going around after
the episcopate, were accustomed to solicit the hearts of the people,
and to make it their study to win their affections.
394
Here begins the
Greek text, according to Bev.