Page:Readings in European History Vol 1.djvu/104

68 Readings in European History other churches when dissension arose, and 22. The Siricius(s85) rulings of Rome enjoyed the greatest authority. that the But the earliest extant example of an authoritative order addressed to the Church in general by a bishop of Rome is the famous " Decretal " 1 of Pope Siricius, issued sixty years after the Council of Nicaea. A bishop of Spain had submitted a number of ques- tions to the bishop of Rome. These Siricius decides in detail, and then closes his letter as follows : I believe that I have now given a sufficient answer to the various questions which you have referred to the Roman church as to the head of your body. Now we would stimu- late you, our brother, more and more carefully to observe the canons and adhere to the decretals 1 which have been ordained. Moreover, we would have you bring to the attention of all our fellow-bishops those things which we have written in reply to your questions, not only to those bishops who are within your dioceses, but to all the Carthaginians, Baeticans, Lusitanians, and Gallicians, 2 as well as to those in the neigh- boring provinces. Let all the matters which have been duly settled by us be transmitted to them through letters from you. For although no priest of God is likely to remain in ignorance of the decrees of the Apostolic See and the vener- able decisions of the canons, it will be more expedient and more to the glory of the ancient station which you occupy if those general orders which I have addressed to you individu- ally should be brought through you to the attention of all our brethren. In this way those things which have been ordained by us with the utmost circumspection and caution, after due 1 The term " decretal," applied to papal ordinances, is derived from epistolae decretales, i.e. letters which authoritatively established some point. The acts of the councils are usually called " canons," i.e. " rules." 2 Siricius is addressing the bishop of Tarragona. The regions here enumerated included the rest of the Spanish peninsula.