Letters of Zosimus

Contents

Reading pages: 1.0–7.2 · 9.0–16.2

1. 1.0Zosimus addresses the bishops of Gaul.
2. 1.1Zosimus rules that clerics from Gaul travelling to Rome or elsewhere must carry letters of credence from the bishop of Arles.
3. 1.2Zosimus gives the bishop of Arles the right to ordain bishops in the provinces of Vienne and the two Narbonenses, under pain of deposition for any who bypass him.
4. 1.3Bishops must keep to their own territories; Arles, founded by Trophimus sent from Rome, keeps its ancient parishes and its jurisdiction in local cases.
5. 2.1Zosimus opens his letter to the African bishops by stressing that great matters need careful judgment and that the apostolic see seeks peace in the faith.
6. 2.2Zosimus heard Caelestius in the basilica of Saint Clement, choosing the place for the example of Clement, Peter’s disciple and a martyr.
7. 2.3Zosimus reviewed the earlier proceedings, had Caelestius’s statement of faith read, and questioned him repeatedly about his sincerity.
8. 2.4Zosimus discredits the accusers Heros and Lazarus, irregularly ordained bishops whom he has deposed, and complains that Caelestius was accused in absence by their letter.
9. 2.5Citing Daniel’s rescue of Susanna and Solomon’s judgment, Zosimus argues that a judge must examine carefully and be slow to believe evil.
10. 2.6Zosimus declares Caelestius’s faith cleared and gives his accusers two months to come to Rome and prove otherwise.
11. 2.7Zosimus warned Caelestius and the bishops present against curious disputes, which destroy rather than build up.
12. 2.8Zosimus urges the African bishops to submit their minds to the Scriptures as received by tradition, and dates the letter 417.
13. 3.0Zosimus greets Aurelius and the African bishops.
14. 3.1Zosimus recalls his earlier letter on the hearing of Caelestius.
15. 3.2Zosimus reports that Pelagius’s letter and statement of faith, read publicly at Rome, seemed fully orthodox and moved the hearers to tears.
16. 3.3Zosimus attacks the characters of Heros and Lazarus, bishops installed under the usurper Constantine, and urges the Africans not to trust their accusations against Pelagius.
17. 3.4Zosimus urges the African bishops to love peace and to beware of false witnesses, who even accused Christ.
18. 3.5Citing Psalm 119, John 7, Exodus 23, Sirach, Proverbs and Festus in Acts 25, Zosimus insists that no one should be condemned in absence on hearsay.
19. 3.6Zosimus points to the caution of Roman civil procedure, which protects the innocent by delay and evidence from afar.
20. 3.7Zosimus reproaches Heros and Lazarus for accusing by letter instead of appearing, and reminds all of Christ’s judgment seat.
21. 3.8Zosimus asks the Africans to rejoice, like the father of the prodigal son, that Pelagius and Caelestius have not left the church, and sends Pelagius’s writings.
22. 4.0Zosimus addresses a circular letter to the bishops of Africa, Gaul and Spain.
23. 4.1Zosimus denounces Ursus and Tuentius, made bishops in Gaul against the canons, one of whom had been condemned by the very bishop who later ordained him.
24. 4.2Zosimus lists the faults in the ordination of Ursus and Tuentius: no consent of the metropolitan of Arles, no provincial bishops, the deposed Lazarus taking part, the wrong day, and seizure of Arles’s territory.
25. 4.3Tuentius was also a Priscillianist, once pardoned by Rome, who rushed to the episcopate instead of doing penance.
26. 4.4Zosimus declares Tuentius and Ursus anathematized and to be refused communion everywhere.
27. 4.5The letter repeats Zosimus’s ruling giving the bishop of Arles authority to ordain in the provinces (as in 1.2).
28. 4.6The letter repeats the ruling on territorial boundaries (as in 1.3) and is dated 22 September 417.
29. 5.1Zosimus annuls the rights of ordination that Proculus of Marseilles and Simplicius of Vienne obtained at the synod of Turin and restores them to the bishop of Arles.
30. 6.0Zosimus addresses Hilary, bishop of Narbonne.
31. 6.1Zosimus cancels the privilege Hilary of Narbonne obtained by misrepresentation, since by ancient custom Arles ordains bishops in the Narbonenses.
32. 6.2Zosimus forbids Hilary of Narbonne to ordain bishops, under pain of excommunication, and dates the letter 26 September 417.
33. 7.0Zosimus addresses Patroclus of Arles.
34. 7.1Zosimus confirms Patroclus as metropolitan after Proculus’s condemnation and repeats that Gallic clergy travelling to Rome need his letters of credence.
35. 7.2Zosimus forbids ordaining men from public service straight to high orders, on pain of the ordainer’s deposition, while letting past ordinations stand.
36. 9.0Zosimus addresses Hesychius, bishop of Salona in Dalmatia.
37. 9.1Zosimus forbids ordaining monks or laymen directly as bishops and requires every cleric to pass through the orders of reader, exorcist, acolyte, subdeacon, deacon and presbyter.
38. 9.2Zosimus asks Hesychius to publish his ruling to the bishops of the region and threatens punishment for any who disregard it.
39. 9.3Zosimus sets the intervals for advancing through the clerical orders and excludes the twice-married and penitents from ordination; the letter is dated 21 February 418.
40. 10.0Zosimus addresses Patroclus of Arles.
41. 10.1Zosimus urges Patroclus to stop Proculus of Marseilles, who still ordains after his condemnation, and declares those ordinations void.
42. 11.0Zosimus addresses the church of Marseilles.
43. 11.1Zosimus tells the church of Marseilles that the deposed Proculus still ordains bishops and commits them to Patroclus of Arles to obtain a worthy bishop.
44. 12.0Zosimus greets Aurelius and the bishops of the council of Carthage (417–418).
45. 12.1Zosimus asserts the authority of Peter’s see, which no one may reconsider, but says he consulted the Africans about Caelestius out of courtesy.
46. 12.2Zosimus tells the Africans that he has not acquitted Caelestius uncritically and has left the case as it stood under Innocent.
47. 14.1Zosimus tells his legates that the Roman presbyters who appealed against him to the imperial court are excommunicated and that their supporters will be dealt with later.
48. 15.1Zosimus instructs his legates to Africa and quotes, as a canon of Nicaea, the canon allowing a deposed bishop to appeal to the bishop of Rome.
49. 15.2Zosimus quotes the Sardican canon of Hosius allowing presbyters and deacons condemned by their bishop to appeal to neighbouring bishops.
50. 16.0Zosimus addresses the bishops of Byzacena in Africa.
51. 16.1Zosimus rebukes the bishops of Byzacena for letting laymen, even tax-collectors, sit as judges of a bishop in their council.
52. 16.2Zosimus objects that the accused should not be forced to bring his accuser to court, and dates the letter 16 November 418.