Folio 72

St. Anastasius I, 398-401

printed p. 40 · pdf p. 72

dus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy, Josue, Judges, Ruth, four books of Kings, Paralipomenon two books, Job, the Psalter of David, five books of Solomon, twelve books of the Prophets, Isaias, Jeremias, Daniel, Ezechiel, Tobias, Judith, Esther, two books of Esdras, two books of the Machabees. Moreover, of the New Testament: Four books of the Gospels, the Acts of the Apostles one book, thirteen epistles of Paul the Apostle, one of the same to the Hebrews, two of Peter, three1 of John, one of James, one of Jude, the Apocalypse of John. Thus [it has been decided] that the Church beyond the sea may be consulted regarding the confirmation of that canon; also that it be permitted to read the sufferings of the martyrs, when their anniversary days are celebrated.

ST. ANASTASIUS I 398-401

The Orthodoxy of the Pope LIBERIUS2

[From the epistle “Dat mihi plurimum" to Venerius, Bishop of Milan, about the year 400]

93. That which is done for the love of Christ gives me very much joy; Italy, as victor with that zeal and aroused ardor for the godhead, retained that faith whole which was handed down from the Apostles and placed in the whole world by our ancestors. For at this time when Constantius of holy memory held the world as victor, the heretical African faction was not able by any deception to introduce its baseness because, as we believe, our God provided that that holy and untarnished faith be not contaminated through any vicious blasphemy of slanderous men—that faith which had been discussed and defended at the meeting of the synod in Nicea by the holy men and bishops now placed in the resting-place of the saints.

For this faith those who were then esteemed as holy bishops gladly endured exile, that is Dionysius, thus a servant of God, prepared by divine instruction, or those following his example of holy recollection, LIBERIUS bishop of the Roman Church, Eusebius also of Vercelli, Hilary of the Gauls, to say nothing of many, on whose decision the choice could rest to be fastened to the cross rather than blaspheme God Christ, which the Arian heresy compelled, or call the Son of God, God Christ, a creature of the Lord.3

93*. Council of Toledo the year 400, The Minister of Unction and Anointing (can. 20) see Kch n. 712.

  1. Cf. Decr. DAMASI [n. 84]. ↩

  2. Revue d'hist. et litt. relig. (Paris) 4 (1899) 5-8 (J. van den Gheyn). Pitra, Analecta novissima Spicilegii Solesmensis (1885) I 463 f. (cf. 20 ff.); Jf 281 c. Add. (cf. Cst p. XIII). ↩

  3. There follows the condemnation of the errors of Origen. ↩