Pope Sixtus I: Letters and Decrees

it is said, "He truly endures great torment, wherever he suffers." Yet, "Blessed are those who suffer persecution for righteousness' sake." — "Behold," says the apostle Judas, "the Lord will come with thousands of his saints to execute judgment, and to destroy all the ungodly, and to convict all flesh of all their deeds of ungodliness." These things, brethren, are much to be feared and weighed, so that each one, coming to judgment, may not receive punishment with the ungodly, but glory with the just. Which may the pious Lord deign to grant, who lives and reigns throughout all ages. Given on the Kalends of May, in the consulship of the most illustrious men Aelianus and Vetrus.

From the decrees of Pope Alexander I, according to Gratian: That no one may be accuser and witness at the same time; from the codex of the five books, book II, chapter C: that a presbyter is not to receive a gift from the incestuous, lest he conceal their crimes. That no presbyter may receive a gift, or any temporal profit—nay, rather, spiritual detriment—from any public or incestuous person, or conceal his sin from us or our ministers; and certainly, not being a participant in the sins of others, of whatever person, or of consanguinity or familiarity, may he delay to make it known to us or our ministers; nor may he presume to receive grace, or favor, or a gift from any penitent, so as to bring a penitent less worthily to reconciliation, or carry to him testimony of reconciliation, or through any malice remove any other more worthy penitent from reconciliation; because this is Simoniacal, and abominable to God and to good men.

SIXTUS I POPE

NOTICE

Sixtus, by nation a Roman, son of Pastor, from the region of Via Lata, sat for ten years, three months, and 21 days. He existed in the times of Hadrian, until [the consulship of] Verus and Annicullus: he was crowned with martyrdom. He ordained that consecrated ministries should not be touched except by consecrated ministers. He ordained that whoever bishop was summoned to the Roman Apostolic See, returning to his parish, should not be received unless bearing letters of commendation to the people from the Apostolic See. (And he decreed that, as the priest began the action of the Mass, the people should sing the hymn: "Holy, holy, holy, Lord God of Sabaoth," etc.) He made three ordinations in the month of December: eleven presbyters, three deacons, and four bishops for various places. He was also buried near the body of the blessed Peter in the Vatican, on the eighth day before the Ides of April. And the episcopate was vacant for 2 days.

SIXTUS I POPE EPISTLES

EPISTLE I

Sixtus, Archbishop of the Roman Church, to all the brethren beloved in God the Father and our Lord Jesus Christ, in the charity of our Lord Jesus Christ, greeting. Dearest brothers, act faithfully in all things, that you may be found faithful and not faithless. Do not imitate evil, but do what is good; because he who is of God does well; but he who does evil is not of God, but is of the devil. For it is necessary that you hold the right faith, so that you may not be dissenters from the apostolic doctrine. For we show that one true God, the Father and the Son, is preached by prophets and apostles, from whom we also believe the Holy Spirit is not separate, ^A the bishop of the universal Apostolic Church is inscribed, it highly displeases innovators. Sub-

-^A-tlely do they preach this, and do they not insinuate that the same Son is God blessed above all? "Whose fathers," he says, "are they from whom is Christ according to the flesh, who is God over all, blessed for ever." Item, Isaiah says: "The Lord God of Israel, who delivered him from Egypt. I am the first, and I am after these things, and beside me there is no God such as I am, who stood, and called, and prepared for me, from the time I made man in the world." Item elsewhere: "In you is God, and we knew it not, and there is no other God beside you." For you are God, and we knew it not, the God of Israel the Savior. Are the Father and the Son not one God? Who is this God in whom he is said to be God, besides whom the prophet so often protests that there is no other god? And Baruch: "This is our God," he says, "and no other shall be accounted capable of being compared to him, who has found out all the way of knowledge, and has given it to Jacob his servant, and to Israel his beloved. After this he was seen on earth, and has conversed with men." And in Solomon it is held: "Have mercy on us, O God of all, and show us the light of thy mercies, and send thy fear upon the nations that have not sought after thee, that they may know that there is no other God, but you." Item elsewhere: "O Lord God of Israel, there is no one like to you in heaven above, nor on earth below." And in Psalm XVII: ^B "For who is God besides the Lord, or who is God besides our God?" And in Genesis: "And the Lord rained from the Lord fire and brimstone upon Sodom and Gomorrah, and he overthrew those cities." If only the Father is God, who rained fire and brimstone from the Lord upon the aforesaid cities, that he might overthrow them? I ask, answer me. And in Deuteronomy: "The Lord alone was their leader, and there was no strange god with them." And the Apostle Paul: "One God, who justifies circumcision by faith and uncircumcision through faith." And to the Corinthians: "God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself." And again: "There is no God, but one." And to the Galatians: "But a mediator is not of one, but God is one." And demonstrating the unity of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, writing to the Ephesians, he thus confirms: "Bearing with one another in charity, careful to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. One body and one Spirit, as you are called in one hope of your vocation. One Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God." If they are not ^C wise with soundness, let them choose from the two: either let them confess that the Father and the Son are one God, or if they contend that only the Father is God, then our Lord Jesus Christ will not be the Son of God, because it is written: "Before me there was no other God, and after me there shall be none." If it is so according to such people, why does the Apostle ^D of the name of this Sixtus the Pope, namely, the commentary of Sixtus the Pythagorean—a pagan and infidel man—translated by himself from Greek into Latin, the priest Rufinus of Aquileia published; regarding whom St. Jerome most frequently reproves him according to his merit. For thus he writes to Ctesiphon, he says: "But that rashness, nay, insanity, who could explain in worthy language, that he entitled the book of Sixtus the Pythagorean, a man without Christ and a pagan, under the changed name of Sixtus the martyr and bishop of the Roman Church? In which, according to the dogma of the Pythagoreans, who equate a man to God and say he is of his substance, many things are said concerning perfection; so that those who do not know the volume of the philosopher drink from the golden cup of Babylon under the name of the martyr. Finally, in that very volume there is no mention of the prophets, none of the patriarchs, none of the apostles, no mention of Christ, so that he contends the bishop and martyr was without the faith of Christ." These things are there from Jerome, who elsewhere for the same reason inveighs heavily against the same man. Baronius, year of Christ 142, num. 5. Sev. BIN.

^A those who in the simplicity of their heart desire to receive the unity of the faith, from this testimony, therefore, they will be able to learn together the unity of the Father and the Son in one Spirit. The Father, therefore, as was comprehended above, is set down in divine letters as unbegotten, which they can neither fully read nor prove. But because the Christian faith itself demands this, He is believed to be unbegotten without any doubt, who nevertheless, according to the series of the Scriptures, is shown in the Son begotten of Himself to be seen. Furthermore, it has been decided, because of the infestations of evil men, that in the accusation of the Lord's ministers, first the person, faith, life, and conversation of the blasphemers should be thoroughly examined. For faith ^B must precede all the acts of a man; because he who is doubtful in faith is an infidel. Nor should they be believed at all, who are ignorant of the faith of truth, nor lead a life of correct conversation; since such people easily and indifferently lacerate and accuse those who live rightly and piously. Therefore, their suspicion must first be discussed and corrected, and we must not believe accusers who are suspicious or who come from the house of enemies. For there were some who previously seemed to be of us, "but were not of us. For if they had been of us, they would surely have remained with us," and not disturbed the brethren. "For they have sharpened, as the Prophet says, their tongues like serpents, the venom of asps is under their lips." Wherefore these are to be rejected, if they appear incorrigible, and to be shunned, lest they deceive those serving the Lord. "Stand therefore, most beloved, upon the ways, looking ^C and asking for the ancient paths of the Lord, and see what is the good and right way of the Lord, and walk in it, and you shall find rest for your souls." Given on the 16th day before the Kalends of May, under Hadrian and Verus.

LETTER II. TO ALL CHURCHES.

Sixtus, bishop of the universal apostolic Church, to all bishops in the Lord, greeting.

I. On sacred vessels.

Let your wisdom know, most beloved brethren, that it has been determined in this holy apostolic see by us and the other bishops, and the rest of the Lord’s priests, that sacred vessels should not be handled by others than those who are consecrated and dedicated to the Lord. For it is very unworthy that the sacred vessels of the Lord, whatever they may be, should serve human uses, or be handled by men other than those serving the Lord and dedicated to Him, lest for such presumptions the angry Lord ^D impose a plague upon His people, and those also who have not sinned suffer evils, or perish; because the just person very often perishes for the impious. Watch, brethren, lest such things be permitted to happen henceforth in your Churches, lest the flock redeemed by the precious blood of Christ, fall into the precipice, which God forbid! For which cause "take unto you the armor of God, that you may be able to resist those who contradict the truth: and put on the breastplate of justice, your feet shod in the preparation of the Gospel of peace."

II. De appellanda sede apostolica.

If indeed any one of you should be struck by some adversity, let him freely appeal to this holy and apostolic see, and have recourse to it as to a head, lest the innocent be condemned, or his Church suffer detriment. If however it should be necessary for him to appeal, and he has not dared to do so, though he has been called by this holy see, let him not refuse to come; but let him hasten to come immediately as it has been announced to him, and let him prudently arrange the causes for which he was called, and if it should be necessary to correct anything, let him correct it with those whom he shall find here first. Let him not, however, return to his own Church before he is fully instructed and purified by apostolic letters or documents, if there be wherefore, so that after he has returned home, he may know. That it might be evident to the rest of the bishops of the Christian religion, who were all equally called supreme priests and pontiffs (as Baronius declares with many examples in his notes on the Roman Martyrology, April 9), that the Roman pontiff, bishop of the city and of the whole world, the successor of Peter in his offices and privileges, might be distinguished, he was deservedly called pontiff-maximus and bishop of bishops, because of the prerogatives conceded by Christ to the prince of the apostles. They were not accustomed to use these titles in all things, but only then when something had to be declared publicly in the universal Church, as happened in the time of Tertullian in the promulgation of the decree concerning the receiving of penitent fornicators into the Church. See Baronius, year of Christ 142, n. 4 and 216, num. 4 and following, up to 12. Sev. B. N., Bellarmine, lib. 1 De Rom. pont., cap. 24, where among

^A their neighbors, how their cause and that of others has been discussed, so that they may be able to announce and preach it to all without any ambiguity; for by this holy see, bishops have been commanded to be protected, defended, and liberated by the holy apostles, so that just as they were established in the first place by their disposition, the Lord ordaining it, so they might be free in future times from all perversities by the protection of this holy see, to whose disposition they have committed their causes and judgments. Whence those are blamed who have acted otherwise toward their brethren than they know to be pleasing to the rulers of this see.

III. On bishops despoiled of their property, or driven from their see. These things having been considered as such, and with the decrees of the other bishops, as if ^B we were bearing the care of all, because of the pinnacle of our own see, we decree that no pontiff shall presume to excommunicate or judge any bishop despoiled of his own property or driven from his see; because there is no privilege whereby one already stripped can be despoiled. If anyone shall presume to act otherwise, let him know that he shall face the censure of this see together with all its members. And as he has acted, so shall he receive; if well, well; if grave, grave; if most evil, most evil: "for the laborer is worthy of his hire" (Luc. x, 7). We, brethren, wish no one to perish, but he perishes himself who turns away from what has been considered, and who willingly violates the decrees of the apostles and of this holy see. But now, brethren, we commend you all to the Lord, and to the word of his grace, who is able to build up and give you an inheritance among all the saints (Act. xx, 32). May the God of peace and consolation himself "grant you to be of the same mind one with another," that you may help one another, and not be divided, "that with one mind, one mouth, and one heart we may honor him in concord" (Rom. xv, 5) and the consolation of the brethren, "who is able to confirm you according to his Gospel, according to the revelation of the mystery" (Rom. xvi, 25), which was kept secret for long ages, but now is manifested, during which the gifts of future joys are to be given to you. Given on the ninth day before the Kalends of April, in the consulship of the most illustrious men Hadrian and Verus.

A decree of Sixtus from a codex of 16 books, book IV, chapter 5, although it is doubtful whether it is of the first, second, or third.

Regarding presbyters, through whose negligence someone may have died without baptism. Let presbyters consider of how great danger it is that the souls of the innocent be excluded from the kingdom of God through their negligence. For if there is joy in heaven over one sinner doing penance (Luc. xv, 7); what think you, how great is the wrath and indignation upon him who, through his negligence, closes the door of paradise to the innocent? And therefore let presbyters take heed with the utmost diligence, that the souls for whom the blood of Christ was shed, may not be separated from heavenly blessedness through their own carelessness; but if, which God forbid! it shall happen, let him submit himself to the heavy sorrow of penance, through whose neglect it occurred.

And sententiously in the decree of Sixtus II, and in the decree of Pope Julius.

POPE TELESPHORUS

NOTICE

Telesphorus, by nation a Greek, formerly a hermit, sat for 11 years, 3 months, and 21 days. He was crowned with martyrdom in the times of Antoninus and Marcus. He ordained that the seven weeks before Easter should be celebrated with fasting. He mandated that a mass be celebrated at night on the Nativity of our Lord Jesus Christ, and that at no other time should anyone presume to celebrate masses before the hour of Terce, because at that hour our Lord ascended the cross; and that before the sacrifice the angelic hymn should be said, that is: "Glory to God in the highest." He made four ordinations in the month of December, 12 presbyters, 8 deacons, and bishops for various places. He was also buried next to the body of the blessed Peter in the Vatican on the Nones of January. And the episcopate was vacant for 7 days.