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Hefele: A History of the Councils of the Church, Vol. 1

The standard council-by-council history, from the original documents: the councils to the Council of Nicaea, 325.

Edition: Internet Archive · archive.org

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From the opening: The First Œcumenical Council of Nicaea, A.D. 325 (continued)

7 Cypriani Ep. 11, p. 22; Hp. 13, p. 23; Ep. 66, p. 114; Ep. 71, p. 126 (ed. Baluz.)

® Cypriani Opp. p. 329 (ed. Bal.) ® Cyp. Epp. 31, p. 43,

bishops and of others. We learn from his thirteenth letter,! that the bishops come together with the clergy, and the laity are only present (preepositt cwm clero convententes, presente etiam stantium plebe); from his sixty-sixth letter, that the priests, etc., were the assessors of the bishops (compresbyteri, gui nobis assidebant). In other places Cyprian speaks only of the bishops as members of the synod,’ and from other passages? it comes out that the bishops had at these synods taken the advice and opinion of the laity as well as the clergy. It is never, however, in the least degree indicated that either the clergy or the laity had a votwm decisivwm; but the contrary is evident, namely, that in the Synod of Cyprian referred to, which was held September 1, 256, only bishops were voters.*

6. Eusebius relates® that a great number of bishops of Asia assembled in synod at Antioch in the year 264 or 265, on the subject of Paul of Samosata, and he adds that their priests and deacons came with them. In the following chapter Eusebius gives an account of the Synod at Antioch in 269, and makes special reference to the priest of Antioch, Malchion, who was present at the Synod, and by his logical ability compelled Paul of Samosata, who wanted to conceal his false doctrine, to explain himself clearly. In addition to this, Eusebius gives in the thirtieth chapter the circular letter which this Synod, after pronouncing the deposition of Paul, addressed to the rest of the Church. And this letter is sent forth not in the name of the bishops only, but of the other clergy who were present as well; and among these Malchion is named in the superscription, whilst the names of many of the bishops—and according to Athanasius there were seventy present—are wanting. We see, then, that priests and deacons were members of several synods; but we cannot determine from the original documents how far their rights extended, and whether they had more than a mere consultative voice in the acts of the synod. As far as analogy can guide us, it would appear they had no more.

7. In the two Arabian Synods which were held on the

1 Pp. 23, 829. 2 Ep. 71, p. 127; Ep. 73, pp. 129, 180. 3 Bp. 11, p. 22; Ep. 18, p. 23; Hp. 31, p. 43. 4 Cyp. Opp. pp. 330-338 (ed.…

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Contents (123 sections)

  1. Opening
  2. Title page
  3. Preface
  4. Preface (continued)
  5. Introduction
  6. Chapters I–II
  7. Synods of the Third Century
  8. The Synods of the First Twenty Years of the Fourth
  9. The First Œcumenical Council of Nicaea, A.D. 325
  10. The First Œcumenical Council of Nicaea, A.D. 325 (continued)
  11. The First Œcumenical Council of Nicaea, A.D. 325 (continued)
  12. The First Œcumenical Council of Nicaea, A.D. 325 (continued)
  13. The first of Constantinople in 381
  14. The first of Lateran in 1123
  15. Introduction
  16. Chapter I — Councils of the First Two Centuries
  17. Synods Relative to Montanism
  18. Synods concerning the Feast of Easter
  19. Doubtful Synods of the Second Century
  20. Doubtful Synods of the Second Century (continued)
  21. Doubtful Synods of the Second Century (continued)
  22. Synods at Arsinoe and Rome
  23. Chapter III
  24. Chapter III (continued)
  25. Chapter III (continued)
  26. Chapter III (continued)
  27. Chapter III (continued)
  28. Chapter III (continued)
  29. Synod of Ancyra
  30. Synod of Ancyra (continued)
  31. Synod of Neocaesarea
  32. Synod of Neocaesarea (continued)
  33. Synod of Neocaesarea (continued)
  34. Synod of Neocaesarea (continued)
  35. Chapter I — Preliminary." Sec. 18. The Doctrine of the Logos prior to Arianism
  36. The Doctrine of the Logos Prior to Arianism
  37. The Doctrine of the Logos Prior to Arianism (continued)
  38. The Doctrine of the Logos Prior to Arianism (continued)
  39. Arius Obliged to Leave Alexandria
  40. The Letters of Arius
  41. The Thalia of Arius
  42. Synod in Bithynia
  43. Synod in Bithynia (continued)
  44. Nicaea: the Synodal Acts
  45. Nicaea: the Synodal Acts (continued)
  46. Nicaea: the Synodal Acts (continued)
  47. Nicaea: the Convocation by the Emperor
  48. Nicaea Number of the Members of the Council
  49. Nic.ea: Number of the Members of the Council
  50. Nicaea: Date of the Synod
  51. Nicaea: the Disputations
  52. Nicaea: Arrival of the Emperor
  53. Nicaea: Opening of the Council
  54. Nicaea: Manner of Deliberation
  55. Nicaea: Debates with the Eusebians
  56. Nicaea: Debates with the Eusebians (continued)
  57. Nicaea: the Creed of Eusebius of Caesarea
  58. Nicaea: the Creed of Eusebius of Caesarea (continued)
  59. Nicaea: the Nicene Creed
  60. Nicaea: the Nicene Creed (continued)
  61. Nicaea: Measures Taken against the Arians
  62. Nicaea: Decision of the Easter Question
  63. Nicaea: Decision of the Easter Question (continued)
  64. Nicaea: Decision of the Easter Question (continued)
  65. Nicaea: Decision of the Easter Question (continued)
  66. Nicaea: Decision of the Easter Question (continued)
  67. Nica: Decision of the Easter Question
  68. Nica: Decision of the Easter Question (continued)
  69. Nicaea: the Later Quartodecimans
  70. Nicaea: the Audians
  71. Nicaea: the Audians (continued)
  72. Nicaea: the Audians (continued)
  73. Nicaea: Decision on the Meletian Schism
  74. The second source of information upon the origin of the
  75. Nica: Decision on the Meletian Schism
  76. Nicaea: Decision on the Meletian Schism
  77. Nicaea: Decision on the Meletian Schism (continued)
  78. Nicaea: Number of the Canons
  79. Nicaea: Number of the Canons (continued)
  80. Nicaea Number of the Canons
  81. Nicaea: Number of the Canons
  82. Nicaea; Number of the Canons
  83. Nicaea; Number of the Canons (continued)
  84. Nicaea; Number of the Canons (continued)
  85. Nicaea; Number of the Canons (continued)
  86. Nicaea: Paphnutius and the Law of Celibacy
  87. Nicaea: Paphnutius and the Law of Celibacy (continued)
  88. Nicaea: Spurious Documents
  89. Nica: Spurious Documents
  90. Nicaea: Spurious Documents
  91. Nicaea: Spurious Documents (continued)
  92. Nicaea: Spurious Documents (continued)
  93. Canons of the Holy and All-Venerable Apostles
  94. Canons of the Holy and All-Venerable Apostles (continued)
  95. Index
  96. Index (continued)
  97. Publisher's catalogue
  98. Publisher's catalogue (continued)
  99. Publisher's catalogue (continued)
  100. Publisher's catalogue (continued)
  101. Publisher's catalogue (continued)
  102. Publisher's catalogue (continued)
  103. Publisher's catalogue (continued)
  104. Publisher's catalogue (continued)
  105. Publisher's catalogue (continued)
  106. Publisher's catalogue (continued)
  107. Publisher's catalogue (continued)
  108. Publisher's catalogue (continued)
  109. Publisher's catalogue (continued)
  110. Publisher's catalogue (continued)
  111. Publisher's catalogue (continued)
  112. Publisher's catalogue (continued)
  113. Publisher's catalogue (continued)
  114. Publisher's catalogue (continued)
  115. Publisher's catalogue (continued)
  116. Publisher's catalogue (continued)
  117. Publisher's catalogue (continued)
  118. Publisher's catalogue (continued)
  119. Publisher's catalogue (continued)
  120. Publisher's catalogue (continued)
  121. Publisher's catalogue (continued)
  122. Publisher's catalogue (continued)
  123. Publisher's catalogue (continued)

How to cite it

Chicago
Karl Joseph von Hefele. Hefele: A History of the Councils of the Church, Vol. 1. Translated by William R. Clark and others. Internet Archive, translation 1883. https://archive.org/details/cu31924092369614
MLA
Karl Joseph von Hefele. Hefele: A History of the Councils of the Church, Vol. 1. Translated by William R. Clark and others, Internet Archive, translation 1883. https://archive.org/details/cu31924092369614
APA
Karl Joseph von Hefele (translation 1883). Hefele: A History of the Councils of the Church, Vol. 1 (William R. Clark and others, Trans.). Internet Archive. https://archive.org/details/cu31924092369614

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