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Epistle

Malchion

Section 5

About this work

Author: Malchion

5. Then at the close of the epistle they add the following words

‹ Section 4

:

—

We

have

been

compelled

,

therefore

,

to

excommunicate

this

man

,

who

thus

opposeth

God

Himself

,

and

refuses

submission

,

and

to

appoint

in

his

place

another

bishop

for

the

Church

Catholic

,

and

that

,

as

we

trust

,

by

the

providence

of

God

—

namely

,

the

son

of

Demetrianus

,

a

man

of

blessed

memory

,

and

one

who

presided

over

the

same

Church

with

distinction

in

former

times

,

Domnus

by

name

,

a

man

endowed

with

all

the

noble

qualities

which

become

a

bishop

.

And

this

fact

we

have

communicated

to

you

in

order

that

ye

may

write

him

,

and

receive

letters

of

communion

from

him

.

And

that

other

may

write

to

Artemas

,

if

it

please

him

;

and

those

who

think

with

Artemas

may

hold

communion

with

him

,

if

they

are

so

minded

.

Notes

14
κοινωνικὰ γράμματα. On this Valesius gives the following note:—The Latins call these litteræ communicatoriæ, the use of which is of very ancient date in the Church. They called the same also formatæ, as Augustine witnesses in Epistle 163. There were, moreover, two kinds of them. For there were some which were given to the clergy and laity when about to travel, that they might be admitted to communion by foreign bishops. And there were others which bishops were in the way of sending to other bishops, and which they in turn received from others, for the purpose of attesting their inter-communion; of which sort the Synod speaks here. These were usually sent by recently-ordained bishops soon after their ordination. Augustine, Epistle 162; Cyprian, in the Epistle to Cornelius, p. 320; and the Synodical Epistle of the Council of Sardica, appear to refer to these, though they may refer also to the formatæ. [Vol. i. p. 12, n. 9.]