GENERAL INTRODUCTION.

I. METHOD OF TREATMENT.

It is absolutely necessary to say a few words regarding the general arrangement of this work. The reader will find provided in English, as far as they have survived, all the doctrinal definitions of the Seven Ecumenical Councils (councils that have always received, and still receive, the unqualified acceptance of both East and West), as well as all the disciplinary and doctrinal canons enacted by them. To these has been added a full translation of all the canons of local synods that received the approval and sanction of the aforementioned Ecumenical Councils. Furthermore, to shed light on the subject, extensive extracts from the Acta official records or minutes of a meeting have been included—in fact, all that seemed to illustrate the decrees. Finally, so that nothing might be lacking, an appendix has been provided containing a collection of all the non-synodal canons that received the sanction of the Ecumenical Synods. The "Canons of the Apostles" (so-called) are given in full, and the others are provided in a condensed form, mostly in the words of the admirable and learned John Johnson.

This, then, is the text of the volume; but it is obvious that it required much commentary to make its meaning clear to the reader, even one well-informed on ordinary matters. To provide for this, the "Ancient Epitome" a summary or abridgment has been added to each synodal canon.

Bishop Beveridge treats this Epitome with great learning in section XXVI of his Prolegomena to his Synodicon, and demonstrates that although some have attributed this epitome to the Greek medieval scholiast Aristenus, it cannot be his. Aristenus used it as the basis for his own commentaries and pointed out in more than one instance that the compiler of the Epitome had, in his judgment, missed the point.¹

The Epitome must indeed be much older, for Nicholas Hydruntinus, who lived in the time of Alexis Angelus, when intending to quote one of the canons of Ephesus, actually quoted words that are not in that canon, but which are in the Epitome. "Therefore," says Beveridge, "it is manifest that the Epitome is here cited, and that under the name of the whole canon." This being established, we may justly regard the Ancient Epitome as providing a very ancient gloss explanatory note on the canons.

To this Epitome have been added Notes, taken from the greatest commentators, and Excursuses detailed discussions of a specific point, largely compiled from the writings of the greatest theologians, canonists, and archaeologists. The reader will find all the information necessary regarding these individuals and their writings in the Bibliographical Introduction.

II. CONCERNING ECUMENICAL COUNCILS IN GENERAL.

An Ecumenical Synod may be defined as a synod whose decrees have been accepted by the Church in the whole world.² It is not necessary for a council to have a large number of bishops present to be ecumenical (there were only 325 at Nicaea, and 150 at the First Council of Constantinople); nor is it necessary that it be assembled with the explicit intention of being ecumenical (this was not the case with the First Council of Constantinople); it is...

¹ See Apostolic Canon LXXV, and Ancyr. Canon XIX.
² Until the division between East and West, this was the definition accepted by the entire Christian world. However, since the Church has been divided, while the East has kept to the old definition and has not pretended to hold any further Ecumenical Councils, the Roman Church has created a new definition for the old term and has proceeded to hold a considerable number of synods which it recognizes as Ecumenical. I say "a considerable number," for even among Roman Catholic theologians there is much dispute regarding the number of these "Ecumenical Synods," the decrees of which—like those of Trent and the Vatican—have never been received by about half of the Christian world, including four of the five patriarchates, and of the fifth patriarchate, all of the Anglican communion. According to modern Roman writers, the definition of these non-ecumenically received Ecumenical Synods is: "Ecumenical councils are those to which the bishops and others entitled to vote are summoned from the whole world under the presidency of the Pope or his legates, and whose decrees, having received Papal confirmation, bind all Christians." (Addis and Arnold, A Catholic Dictionary, under "Councils"). The reader will note that by this definition at least one (First Constantinople), and probably three, of the seven undisputed Ecumenical Synods cease to be such.