Letter 13: Sigismund, king, to the most holy Pope Symmachus.

[6 November. Of Pope Symmachus to the bishops of Gaul. He confirms the division of the province between the churches of Vienne and Arles established by Pope Leo.] Symmachus to all his most beloved brethren, the bishops established throughout the Gauls. 1. The institutions of the Apostolic See urge us to proclaim them, that we may treat with ever-watchful care of the concord of the universal Church, which is spread throughout the whole world; and that concord then especially grows up more effectively, if the age that follows reverently observes those things which were established by the fathers. For indeed Caesarius, our brother and fellow-bishop, the priest of the metropolitan city of Arles, having presented himself at the threshold of the church of the blessed apostle Peter, has petitioned that those things which were formerly established concerning the privileges of the churches should be renewed by our words. The faithful instruction of the Roman church therefore declares all the things which, concerning this matter, were ordained between the churches of Arles and Vienne by our predecessor of blessed memory Pope Leo. And therefore, lest oblivion -- which is ever the rival of truth -- be able to claim anything for itself, [...] [Editorial note in the source: To those established throughout the Gauls this opening is prefixed: "Among all the churches of the Gauls a controversy arose between the foremost, Vienne and Arles. But the things which by our predecessor of blessed memory etc."; and from there it passes on to these words at section 2, to which, with "Farewell" added, the fragment is closed. Hence is confirmed what we have observed elsewhere, that very many of the letters which in that Library of the ancient pontiffs are marked with their names are for the most part not genuine, being merely certain fragments of true letters.] [EPISTLES 13-15. p. 723] lest the force of the earlier decree be turned to decay through the long passage of time, we have judged it necessary to give light by our utterances to the things long ago promulgated. 2. Therefore, just as our predecessor Pope Leo, the allegations of the parties having long since been examined, determined the number or amount of parishes to be assigned to the priests of Arles and Vienne, we also enjoin that it be transgressed by no one's usurpation: but, as we said before, in accordance with the indulgence of the aforesaid pontiff, let the bishop of Vienne claim for his own jurisdiction the towns of Valence, Tarentaise, Geneva, and Grenoble; nor let him judge that anything further is to be presumed beyond those things which were once granted to him by the Apostolic See. But all the other parishes or dioceses let the bishop of Arles defend, under the continuation of the ages, for his own privilege and honor. For by this observance both the reverence of antiquity is kept, and the more is the priestly glory raised up out of humility. 3. Therefore, dearest brethren, let each one be content with the distribution of his own honor, and let them not, through secular patronage nor through the pretext of any excuse whatsoever, by unlawful presumption exceed the bounds of the power granted to them. For each one indeed ought to strive that, by the office of devotion, he may rather provoke in himself the favor of our Lord, than by ambition provoke His offense and human envy. The rights of the stewardship committed to us by no means suffer us to be silent of these things: so that we may both rejoice over those who obey the ecclesiastical rules, persevering in the concord of the Apostolic See, and that those who shall have ceased to obey the catholic disciplines may show themselves estranged from the grace and charity of the Church. May God keep you safe, dearest brethren! Given on the eighth day before the Ides of November, in the consulship of Probus, most illustrious man.

**6^Nov Synimachi papae ad epieospos Oalliae. Cofiprnnit diviaioT^em provinciae inter Viennenaem et Arelatensem ecclesias a \ Leone papa constitutam. Dilectissimis fratribus universis episcopis per Gallias consistentibus Symmachus^). 1. Sedis apostolicae nos^) instituta praedicanda sollieitant, ut de concordia universalis Ecclesiae, quae toto orbe diflFusa est, per- vigili cura tractemus : quae tunc praecipue efficacius adolescit, si ea quae a patribus statuta sunt, aetas subsequens reverenter observet Caesarius siquidem frater et coepiscopus noster, metropolitanae Are- latensis civitatis sacerdos, ecclesiae beati apostoli Petri liminibus praesentatus , ea quae pridem de privilegiis ecclesiarum coustituta sunt, nostris postulavit innovari sermonibus. Cuncta igitur inter ecclesias Arelatensem et Viennensem a decessore nostro beatae re- cordationis Leone papa quae super hac parte ordinata sunt, eccle- siae Romanac fidelis declarat iustructio. Atque ideo ne ea, quae semper veritatis est aemula, sibi aliquid vindicare queat oblivio, ei Gallias constiiutis subjicitur hoc oxordiuni: Cnnctas inter ecclesias GmQianm <A praecipuas Viennensem et Arelatensem cxstitit controversia, Quae vero a pn sore nostro beatae recordationis etc, et deinceps ad baec n. 2 verba transcendi, quibus addito Valete fragmeutum clauditur. Hinc confirmatQr qnod alibi observavimus, plerasqui; epistolas, quae in illa Bibliotheca veterum poiiiti< ticum nominibus iusigniuntur, ut pUirimum veranmi cpistolarum quaedam dm- taxat frajifmenta esse non siucera. EPISTOLAB 13 — 15. 723 prioris decreti yigor temporis diutumitate vergatur^) in senium, ne-a. 613. cessarium duximus olim promulgatis lucem reddere nostris affatibus. 2. Idcirco quemadmodum decessor noster Leo papa dudum cogni- tis allegationibus partium definivit, parochiarum numerum vel quan- titatem Arelatensi et Viennensi sacerdotibus deputandum*), et nos praeciprmus nullius usurpatione transcendi : sed ut ante praediximus, juxta indulgentiam supradicti pontificis Yalentiam, Tarantasiam, Genevam atque Gratianopolim oppida Viennensis antistes juri suo vindicet; nec quidquam amplius ab bis, quae semel ab apostolica sibi sede concessa sunt, aestimet praesumendum. Alias vero paro- chias vel dioeceses cunctas privilegio et honori^) suo Arelatensis episcopus sub temporum continuatione defendat. Hac^) enim ob- servatione et vetustatis reverentia custoditur, et amplius de humili- tate gloria sacerdotalis attollitur. 3. ProindC; fratres carissimi, singuli honoris sui sint distribu- tione contenti, nec per saecularia patrocinia nec per cujuslibet excusationis obtentum illicita praesumptione terminos concessae potestatis excedant. Studere siquidem imusquisque debet^), ut de devotionis officio magis gratiam, quam de ambitione Domini nostri offensam et humanam in se lacessat invidiam. Tacere nos ista com- missae dispensationis jura minime patiuntur: ut et de his, qui eccle- siasticis regulis obsecundant, perseverantibus in concordia sedis apostolicae gratulemur, et illi, qui catholicis disciplinis obtemperare destiterint, ab Ecclesiae gratia et caritate se alienos ostendant. Deus vos incolumes custodiat, fratres carissimi! Data VIII®) Idus No- vembris, Probo viro clarissimo consule.