THE SENSE OF THE FATHERS IN THIS CASE. l.75 the bishops, and that it was both equal and just, that every one's cause should be heard where the crime was committed; and that each pastor had a portion of the flock allotted to him, which he should rule and govern, being to render unto the Lord an account of his doings.' St Chrysostom thought it improper that " one out ofEgypt should administer justice to persons in Thrace."' And why not, as well as one out of Italy? The African synod thought " the Nicene fathers had provided most prudently and most justly, that all affairs should be finally de- termined where they arose."' They thought "a transmarine judgment couldnot be firm," because " the necessary persons for testimony, for the infirmity of sex or age, or for manyother infirmities, couldnot be brought thither."' Pope Leo himself saw how dilatory this course would be, and that distance of place " causes the examination of truth to become over dilatory."' Pope Liberius, for such reasons, requested Constantius that Atha- nasius' cause should be tried at Alexandria, where, says he, " he that is accused and the accusers are, and the defenders of them; and so we may, upon examination had, agree in our sentence about them."' Therefore, divers ancient canons of synods prohibited that any causes should be removed out of thebounds of provinces or dioceses; as otherwhere we show.' 2. Such an authority as this pretence claims must necessarily, if Cypr., Ep. lv. p. 116. 2 Oúêi yap dxólaudav ñv Tòv i Airivrrou Toî, iv Opázn 8rzáErv.Cltrys., Ep. cii., adP. Innoc. I. Ei yap TOIT, zpaTZOUE Ti Its;, sa) yivamo Toïs gouxa,Eaivor E1; á1 \.o.rpia; da'rivar arapoixia; iz 2006ú2,41V araornpaárarv, xai izßáxluv 0úg ii» ¿ta,, T ;, 'ÇT$ ö./ arávTa aixvíooTar, &c. " For if this custom prevail, and if any that will may go to other men's dioceses at so great a distance, and eject whom any man pleases, know that all will go to wreck," &c. 3 Decreta Nicena sive inferioris gradus elericos, sive ipsos episcopos suis metropoli- tanis apertissime commiserunt; prudentissime enim justissimeque viderunt (provide- runt) qusecunque negotia in suis lotis, ubi orsa aunt, finienda.Ep. Cone. Afrie. adP. Celest. L, infine Cod. Afric., vet apud Dion. Exig. * Aut quomodo ipsum transmarinum judicium ratum erit, ad quod testiumneces- saritepersonae vel propter sexus, vel propter senectutis infirmitatem, vel multisallia im- pedimentis adduci non poterunt.Ibid. 5 Ne ergo (quod inter longinquas regiones accidere solet) in nimias dilations ten- derent veritatis examine, &c. P. Leo I., Ep. xxxiv. 5 2ó2E ia'i r , 'AX4a, ep pian o% ,ráv.TE; ázay.rñçavq,, Ëvda i iyxaXo4paa V,, soi ai iyxaAa7v 4; úer, xai ó dv2ra'oraúfanvo, ai.7 v, ig,ETáoav72; 2á WV; airW,, rvita'Ep,EYEx'Esî,,,,.-Theod. ii. 1G. v Inoleverunt autem hactenus intolerabilium vexationem abusus permulti, dumni- mium frequenter a remotissimis etiam partibus adRomanam curiam, et interdum pro parvis et minutia rebus ac negotiis quamplurimi citaci ac evocaci consueverunt, &c. Vid. Conc. Bas., Bess xxxi. p. 86. "But hitherto very many intolerably vexatious abuses have prevailed, while too often men have been used to be cited and called out even from the remotest parts to the court of Rome, and sometimesfor slight and trivial business and occasions."
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