A History of Simony in the Christian Church

This is a reproduction of a library book that was digitized by Google as part of an ongoing effort to preserve the information in books and make it universally accessible. http://books.google.com HD HUM M H College fLtbrarg FROM ^ W~«^i.»- c A HISTORY OF SIMONY IN THE CHRISTIAN CHURCH FROM THE BEGINNING TO THE DEATH OF CHARLEMAGNE (814) DISflBRTATIGN FOB THE DOCTORATE IN THKOJ.OI.Y AT THE CATHOLIC I'SIVKKSITY OF AKBRICA REVEREND N. A. WEBER, S.M., S.T.L. BALTIMORE J. H. FURST COMPANY 1909 /^ ***%> '* DECS319Q9 ». * BOUND APR *5 1910s Nihil obstat : THOMAS J. SHAHAN, D. D., Censor Deputatus Imprimatur : J. CARD. GIBBONS Archbishop of Baltimore BALTIMORE, March 1, 1909. COPTB1OUT, 1909, BY M. A. WEBEB JILL BIGHTS BESEBTED PKEFACE IT is a well-known fact that in the long course of the history of the Church, there has never been a period when she was free from struggles. From the very day of her foundation till the present time she has been obliged to wage relentless war against internal and external foes. Her internal conflicts were brought about either by the failure of certain individuals to receive the complete body of her divine doctrine or by violations of the moral law over which she was appointed guardian. The two great moral evils at one time affecting the clergy were incontinency and simony. Eccle siastical celibacy and its violations have been frequently and extensively written about; but it may be safely said that, up to the present day, simony has not received from historians the atten tion which it deserves. Yet its history throws considerable light on the vast problem of the re lations between Church and State, as well as on the causes of the moral degeneracy of some mem bers of the clergy. We have thought that perhaps it might not be altogether useless to present in the following pages a history of simony from the beginning of Christianity till the death of Charle magne. Our first intention was to bring the sub- iii iv PREFACE ject down to the time of Gregory VII. But the impossibility of handling in a work of this kind the wealth of existing material, became apparent in the course of the study and forced us to limit our scope. We have, therefore, devoted special attention to the period which concludes with the death of Gregory the Great (604), and brought down the history in a more concise form to the end of the reign of Charlemagne. As we go to press there comes into our hands a study of the same character. Unfortunately, however, it deals with a period considerably later than the limits imposed on the present writer.1 It is a pleasing duty for the author to acknowl edge his indebtedness to the Very Ecverend Doctor T. J. Shahan, Pro-Rector of the Catholic Uni versity of America, without whose aid, valuable suggestions and never-failing kindness, this work would not have been possible. NICHOLAS A. WEBEK. WASHINGTON, D. C., February 2, 1909. * Drehmann, Papst Leo IX und die Simonie. J "in Beitrag zur Untersuchung der Vorgeschichte des Investituratreites. (Leipzig and Berlin, 1908.) CONTENTS PAGE PBEFACE ill ABBBEVIATIONS xi INTBODUCHON 1-12 CHAPTER I SIMONY FBOM THE BEGINNING OP THE CHBISTIAN EBA TO THE EDICT OF MILAN (313) The close connection between the supernatural and the natural order — Simony contrary to the Natu ral Law — Judas sells Our Lord — Existence and identification of Simon Magus — His work in Sama ria and his attempt to buy the Apostolic power — The condemnation of simony and its influence on subsequent times — Other causes of the infrequency of simony during this period — Tertullian's com parison of the venality of the pagan and the integ- grity of the Christian religion — Eusebius' descrip tion of the state of the Church — Paul of Samo- sata profits by his episcopal position to enrich him self — The origin of Donatism 13-29 CHAPTER II PREVALENCE OF SIMONY FBOM THE YEAB 313 TO 476 Ecclesiastical, judicial and civil power of the bishops — Their election — Simony among the Arians — Simony among Catholics Gregory Nazianzen and Maximus the Cynic — Chrysostom and the accusa- V vi CONTENTS tions against Antoninus of Ephesus — A synod of Ephesus and six simoniacal bishops — Chrysostom deposes— Flavian Gerontius of Constantinople — Isidore of Pelusium and Chrysaphius and simony — Ibas of Edessa accused of simony — Timothy Ailuros at Alexandria — Simony in Gaul; epis copal election at Chfllon-sur-SaOne — Election at Bourges 30-54 CHAPTER III THE ATTITUDE OF CHUBCH AND STATE TOWABDS SIMONY FEOM 313 TO 476 Pope Siricius and ordinations — Utterances of Greg ory Nazianzen and Ambrose — Conduct of Hilar- ion — Chrysostom and episcopal elections — Sul- picius Severus, Jerome, Augustine — The forty- eighth canon of Elvira — The councils of Nicaea, Antioch, Sardica — Letter of Basil — Pope Leo I — Some Apostolic Canons — The second canon of —Chalcedon Edict of — the The Eastern patriarch emperor Gennadius Leo andI — Similar simony edict of the emperor Glycerius 55-77 CHAPTER IV BIMONY IN THE WEST FBOM 476 TO 590 I. ROME AND ITALY: — Conditions at Rome during the period — Intervention of Odoacer in papal election — The election of Pope Symmachus — The designa tion of Boniface II — Vacancy after his death — Election of Silverius — Pope Vigilius — Pelagius I — Eucaristus and the bishopric of Volterra — Vi- talis of Milan. II. FBANCE: — Clovis and his sons and the Church — Quintianus and Apollinaris and the see of Clermont — Gallus and the same see — Cautinus succeeds Gallus — The successor of Cau- CONTENTS vii tinus — The machinations against Aetherius, bishop of Lisieux — The see of Rodez and Transobadus — The bishopric of Uzes and the civil government — King Guntram and simony — Retrospect. III. OTHEB COUNTBIES: — The Vandals and the African Church — Gildas on ecclesiastical conditions among the Britons 78-108 CHAPTER V OPPOSITION TO SIMONY IN THE WEST FBOM 476 TO 590 I. OPPOSITION AT ROME AND THBOUGHOUT ITALY: — Latin translation of the second canon of Chalcedon — The Roman synod of 502 — The " Canonical Letter " and the " Liber Ecelesiasticorum Dog- matum " — Letter of Pope Gelasius I — Enactments of the Roman synod of the year 499 — Letter of Pope Symmachus to Caesarius of Aries — Pope Pelagius I and simony — Anti-simoniacal edict of King Athalaric. — II. OPPOSITION TO SIMONY IN FBANCE AND SPAIN: — Canons of the council of Or leans (533) — Council of Clermont (535)— The fifth synod of Origans — The second council of Tours — Letter of Pope Hormisdas to the Spanish Church — The third synod of Braga 109-129 CHAPTER VI SIMONY AND ANTI-SIMONIACAL LEGISLATION IN THE EAST FBOM 476 TO 590 Special character of simony in the East — The question of the succession to Timothy Solofacialus in the see of Alexandria — Theodosius the Coenobiarch and the emperor Anastasius — John the Recluse and Anastasius — Paul, patriarch of Alexandria — Justin II said to have been guilty of simoniacal dealings — Justinian's legislation against simony — viii CONTENTS Qualifications of the episcopal candidate — Payment of admission fees prohibited — Oath required of episcopal electors — A passage of the Nomocanon of John Scholasticus — Anti-simoniacal legislation in Armenia and Syria 130-145 CHAPTER VII GBEOOBY THE GBEAT (590-604) AND SIMONY IN THE WEST I. ITALY: — State of Italy at Gregory's accession — Testimony of Agnellus relative to the prevalence of simony — Gregory and the archiepiscopal see of Milan — Gregory and Januarius — The former's instructions to Castorius — Council of Rome ( 595 ) ; its decree against simony. II. FBANCE: — Political division of France at Gregory's accession — Ecclesi astical conditions — Statements regarding the exist ence of simony — Gregory's letter to Bishop Ver- gilius of Arles — Other letters of his — He writes to Queen Brunehilde — His letter of 599 to the bishops of Gaul — Convocation of a council urged — Another letter to the queen — Fruitlessness of the pope's efforts — New campaign against the evil — Letters to bishops and kings — Council to be held — Gregory's efforts are again fruitless — Simony in Spain 146-172 CHAPTER VIII OBEGOBY THE GBEAT AND SIMONY IN THE EASTEBN EMPIRE I. ASIA, EGYPT AND EASTEBN EUBOPE: — Ecclesiastical policy of the Eastern emperors — Corruption in the empire — Letters of Gregory to Anastasius of Anti- och and Isacius of Jerusalem — The church of Alexandria — Unknown result of Gregory's activity — Eastern Europe — Trial of Anastasius of Cor- CONTENTS ix inth — Instructions to his successor and to the bishops of Epirus — The church of Salona; Gregory's instructions to his representative An toninus — Honoratus elected bishop of Salona — Honoratus opposed by Maximus — The latter's con secration — Conflict between Gregory and Maximus — Maximus makes his submission. II. NOBTH- WESTEBN AFBICA: — Ecclesiastical division of the country — The primatial dignity — Donatism — Catholics allow Donatists to rebaptize them for a bribe — Catholic bishops yield to bribery — Gregory appeals to the civil government for help against the Donatists — He vainly tries to intro duce a new primatial organization — The cases of Bishops Argentins, Maximus and Faulinus to be investigated at synods — Letters to Bishops Colum bus and Adeodatus — Council of Carthage — Doubtful Numidian council — Gregory's success in Africa only partial — His influence on Canon Law 173-199 CHAPTER IX SIMONY IN THE WEST FBOM THE DEATH OF GBEGOBY THE GBEAT TO THE DEATH OF CHABLEMAGNE (604-814) I. PBEVAXENCE OF SIMONY: — Papal elections and the civil power — Pope Zachary, Boniface and the pal lium-affair — Charlemagne, Alcuin

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