15 Qui sacerdos (? Secundi ordinis here) vel levita (=diaconus) ordinandus est.
1 Poenitentiam concedendo, i.e. we have not finally excommunicated them, but, dealing leniently, we have given them opportunity of reinstating themselves in the peace of the Church, by going through a due course of penance (satisfactio). It is important to explain this clearly to those who in the present day, are ignorant of the strict discipline of the early Church. And are liable to forget that penance was then a valuable means to repentance.
2 S. Mark, the evangelist and disciple of S. Peter, is the radional founder of the church of Alexandria.
3 That is to say, the weekly resurrection festival (Sunday) begins with the vespers of the preceding evening: this is notably the case in the yearly festival of Easter at least In Western use.
4 Sacramentum regenerationis: the reference in the first part of the sentence seems to be S. Mark xvi. 15, and here in the latter part to S. Matt. xxviii. 19, and both these records seem to refer to the same manifestation. S. Matthew says it was to "the eleven disciples"in Galilee, in "the mountain where Jesus had appointed them," that He gave the command, if indeed vv. 16-20 of the xxviiith chapter form one continuous narrative. The author of S. Mark xvi. 9-20 says it was to the eleven "as they sat at meat." Is it possible that Leo took anakeimenoij to mean as they were partaking of the Holy Eucharist? if not, what countenance is there for his assertion of its being on the first day ot the week ?
6 Basilica, q.v. in Smith's Dict. Of Christian Antiquities.
8 It can hardly escape notice that the people here are distinctly said "to offer the sacrifice" in the person of their representative and mouthpiece, the priest. And this is the language and intention of all Liturgies (ancient and modern) of the Church.
2 Per Apostolicam tubam in salutem universitatis (Gk. thsoikoumenhj ) exiret, cf. Letter IX. Chap. Ii. Apostoli a Domino proedicandi omnibus gentibus evangelii tubam sumunt.
4 Huius muneris sacramentum, his mind is running forward to his favourite sacramentum, that of Peter as the rock-man of the Church.
5 Cf. Letter XXVIII. Chap. v. a principali petra (B. Petrus), soliditatem et virtutis traxit et nominis, etc. . . also Cyprian de unit. eccl. chapt. iv.
9 Cui cum proe (Quesnel conj. Pro) coeteris solvendi et ligandi tradita sit potestas, pascendarum tamen ovium cura specialius mandata est. Cf. S. John xxi. 15-17.
10 Celidonius was probable either bishop of Vienne or of Vesontis (Besancon): see Perthel, p. 25.
11 Quesnel well refers this phrase to 1 Cor. xiv. 25.
13 Servantes legalia constituta, these are taken to be not so much the canons of the Church as the provisions of the Mosaic Law, e.g. Lev. xxi. 14.; Ezek. xliv. 22.
14 Militiam (lit. military service).
15 Projectus was perhaps a bishop of the province of Gallia Narbonensis I.:Perthel, p. 27.
16 Quod Projecto episcopo suo oegrotare liberum non fuisset, eiusque sacerdotium in alium proeter suam notitiam esse translatum, et tamquam in vacuam possessionem ab Hilario pervasore hoeredem viventis inductum. the construction is changed from quod....fuisset, to the ordinary accus. And infin.
17 Patroclus had been Bishop of Arles circa. 416, and the then Bishop of Rome, Zosimus, had granted him metropolitan rights over the provinces of S. E. Gaul which did not gain the acceptance of the other chief bishops in the district, and Boniface I. (Ep 12) in 422. seems to have withdrawn the rights granted by Zosimus (Schaff, I, p. 297).
18 Civium : populorum.The former are apparently called lower down fidelium, and the latter, qui foris sunt.
20 Gloriam de scurrili velocitate potius quam de sacerdotali moderatione captasse.
21 In Cortem ovium: the low Latin word (cors) is in the Vulgate changed to ovile.
23 Cf. Cypr. Ep. Lv. Cap. Vii., factus est Cornelius episcopus de Dei et Christi eins iudicio, de clericorum poene omnium testimonio, de plebis, quoe tunc adfuit, suffragio et sacerdotum antiquorum et bonorum virorum collegio.
24 Quesnel appositely quotes Pliny (Paneg. Traiani) imperaturus omnibus eligi debet ex omnibus.
25 Quod lucescit in prima sabbati; the phrase is repeated from Letter IX., chap. Ii., to which refer to the whole passage.
27 Pro apostolicoe sedis pietate, or "as loyalty to the Apostolic See demands."
28 This does not mean that Hilary is excommunicated, but that he is to have no share in episcopal privileges as a successor of the apostles.
29 These words of course refer to Hilary's journey on foot to Rome, and his subsequent escape from something very much like prison: see Introduction, p. vi: for his degradation, cf. Letter XII.. chap ix., where a similar punishment is enacted.