to summon the council, "knowing that in the
first place the merit or principate of the Apostle Peter, and then the
authority of venerable councils following out the commandment of the Lord,
had delivered to his see a singular power in the churches, and no instance
could be produced in which the bishop of that see in a similar case had
been subjected to the judgment of his inferiors". To which king Theodorick
replied that the Pope himself had by letter signified his wish to convene
the council. Then the Synodus Palmaris, passing over a narration of what
had taken place in the preceding councils, came to this conclusion:
"Calling God to witness, we decree that Pope Symmachus, bishop of the
Apostolic See, who has been charged with such and such offences, is, as
regards all human judgment, clear and free (because for the reasons above
alleged all has been left to the divine judgment); that in all the churches
belonging to his see he should give the divine mysteries to the Christian
people, inasmuch as we recognise that for the above-named causes he cannot
be bound by the charges of those who attack him. Wherefore, in virtue of
the royal command, which gives us this power, we restore all that belongs
to ecclesiastical right within the sacred city of Rome, or without it, and
reserving the whole cause to the judgment of God, we exhort all to receive
from him the holy communion. If anyone, which we do not suppose, either
does not accept this, or thinks that it can be reconsidered, he will render
an account of his contempt to the divine judgment. Concerning his clergy,
who, contrary to rule, left their bishop and made a schism, we decree that
upon their making satisfaction to their bishop, they may be pardoned and be
glad to be restored to their offices. But if any of the clergy, after this
our order, presume to celebrate mass in any holy place in the Roman Church
without leave of Pope Symmachus, let him be punished as schismatic."[85]

This was signed by seventy-six bishops, of whom Laurentius of Milan and
Peter of Ravenna stood at the head; and the two metropolitans accompany
their subscription with the words, "in which we have committed the whole
cause to the judgment of God".[86]

When this document reached Gaul, the bishops there, being unable to hold a
council through the division of the country under different princes,
commissioned St. Avitus, bishop of Vienne, to write in his name and their
own, and we have from him the f