A copy of an imperial letter by which he commands that those who preside over the churches be released from all civic public service. Greeting, Anulinus, most honoured by us. Since it appears from many matters that the worship in which the supreme reverence of the most holy heavenly Power is preserved, when set at nought, has brought great dangers upon the public affairs, and that this same worship, lawfully taken up and observed, has afforded the greatest prosperity to the Roman name and a singular felicity to all the affairs of men—these things being granted by the divine benefactions—it has seemed good that those men who, with the holiness that is due and with attendance upon this law, render the services that are from themselves to the ministry of the divine worship, should receive the rewards of their own labours, most honoured Anulinus.
Wherefore those within the province entrusted to you, in the Catholic Church over which Caecilian presides, who render the service that is from themselves to this holy worship—those whom they are accustomed to call clergy—I will that they be kept altogether exempt from all public services whatsoever, lest by any error or sacrilegious lapse they be drawn away from the ministry that is owed to the Divinity; but rather that they serve their own law without any molestation; for, since they render the greatest worship toward the Divine, it seems that it will profit the common affairs in the highest degree. Farewell, Anulinus, most honoured and most longed for by us.