he abolished and revoked synods and their decrees, whenever they did not accord with the divine and apostolic institutions; he established most salutary laws for restoring and safeguarding the vigor of ecclesiastical discipline; he forbade indulgence to be given to the lapsed, as often as they had not with a sincere heart, by saving penance, retracted their past obstinacy; and finally he was unwilling that relaxations of the canonical penalties be imparted to them, unless some cause of public utility and of perfect concord had demanded it. Certainly he was found magnificent, and glorious, and truly admirable in administering the affairs of the Church. And chiefly because, after he had attained the supreme pontificate, the Church was being defiled by those four horrendous heresies;
and the whole East for the space of twelve years was thrown into turmoil, the pillars of the Church being cast down or wavering; and yet he did not depart from this light before peace had been brought about everywhere and the throngs of the heretics had fallen silent on every side.