of the One Church and they being her Supreme Governours they could not but be chiefly bound by the most Fundamental Laws of their Office to be Conscientious Conservators of these Great and Fundamental Interests And indeed so they believed themselves to be as will evidently appear from the following Considerations And I. They look'd upon themselves as bound indispensibly to maintain the Peace the Unity the Concord the Unanimity the Honour they are all St. Cyprian's Words of the College it self Every Error every Defect every Thing Disjoyâ—ted or out of Tune in it tended naturally to endanger the great Interests for the Conservation and Procuration of which it was instituted For this End 2. Because every Man by being Promoted to the Episcopal Dignity was Eo ipso a Principle of Unity to a particular Church and so a Member of the Episcopal College all possible Care was taken that a fit Person should be promoted and that the Promotion should be Unquestionable Therefore he was not to be Promoted as I have proved but where there was an Unquestionable Vacancy Therefore he was not to be Promoted if there was any thing Uncanonical or Challengeable in his Baptism or his Confirmation or his Prâ—motion to any former Order as I have â—hewn also in the Case of Novationus Therefore he was Solemnly Elected in the Presence of the People That either his Crimes might be detected or his Merits published because the People was best acquainted with every Man's Life and Conversation Therefore he was to be Solemnly Ordained in the Presence of the People also And that by two or three Bishops at fewest thô an Ordination perform'd by One Bishop was truly Valid Commonly there were more all the Bishops of the Province 3. Being thus Canonically Promoted his first Work was to send his Communicatory Letters to all other Bishops to give them thereby an Account of his Canonical Promotion his Orthodoxy in the Faith his Fraternal Disposition c. Thus Cornelius was no sooner Ordained Bishop of Rome than he instantly dispatched his Communicatory Letters to St. Cyprian And no doubt as the Custom was to all other Bishops at least to all Metropolitans by them to be Communicated to the Bishops within their Provinces I say to Metropolitans for nothing can be clearer than that there were Metropolitans in St. Cyprian's time He was undoubtedly One himself and Agrippiâ—â—s his Predecessor Bishop of Carthage was One long before him Spanhemius himself our Author's Diligem Searcher into Antiquity acknowledges it But to return from this Digression Novatianus also thô Illegally and Schismatically Ordained found it necessary to send his Communicatory Letters to St. Cyptian as if he had been Ordain'd Canonically and in the Unity of the Church So also Fortunatus when made a Schismatical Bishop at Carthage sent his Communicatory Letters to Cornelius Bishop of Rome Indeed this was never omitted 4. If there was no Competition no Controversie in the Caâ—e the Matter was at an end The Promoted Bishop's Communicatory Letters were sufficient and he was forthwith faithfully joyned with all his Collegues as St. Cyprian words it But if there was any Competitor any Debate then the rest of the College before they received him as a Collegue made further Enquiries Sometimes they sent some from the Neighbourhood to examine the Matter Sometimes the Ordainers were obliged to Account for the Person Ordained and the whole Procedure of the Ordination Sometimes both Methods were practised We have a famous Instance of both Methods in one Case the Case of Cornelius and Novationus Cornelius as I have said upon his Promotion wrote to St. Cyprian So did Novatianus Here was a Competition Cyprian therefore with his African Collegues sent Caldonius and Fortunatus two Bishops to Rome that upon the Place it self where they might have the surest Information they might enquâ—re into the Merits of the Cause and try the Competition And on the other hand the Sixteen Bishops who Ordain'd Cornelius wrote to St. Cyprian and the rest of the Bishops of Africa and satisfied them upon the whole Qvestion demonstrating Cornelius's Title and Condemning Novatianus Such Care was taken that none should be admitted Unworthily or Uncanonically into the Episcopal College But then 5. There was equal Care taken to purge him out of the College again if he turned either Heretical or Schismatical If he kept not close to the Laws of One Faith and One Communion If he swerv'd from these he was forthwith refused the Communion of the whole College Therefore says St. Cyprian to Stephen Bishop of Rome in the Case of Marcianus Bishop of Arles who had joyned with Novatianus The Corporation of Priests the Episcopal College is Copious being cemented by the Glue of Mutual Concord and the Bond of Unity that if any of the College shall turn Heretick or attempt to divide or waste the Flock of Christ the rest may interpose and as profitable and merciful Shepherds collect our Lord's Sheep and restore them to the Flock And this they were bound to do by the Fundamental Laws of One Church and one Communion for as our Martyr subjoyns Thô they were many Pastors yet they all fed but one Flock And therefore all the Bishops in the World were bound to give the desolate Christians of Churches whereof the Bishops had turned Heretical or Schismatical the Comfort of their Aid and Assistance 'T is true no Bishop was Superiour to another Bishop in point of Power or Iurisdiction but all stood Collateral as I have proved and so no Bishop as Superiour to another in a streight Linâ— could pass Sentence on him as they might have done to Presbyters Yet all being United into One College which College was the Principle of Unity to the Church Catholick it was necessary as well as natural that that College should be impower'd to take care of its own Preservation and by consequence they could do the Equivalent of a formal and authoritative Deposition they could refuse the Heretical or Schismatical Bishop their Communion and thereby exclude him from the Episcopal College And they could oblige all the Christians within his District to abandon his Communion and choose another Bishop as they valued the invaluable Priviledges of the One Church and the One Communion But then 6. So long as a Bishop worthily and legally Promoted kept the Faith and the Unity of the Church he was Treated he was Encouraged he was Consulted he was Corresponded with in a word Every way used as became the Head of a particular Church and a Fellow-Member of the College All the rest of the Members were bound by the Fundamental Laws of the College to Ratifie all his Canonical nay Equitable Acts of Priesthood Government and Discipline Whosoever was Baptized by himself or by his Clergy with his Allowance was to be owned as a Baptized Christian a True Denison of the Church and to have the Priviledges of such all the World
all conscience it ought it being scarcely possible to prove any thing of this Nature more demonstratively then be pleased only to consider the necessary Connexion that is betwixt this Principle and that which I am next to prove and that is SECONDLY That by the Principles of those Times a Bishop Cononically Promoted was Supreme in his Church immediately subject to Iesus Christ independent on any unaccountable to any Earthly Ecclesiastical Superiour There was no Universal Bishop then under Iesus Christ who might be the Supreme visible Head of the Catholick visiâ—le Church There was indeed an Universal Bishoprick but it was not holden by any One single Person There was an Unus Episcopatus One Episcopacy One Episcopal Office One Bishoprick but it was divided into many Parts and every Bishop had his shâ—re of it assigned him to Rule and Govern with the Plenitude of the Episcopal Authority There was One Church all the World over divided into many Members and there was One Episcopacy dâ—ffused in proportion to that One Church by the Harmonious Numerâ—sity of many Bishops Or if you would have it in other words the One Catholick Church was divided into many Precincts Districts or Diocesses call them as you will Each of those Districtâ— had its singular Bishop and that Bishop within that District had the Supreme Power He was subordinate to none but the Great Bishop of Souls Iesus Christ the only Universal Bishop of the Universal Church He was independent on and stood collateral with all other Bishops There 's nothing more fully or more plainly or more frequently insisted on by St. Cyprian than this Great Principle I shall only give you a short view of it from him and his Contemporaries And I. He lays the Foundation of it in the Parity which our Lord instituted amongst his Apostles Christ says he gave Equal Power to all his Apostles when he said As my Father hath sent me even so I send you Receive ye the Holy-Ghost c. And again The rest of the Apostles were the same that St. Peter was endued with an Equality of Power and Honour Now St. Cyprian on all occasions makes Bishops Successors to the Apostles as perchance I may prove fully hereafter Thus I say he founds the Equality of Bishops and by consequence every Bishop's Supremacy within his own Diocess And agreeably he Reasons most frequently I shall only give you a few Instances 2. Then in that excellent Epistle to Antonianus discoursing concerning the Case of the Lapsed and shewing how upon former Occasions different Bishops had taken different Measures about restoring Penitents to the Peace of the Church he concludes with this General Rule That every Bishop so long as he maintains the Bond of Concord and preserves Catholick Unity has Power to order the Affairs of his own Church as he shall be accountable to God Plainly importing that no Bishop can give Laws to another or call him to an Account for his Management To the same purpose is the conclusion of his Epistle to Iubaianus about the Baptism of Hereticks and Schismaticks These Things most dear Brother says he I have written to you as I was able neither prescribing to nor imposing on any Man seeing every Bishop hath full Power to do as he judges most fitting c. The same way he concludes his Epistle to Magnus concerning that same Case of Baptism performed by Hereticks To the same purpose is the whole Strain of his Epistle to Florentius Pupianus And what can be more clear or full than his excellent Discourse at the opening of the Council of Carthage Anno 256 More than Eighty Bishops met to determine concerning that same matter of Baptism administred by Hereticks or Schismaticks St. Cyprian was Praeses and having briefly represented to them the Occasion of their Meeting he spoke to them thus it remains now that each of us speak his sense freely judging no Man refusing our Communion to no Man thô he should dissent from us For none of us costitutes himself Bishop of Bishops nor forces his Collegues upon a necessity of Obeying by a Tyrannical Terror seeing every Bishop is intirely Master of his own Resolutions and can no more he judged by others than he can judge others But we all expect the Judgment of our Lord Iesus Christ who alone hath Power of making us Governours of his Church and calling us to an Account for our Administrations 3. Neither did the Principle hold only in respect of this or the other Bishop but all without Exception even the Bishop of Rome stood upon a Level And for this we have as pregnant Proof as possibly can be desired For when the Schismatical Party at Carthage set up Fortunatus as an Anti-Bishop and thereupon sent some of their Partisans to Rome toi inform Cornelius of their Proceedings and justifie them to him Cyprian wrote to him also and thus Reasoned the Case with him To what Purpose was it for them to go to Rome to tell you that they had set up a false Bishop against the Bishops Either they continue in their Wickedness and are pleased with what they have done or they are Penitent land willing to return to the Churches Unity If the latter they know whither they may return For seeing it is determined by us all and withal 't is just and reasonable in it self That every one's Cause should be examined where the Crime was committed and seeing there is a Portion of Flock the Catholick Church assigned to every Bishop to be Governed by him as he shall be accountable to God our Subjects ought not to run about from Bishop to Bishop nor break the Harmonious Concord which is amonst Bishops by their subtle and fallacious Temerity But every Man's Cause ought there to be discussed where he may have Accusers and Witnesses of his Crime c. In which Reasoning we have these Things plain 1. That by St. Cyprian's Principles evey Bishop was judge of his own Subjects of all the Christians who lived within his District 2. That no Bishop no not the Bishop of Rome was Superior to another Bishop nor could receive Appeals from his Sentences And 3. That this Independency of Bishops this Unaccountableness of one Bishop to another as to his Superiour was founded on every Bishop's having his Portion of the Flock assigned to him to be Ruled and Governed by him as he should answer to God i. e. upon his visible Supremacy in his own Church his being immediately Subordinate to God only To the same purpose he writes to Stephen Bishop of Rome also For having told him his Mind freely concerning those who should return from a State of Schism to the Unity of the Church how they ought to be Treated and how Recceived c. he concludes thus We know that some are tenacious and unwilling to alter what they have once determined and that they will needs retain some Methods peculiar to themselves but still with
of their own Rank and Quality By consequence an Epistle in which had they understood it had the Principles of those Times allowed it they might have spoken their Minds very freely concerning the Power of Presbyters Never had Presbyters I am sure more Freedom or better Opportunity to have asserted their own Power and Vindicated Parity and Condem'd Prelatical Usurpations in an Epistle than they had on that Occasion for Fabianus Bishop of Rome was dead and Cyprian Bishop of Carthage was retired and so it was written by Presbyters who had no Bishop to Presbyters in the absence of their Bishop And yet in that Epistle they were so far from having any such Notions that they said expresly That both Themselves who wanted One and those of Carthage who wanted the Presence of One were only seemingly the Governours of those respective Churches and only kept the Flocks in stead of the respective Pastors the Bishops And â—urther telling what Pains they had been at to keep People from Apostatizing in the Day of Trial they account how they Treated those who had fallen particularly that they did separate them from the Flock indeed but so as not to be wanting in their Duty and Assistance to them They did what was proper for their Station They exhorted them to continue patiently in their Penances as being the most plausible Method for obtaining Indulgences from him who could give them That is without Controversie from the Bishop when he should be settled For so I read in an Epistle written at that same time by Celerinâ—s a Roman to Lucianus a Carthaginian and the 2Ist in Number among St. Cyprian's that when the Cause of Numeria and Candida two Female Lapsers was brought before the Presbytery of Rome the Presbytery commanded them to continue as they were i. e. in the State of Penitents till a Bishop should be Inthroned And now let any Man judge whether according to the Principles and Sentiments of the Presbyters of Rome St. Cyprian or his presuming Presbyters had taken too much upon them at Carthage But neither is this all yet for â— These Carthaginian Presbyters were also Condemned by the Roman Martyrs and Confessors who thâ— they were in Prison had learned the State of the Controversie from the Accounts St. Cyprian had sent to Rome two of them Moyses and Maximus being also Presbyters These Martyrs and Confessors wrote also to St. Cyprian and to the same purpose the Roman Clergy had done Their Epistle is the 3Ist in number In which they not only beg with a peculiar Earnestness That he being so Glorious a Bishop would pray for them They not only lay a singular stress upon his Prayers beyond the Prayers of others by reason of the Opinion they had of his Holy Virtues which I am apt to think such Men as they would not probably have done had they believed him to have been a Proud aspiring Prâ—late that is indeed a Limb of Antichrist as this Author would â—ain give him out to have been But also they heartily Congratulate his discharging so Laudibly his Episcopal Office and that even in his Retirement he had made it so much his Care to acquit himself that he had halted in no part of his Duty and particularly That he had suitably Censured and Râ—buked not only the Lapsed who little regarding the Greatness of their Guilt had in his Absence extorted the Churches Peace from his Presbyters but even these Presbyters for their profane Facility in giving that which was Holy to Dogs and casting Pearls before Swine without any Regard to the Gospel In short They Approve his whole Proceeding as having done nothing Unsuitable to his Character nothing Unbecoming either an Holy or an Humble Bishop Further yet 6. These same Carthaginian Presbyters resuming their former Boldness and Topping it over again with their Bishop were Excommunicated by him and his Sentence was Approved and Ratified by all Catholick Bishâ—ps in all Catholick Churches all the World over as shall be shewn you fully by and by And then 7. And lasty That in all this Matter St. Cyprian did nothing either Proudly or Presumptuously is evident from this That in his Time and long before his Time even from the Apostles Times it was not Lawful for Presbyters to Attempt any thing relating to the Church without the Bishop 〈◊〉 Presbyters and Deacons attempt nothing without the Bishop's Allowance for 't is he to whom the Lord's People are committed and 't is he that must Account for their Souls is the 39th of the Canons called Apostolical And no doubt it was in force in St. Cyprian's time And this was no greater Power than was assigned him by the Apostolical Ignatius I cannot tell how many times Take these Testimonies for a Sample Let no Man do any thing that belongs to the Church without the Bishop He that hâ—noureth the Bishop is honoured of God but he that doth any thing in opposition to the Bishop serveth the Devil If any Man pretend to be wiser than the Bishop i. e. will have Things done against the Bishop's Will he is Corrupted Let us be careful not to resist the Bishop as we would be subject to God The Spirit hath spoken Do ye nothing without the Bishop 'T is necessary that you continue to do nothing without the Bishop And now let any of Common Sense determine Whether there was Ground or shadow of Ground for insinuating that St. Cyprian shewed too much Zeal in this Cause or attempted to stretch his Power a little too far indeed it had not been a little but very much nay monstrously too far had those of Parity been then the current Principles or was a little too high in this Matter But if there was no Ground to say so if it was contrary to all the then current Principles and to the common Sentiments of all Catholick Christians nay even to the Convictions of all Honest Orderly Dutiful and Conscientious Presbyters who then lived to say so If thus it was I say and 't is hard to prove any Matter of Fact more evidently than I have proved that it was thus then I think it follows by good Consequence not only that this Author was a little in the wrong to St. Cyprian when he said so but also that in St. Cyprian's time a Bishop had fairly a Negative over his Presbyters which was the Thing to be demonstrated And so I proceed to the next Thing proposed namely III. That all the other Church-Governours within his District Presbyters as well as others were in St. Cyprian's time subject to the Bishop's Authority and obnoxious to his Discipline I do'nt think you very sharp sighted if you have not seen this already Yet that I may give you all reasonable Satisfaction I shall insist a little further on it And I. This might appear sufficiently from this one Consideration thâ— no more could be produced for it That still in the Stile and Language of