SCRIPTURAL EQUALITYOF BISHOPS. 163 which their see had obtained. And that this was the general sense of the fathers we shall afterward show. Hence, when it was objected to them that they affected superio- rity, they sometimes disclaimed it: so did Pope Gelasius I., a zealous man for the honour of his see.' 4. This pretence thwarts the holy Scripture, not only by tramp- ling down the dignity of bishops (which, according to St Gregory, implies great pride and presumption), but as really infringing the rights granted by our Lord to his church and the governors of it' For to each church our Lord has imposed a duty, and imparted a power of maintaining divine truth, and so approving itself " a pillar and support oftruth;"of deciding controversiespossible and proper to be decided with due temper, ultimately, without farther resort; for that he whowill not obey or acquiesce in its decision is to be " asa heathenor publican; " of censuring and rejecting offenders in doctrine or demeanour: " Those within," says St Paul to the church of Corinth, " do not ye judge? but them that are without God judgeth; wherefore put away from among yourselves that wicked person; " of preserving order and decency, according to that rule prescribed to the church of Corinth, " Let all things be done de- centlyand in order; " of promotingedification ;of deciding causes.' All which rights and privileges the Roman bishop bereaves the churches of, snatching them to himself, pretending that he is the sovereign doctor, judge, regulator of all churches; overruling and voiding [making void] all that is done by them, according to his pleasure. The Scripture has enjoined and empowered all bishops to feed, guide, and rule their respective churches, as the "ministers, stewards, ambassadors, angels of God, for the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edification of the bodyof Christ," to whom God has committed the care of their people; so that they are responsible for their.souls.' All which rights and. privileges of the episcopal office the pope has invaded, obstructs, cramps, frustrates, destroys; pretending, with 1 Hic non tam optamus prseponi aliis (sicut prædicas), quam cum fidelibus cunctis sanctum et Deo placitum habere consortium. P. Gelas. L, Ep. ix. ad Euphem., Ep. CP. " Here we do not so much desire to be advanced above others, as together with all the faithful to make up a consort holy andwell -pleasing to God." 2 - Vobis subtrahitur, quad alteri plus quam ratio exigit praebetur.Greg. vii. 30, p. 451. " What is yielded to another more than reason requires is taken from you." IIpZyp;a ... mñç rávm.v iTwdplaç ás- róp.uov. Syn. Eph. i., can. 8. " A thing that intrenches upon the freedom of all others." 3 Rev. ii. et iii.; 1 Tim. iii. 15; Matt. xviii. 17, 'Eá, áÈ ,raps kalen, &c. ; 01,x, roùç 1, úp,ciç zpi,er[; 1 Cor. v. 12; Bal igaipi. Vid. 1 Cor. v. 4, 5; Rev. ii. 20; 1 Cor. xiv. 40; 1 Thess. v. 14; Rom. xiv. 19; 1 Cor. vi. 1. 4 Acts xx. 28; Heb. xiii. 17; 1 Pet. v. 2; 1 Tim. iii. 15; Tit. i. 7; 1 Cor. xii. 28; Eph. iv. 11; Rev. ii., &c.; Eph. iv. 12; Heb. xiii. 17.
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