INDEPENDENCE OF BISHOPS. 193 which each should rule and govern, being to render an account to his Lord, those, indeed, over whomwe preside ought not to ramble about"' This says he in his epistle to Pope Cornelius, upon occa- sion of some factious clergymen addressing themselves to him with factious suggestions, to gain his countenance. " These things," says St Cyprian, " I have briefly written, accord- ing to our meanness, dear brother; prescribing to none, and by no means predetermining that every bishop should not do what he thinks good, he having the free power of his will."' " In which matter our moderation and modesty do not dictate to any one, nor say that every one may not judge as he thinks, and act as he judges; "' "prescribing to none, in the way of deciding that every bishop may not resolve what he thinks good, he being to render an account to the Lord, " &c. " It remains," says the same, " that each of us utter his opinion about this matter, judging no man, nor removing any man, if he dissent, from the right of communion: for neither does any of us constitute himself bishop of bishops, nor, by tyrannical tenor, drive his colleagues to a necessity of obeying; as every bishop has, upon account of his liberty and authority, his own free choice, and is no less exempted from being judged by another than he is incapable to judge another. But let us all expect the judgment of our Lord Jesus Christ, who, andwho alone, has power both to preferus to the government of his church and to judge of our acting.' These words St Cyprian spoke as prolocutor of the great synod of bishops at Carthage; and what words could be more express or more full in assertion of the episcopal liberties and rights, against almost every branch of Romish pretences? He disavows the practice of one bishop excluding another from t Nam cum statutum sit omnibus nebis, et mquum sit pariter ac justum, ut unius- cujusque causa illic audiatur, ubi est crimen admissum, et singulis pastoribus portio gregis sit adscripta, quam regat unusquisque et gubernet, rationem actus sui Domino redditurus, oportet utique eos quibus prmsumus, non circumcursare, &c.Cypr., Ep. lv., ad Cornelium. 2 Mee tibi breviter pro nostra mediocritate rescripsimus, frater charissime; nemini prmscribentes, aut prmjudicantes, quo minus unusquisque episcoporum quod putat faciat, habens arbitrii sui liberam potestatem.Cypr., Ep. lxxiii., ad Jubaianum. 3 Qua in parte nemini verecundia et modestia nostra prmjudicat, quo minus unus- quisque quod putat sentiat, et quod senserit faciat. Cypr., Ep. lxxvi., ad Magnum. t Nemini prmscribentes, quo minus statuat quod putat unusquisque prmpositus, actus sui rationem Domino redditurus; secundum quod apostolus, &c. lbid. S Superest ut de hac re singuli quid sentiamus proferamus, neminem judicantes, aut a jure communionis aliquem si diversum senserit amoventes; neque enim quisquam nostrum episcopum se esse episcoporum constituit, aut tyrannico terroread obsequendi necessitatem collegas suos adigit; quando habeat omnis episcopus pro licentia libertatis et potestatis sum arbitrium proprium, tamque judicari ab alio non possit, quam neo ipse potest alterum judicare. Sed expectemus universi judicium Domino nostri Jesu Christi, qui unus et solus habet potestatem et prmponendi nos in ecclesise sumguberna.. tione et de actu nostro judicandi. Cypr. in pray'. Conc. Carthag. VOL. L 1.8
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