194 INDEPENDEiICE OF BISHOPS. communion for dissent in opinion about disputable points; he rejects the pretence that any man can have to be a bishop of bishops, or superior to all his brethren; he condemns the imposing opinions upon bishops, and constraining them to obedience; he disclaims any power in one bishop to judge another; he asserts to each bishop a full liberty andpower to manage his own concerns according to his discretion; he affirms every bishop to receive his power only from Christ, and to be liable only to hisjudgment. We may observe that St Augustine, in his reflections upon thepas- sages in that synod," approves, yea, admires that preface, passing high commendations on the smartest passages of it which assert common liberty, professing his own conformity in practice to them. " In this consultation," says he, " is shown a pacific soul, overflowing with charity;" and, " We have, therefore, a free choice of inquiry granted to us by that most mild and most truthful speech of Cyprian him- self ; "a and, " Now the proud and tumid minds of heretics dare to extol themselves against the holy humility of this speech" " than which what can be more gentle, more humble?"' Would St Augustine have swallowed these sayings, could he have somuch applauded them, if he had known a just power then extant and radiant in the world, which they impeach and subvert? No, I trow. He did not knownor so much as dream of any such, although the pope was under his nose while he was discussing that point; and he could hardly talk so much of St Cyprian without thinking of Pope Stephen. However, let any man of sense honestly read and weigh those passages, considering whowrote them, to whom hewrote them, upon what occasions he wrote them, when he wrote them; that he was a great primate of the church, a most holy, most prudent, most humble and meek person; that he addressed divers of them to bishops of Rome; that many of themwere touching the concerns of popes; that he wrote them in times of persecution and distress, which produce the most sober and serious thoughts ;then let him, if he can, con- ceive that all Christian bishops were then held subject to the pope, or owned such a power due to him as he now claims. We may add a contemporary testimony of the. Roman clergy, addressing to St Cyprian these words: "Although a mind con- scious of integrity, supported by the vigour of evangelical discipline, and having in heavenly doctrines become a true self -witness, is 1 Aug. de Bapt. cont. Donat., lib. ii. 3, &c. z Habemus ergo querendiliberum arbitrium ipsius Cypriani nobis mitissimo et vera- cissimo sermone concessum. Lib. iii. cap. 3. 3 Nunc si se audent superb et tumid cervices hereticorum adversus sanctam bumilitatem hujus sententise extollant.Lib. ii. cap. 3. Quid mansuetius, quid humi- lius ? Lib. iii. cap. 3.
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=