BISHOPS HAVE CLAIMED INDEPENDENCE OF THE POPE. 199 cities;"--which assertion of theirs, so flatly thwarting papal supre- macy, he does not at all confute, yea, not so much as contradict, and therefore reasonably may be interpreted to yield consent thereto, (the rule, Qui tacet consentiri videtur, " He that holds his peace seems to consent," never holding better than in this case) when his copyhold was so nearly touched ; indeed, he had been very blamable to waive such an occasion of defending so important a truth, or in letting so pestilent an error pass without correction or reproof. After the pope had climbed higher than at that time, upon the ladders of dissension and disorder in the church, yet hewas reproved. by Euphenlius, bishop of Constantinople, for preferring himself be- fore his brethren; as we may collect from these words of a zealous pope, "We desire not to be placed above others, as you say, so much as to have fellowship holy and well-pleasing to God with all the faithful."' That Pope Gregory I. did not hold himself superior to other bishops, many sayings of his infer; for in this he places the fault of the bishop of Constantinople, which he so often and so severely re- prehends, that he "preferred himself before, and extolled himself above, other bishops."3 And would he directly assume that to himself which he charges on another, although only following his position by consequence? And when Eulogius, the bishop of Alexandria, had complimentally said, Sicut jvssistis, " As thou hast commanded," he thus expresses his resentment, " That word command, I beseech you, let me not hear it again; because I know who I am, and who you are. By place ye are my brethren; in goodness, fathers. I did not, therefore, command; but what seemed profitable I suggested to you."' That many such instances may not be alleged out of antiquity, the reason is because the ancient popes did not understand this power to belong to them, and therefore gave no occasion for bishops to maintain their honour; or were more just, prudent, and modest, than to take so much upon them, as their successors did, upon frivo- lous pretences. 1 Ei , 'y dxnAms ivnv xal mìir aLrily Oiys7eAt myañr r , ivrsoxóvrmv, xai ¡cñ be mo; ¡asyágous mmv aóxuuv, r:.s neif ms, xpívsmt mobs lvn,oxóvrcus. P. Jul. L, apudAthen. in Apol. ii. p. 744. 2 Hic non tam optamus preeponi aliis (sicut praedicas) quam cum fidelibus cunctis sanctum et Deo placitum habere consortium. P. Gelas. I., Ep. i., adEuphemium. 3 - In elatione sua Antichristum priecurrit, quia superbiendo se caeteris prm- ponit.P. Greg. I., Ep. vi. 30. Super caterossacerdotes se extollit. Ibid. Christi sibi student membra judicare.Id., Ep. iv. 36. Solus omnibus preeesse. Id., Ep. iv. 38. quibus (episcopis) cupis temetipsum vocabulo elationis praeponere. Id., ibid. + Quodverbum jussionis peto a met, auditu removeri. Quia scio quis sum, qui estis. Loco enim mihi fratres estis, moribus patres. Non ergo jussi, sed qui utilia visa sun+. indicare curavi, &c. Greg. L, Ep. vii. 30, adEulog...4lez.
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