202 THE STYLE USED BY PRIMITIVE BISHOPS. of him in that manner ; which is a sign that the world is altered in its notion of him, and that he bears a higher conceit of himself than his primitive ancestors did. Now nothing but Beatissimus Pater, " Most blessed Father," and Dominus poster Papa, " Our Lord the Pope," in the highest sense, will satisfy him. Now a pope in a general synod, in a solemn oration, could be told to his face that " the most holy senate" of cardinals had chosen " a brother into a father, a colleague into a lord."' Verily so it is now, but not so anciently. In the same ancient times the style of theRoman bishops writing to other bishops was the same, he calling them "brethren and fellow- ministers." So Cornelius wrote toFabius of Antioch, " Belovedbrother."' So he called all other bishops: "Be it known to all our fellow-bishops and brethren. "3 So Julius to the oriental bishops, " To our beloved brethren."4 So Liberius to the Macedonian bishops, " To our be- loved brethren and fellowministers ; "6 and to, the oriental bishops, " To our brethren and fellow-bishops."6 So Damasus to the bishops of Illyricum.7 So Leo himself frequently in his epistles. So Pope Celestine calls John of Antioch, "Most honouredbrother;"' to Cyril, and to Nestorius himself, " Beloved brother;"9 to the fathers of Ephesus, " Seigniors, brethren. "10 Pope Gelasius to the bishops of Dardania, " Your brotherhood." St Gregory to Cyriacus, " Our brother and fellow priest, Cyriacus."u If it be said the popes wrote so then out of condescension, or humility and modesty, it may be replied, that if really there was such a difference as is now pretended, it may seem rather affectation, and indecency or mockery; for it would have more become the pope to maintain the majesty and authority of his place by appellations apt to cherish their reverence, than to collogue with them in terms void of reality, or signifying that equality which he did not mean. But Bellarmine has found out one instance, which hemakes much Vere divina providentia factum censendum est, quod to sacerrimus iste senatus, .... fratrem, et itadixerim filium in patrem, collegam in dominum elegerint, assump_ serint, adoraverint.Balt. Delrio. in Conc. Later. adLeonean X., sess. viii p. 85. 3 'Ahxgì ayasrtmg.Euseb. vi. 43. 3 Omnibus coepiscopis nostris et fratribus innotescat. P. Corn., apud Cppr. Ep. 4 'Ayaornro7s 00.9o7e. Athan. p. 739. 3 'Aya7rnro76 rlhx0c7s xai ou),.XsiTovpya7s. ,gocr. iv. 12. 6 Fratribus et coepiscopis.Hil. Frag., p. 450. 7 Soz. vi. 23. 8 Tga.re vre áIcxgé.Conc. Eph., p. 196. 9 Tir elyaortrrw áhxgw. P. 179, 183. n Kúpmom, áhxgoi.Act. ii. p. 324. Fratérnitas vestra. P. Gelas., Ep. xii.; Greg., Ep. vi. 24. Fratris et consacer- dotis nostri Cyriaci, &c.
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