276 PAPAL JURISDICTION NOT RECOGNISED. 9. Even in the growth of papal dominion, and after that the seeds of Roman ambition had sprouted forth to a great bulk, yet had not popes the heart or face openly to challenge power over the universal . canons or exemption from them, but pretended to be the chief observers, guardians, defenders, and executors of them, or of the rights and privileges of churches established by them; for while any footsteps of ancient liberty, simplicity, and integrity remained, a claim of paramount or lawless authority would have been very ridiculous and very odious. Pope Zosimus I. denies that he could alter the privileges of 'churches.' 10. If they talked more highly, requiring observance to their constitutions, it was either in their own precincts, or in the provinces where they had a more immediate jurisdiction, or in some corners of the west, where they had obtained more sway, and in some cases wherein their words were backed with other inducements to obedi- ence; for the popes were commonly wise in their generations, ac- commodating their discourse to the state of times and places.3 11. It is also to be observed, that often the popes are supposed to speak and constitute things by their ownauthority, which indeed were done by synods, consisting of western bishops more closely ad- hering to that see, in regard to those regions;4 the decrees of which synods were binding in those places, not so much by virtue of papal authority, as proceeding from the consent of their own bishops, how ready soever he was to assume all to himself, pretending those decrees as precepts of the apostolical see. Whence all the acts of modern popes are invalid and do not oblige, seeing they do not act in synod, but only of their own head, or with the advice of a few partisans about them, men linked in common interest with them to domineer over the church. 12. Yet even in the western countries, in later times, their de- crees have been contested when they seemed plainly to clash with the old canons or much to derogate from the liberties of churches; nor have there wanted learned persons in most times, who, so far as they durst, have expressed their dislike of this usurpation. " For although the bishop of Rome be more venerable than the rest that are in the world, upon account of the dignityof the apos- tolical see, yet it is not lawful for him in any case to transgress the order of canonical governance; for as every bishop who is of the P. Hil., Ep. ii. N. B. ; P. Innoc. I., Ep. ii. 12; P. Hil., Ep. iv.; P. Gelas. I., Ep. ix. p. 634., xiii. 639; De Anath. p. 645. 2 P. Zos. I., Ep. vii., ad Epise. Wenn. et Narb. ; Caus. xxv. qu. i. cap. 7. S P. Sirio., Ep. i.; Leo. M., Ep. i., cap. 5; P. Gelas., Ep. ix.; P. Sirio. Ep. iv. 4 "Avrava zará aúo,v oí, L . %'Ono. Eph., p. 332. 2i.s.Zi átiizouoai añ ouvóaa ám00.7.0 .1za71 »inlYOU. Syn. VL, Act. iv. p. 60. Note. The pope in those councils asked the placits. P. Ili'. in Conc. R. p. 578.
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