NO TRACES OF SUCH POWER IN THE PRIMITIVE CHURCH. 279 And St Chrysostom affirms the episcopal power not to be aúdepría, or &pvi. And ecclesiastical history informs us that such a jurisdic- tion was lately introduced in the church, as by other great bishops, so especially by the bishop of Rome.' " For," says Socrates, " from that time the episcopacyof Alexandria, beyond the sacerdotal order, assumed a domineering power in affairs. "s This kind of power the Roman bishops had long before assumed; for says he, " The episco- pacy of Rome, in like manner as that of Alexandria, had alreadya great while ago gone before in a domineering power beyond that of the priesthood. "' At first the episcopal power only consisted in paternal admonition and correption of offenders, exhorting and persuading them to amendment; and in case they contumaciously persisted in disorderly behaviour, bringing them before the congregation, i Cor. v. 4, 12; 2 Cor. ii. 6; and the cause being there heard and proved, with its consent imposing such penance or correction on them as seemed needful for the public good or their particular benefit. " All things," says St Cyprian, " shall be examined, you being present and judg- ing;"and, elsewhere, "According toyour divine suffrages, according to your pleasure."' 2. Originally no one bishop had any jurisdiction over another, or authority to judge his actions, as St Cyprian (who well knew the current judgment andpractice of his age) in many places affirms; who particularly reflects on the Roman bishop for presuming to censure hisbrethrenwho dissented from him. " Let us all,"says he, " expect the judgment of our Lord Jesus Christ, who only has power to prefer us to the government of his church, and to judge of what we do."' 3. Even the community of bishops did not otherwise take notice of or intermeddle with the proceedings of any bishop in his precinct and charge, except when his demeanour concerned the general state of the church, intrenching upon the common faith, or public order and peace. In other cases, for one or more bishops to meddle with the pro- Chrys. in 1 Tim. iii. 1, in Eph. Orat. 11 ; Hier., Ep. iii. 62 ; Isid. Pelus., Ep. xx. 125, iv. 219. Y Kai yelp ix ixaivou ,' ir'ioxasrñ 'AXetavapsiaç ,rifa Ts1s ispaT,xIe T[iésxs xxvi, 4YaaT2ia2 Tm'v /rfaytuiTmv i'.aßs ,4x ripxviv.Socr. vii. Ì. S -- Tee 'Pwxx,'x, ix,exa /r>)s óaoimg Tá1 'Axsçravópiav /ripa Tñ, ¡yxev'nu ixi $vvaaTSiag ñl, x,íXx, xpoaAoua,u.Soar. vii. 11. s Examinabuntur singular prmsentibus, et judicantibus vobis.Cypr. Ep. xii.,fratri- bus inplebe. Secundum vestra divina suffragia.Cypr., Ep. xl. Secundum arbitrium quoque vestrum. Ibid, Ep. xlvi.; Tertul., Apol. xxxix.; Ibidem, &e. s Expectemus universi judiciumDomini nostri Jesu Christi, qui unus et solus habet potestatem et preeponendi nos in ecclesiam suam gubernatione et de actu nostro judi. candi.Cypr. in Cork. Cartk.
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=