PRIMITIVE MODE OF ORDINATION. 285 dination of our colleague Sabinus; that thus, by the suffrage of all the brotherhood, and by the judgment of all the bishops then assem- bled, who had sent letters to you about him, the bishopric should be conferred on him.' Again, "A people obedient to the Lord's commands and fearing God ought to separate themselves from awicked bishop" (sucha no- toriously wicked bishop as those were of whomhe treats, who had renounced the faith), "and not to mingle themselves with the sacri- fices of a sacrilegious priest ; seeing, especially, that they have a power either to choose worthy priests or to refuse those who are unworthy, a practice which we see is derived from divine authority, that a bishop should be chosen in the presence of the people, before the eyes of all, and that he who is worthy and fit should be approved by public judgment and testimony."' Again, he says concerning himself,' "Abishop is substituted in the place of one deceased, when he is peaceably chosen by the suf- frage of all the people ;" and, "Whom if, according to the divine in- structions, the whole fraternity would obey, no man would move any thing against the college of priests; for after the divine judg- ment, after the suffrage of the people, after the consent of his fellow- bishops, no man would make himself judge, a judge in this case, not of the bishop, but of God."' Again, "Cornelius was made bishop by the judgment of God and his Christ, by the testimony of almost all the clergy, by the suffrage of the common people, being then present, and by the college of priests, venerable and good men;"5 and, "Cornelius was ordained in ' Propter quod diligenter de traditione divina et apostolica observatione observan- dum est et tenendum, quod apud nos quoque et fere per provincias universas tenetur, ut ad ordinationes rite celebrandus, ad eam plebem cui prmpositus ordinatur, episcopi ejusdem proximi quique conversant, et episcopus deligatur plebe preesente, qure singu- lorumvitam plenissime novit, et uniuscujusqueactum deejusconversation perspexit, quod et apud vosfactum videmusin Sabini colleges nostri ordinatione, ut de universes fraternitatis suffragio, et de episcoporum qui in prmsentiaconvenerant, quique de eo ad vos literas fecerant, judicio episcopatus ei deferretur.Cypr., Ep. lxviii. 2 Plebs obsequens prseceptis Dominicis et Deum metuens, a peccatore prmposito se- parare se debet, nee se ad sacrilegi sacerdotis sacrificia miscere ; quando ipsa maxime habeat potestatem vel eligendi dignos sacerdotes vel indignos recusandi; quodet ipsum videmus de divina auctoritate descendere, ut sacerdos plebe prcesente sub omnium oculis deligatur, et dignus atque idoneus publico judicio ac testimonio comprobetur, &c.Cypr., Ep. 3 Suffragio totius populi Cyprianus eligitur.Optat. i. "Cyprian was chosen by the suffrages of the whole people." S Cseterum quando episcopus in locum defuncti substituitur, quando populi universi suffragio in pacedeligiturcui si secundem magisterio divina obtemperaret fraternitas universa, nemo adversum sacerdotum collegium quidquam moveret ; nemo post divi- num judicium, post populi suffragium, post coepiscoporum consensum,judicem se jam non episcopi sed Dei faceret, &c. Cypr., Ep. lv. 5 Foetus est autemCornelius episcopus de Dei et Christi ejus judicio, de clericorum pene omnium testimonio, de plebis, gum tune affuit, suffragio, et de sacerdotum anti- quorum et bonorum virorum collegio, &c.Cypr., Ep. lii.
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