THE POWER OF CENSURE BELONGED TO ALL BISHOPS. 301 3. St Cyprian asserts the power of censuring bishops upon need- ful and just occasion to belong to all bishops, for maintenance of common faith, discipline, ánd peace. " Dear brother," says he, writing to Pope Stephanus himself, " the body of bishops is large, being coupled by the cement of concord and the bond of unity, so that if any of our college shall attempt to frame a heresy, or to tear and destroy the flock of Christ, the rest may come to the rescue, and, like useful and merciful shepherds, gather together the sheep of the Lord into the fold." The like doctrine is that of Pope Celestine I. in his epistle to the Ephesine synod.' In matter of faith any bishop might interpose judgment. Theo- philus proceeded to condemn the Origenists without regard to the pope' Epiphanius demanded satisfaction of John of Jerusalem. 4. This common right of bishops in some cases is confirmed by the nature of such censures, which consisted in disclaimingpersons notoriously guilty of heresy, schism, or scandal, and in refusing to entertain communion with them; which every bishop, as entitled to the common interests of faith and peace, might do.' 5. Indeed, in such a case every Christian had a right, yea, an obligation, to desert his own bishop.' So John ofJerusalem having given suspicion of error in faith, St Epiphanius wrote letters to the monks of Palestine not to " communicate with him till theywere satisfied of his orthodoxy."' Upon which account, St Jerome, living in Palestine, declined communication with the patriarch thereof, ask- ing him " if it were anywhere said to him, or commanded, that without satisfaction concerning his faith, they were bound to main- Idcirco enim, frater charissime, copiosum corpus est sacerdotum, concordin mutt; glutino atque unitatis vinculo copulatum, ut siquis ex collegio nostro haeresin facere, et gregem Christi lacerare, et vastare tentaverit, subvenant cseteri, et quasi pastores utiles et misericordes oves Dominicas in gregem colligant. Cypr., Ep. lxvii., ad Steph. 2 'AxoósoGw carca vrapá vrávcav siç s- xeuvóv, xóp,ar r&SsT,goi . . . iv rrarirn cm gpovrríh a(QryyópcsAa ai vrarraxaü xai ává vrávav oixovpsivry cn ixsívav 4z erxñ rr. ävopca xvpíov xnpúr- rrovrss ... &c. Conc. Eph., Act. ii. p. 324. Taryapor,v cepravroíla,- h lacy xai vrpaxclov ävrag xapcárnr x,n .rá ipcvr,ace»Asvra, xai Srá crts 42'00'70Xrxñ, Sraóax -ns äaiç curl vüv ova- ,resAlvca ¢u).áapesv. Ibia, p. 325. 3 Vid. Hier. lxvii. et lxxviii. 4 Cypr., Ep. lxvii. "Om vrapiv ml,; lmi rrñ vriacer 4sY vraCipas rúvvo,; Srar,áccavcar, lavrrs isráyouor cá ix cäv xavóvav ivrrcipua. Thalass. in }Syn. Chale., Act. i. p. 191. 'Expì,v yáp ci,v »asryav c'eyávrnv pcspevnalvnv cmv a'acprxmv vrapejoasav penllva auyxapsry .ra xszaAvpclva vra,srv> áa).á xaI si s-rs ca).pcnpós fassin mien Suvápcsr lvavrraüvla. P. Agapet. ad Petr. Hier., p. 24. 6 Eixócas Ápcsrg lvnacápeevar 7455 cmv .gsiov xavóvav lxllxna,v dpxrspsüars pcóvov áí¡cóccuv, 7.177141 cñs ¿pt% vríarsas 01) (LÓYOYhpapalva,Ç áT.'.á xai xavrr1 ipAalí e xprar,avm.Menas., tom. iv. p. 10. Plebs, &c. Deum metuens, Etc.Cypr., Ep. lxviii.; Vid. P. Wie. L, Ep. viii. p. 506. ß Cunctis monachis ab eodem Epiphanio scripts venerunt, ut absque satisfactions fidei nullus ei temere communicaret.Hier., Ep. lxi., adPammach., cap. 15.
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