VICEGERENTS OF THE POPE, A MODERN DREAM. 337 teed him, from that we speak out, since Christ has committed to us the ministry of reconciliation."' " That which is committed to the priest, it is only in God's power to give."' " Since we also, by the mercy of Christ, our king and God, were made ministers of the gospel."3 This is a modern dream, born out of ambition and flattery, which never came into the head of any ancient divine. It is a ridiculous thing to imagine that Cyprian, Athanasius, Basil, Chrysostom, Augustine, &c., took themselves for the vicegerents or ministers of the popes. If they did, why did they not, so frequent occasion being given them in all their volumes, ever acknowledge it? Why cannot Bellarmine and his complices, after all their proll- ing [prying], show any passage in them importing any such acknow- ledgment, but are fain to infer it by far-fetched sophisms, from allegations plainly impertinent or frivolous? The popes, indeed, in the fourth century began to practise a fine trick, very serviceable to the enlargement of their power; whichwas, to confer on certain bishops, as occasion served, or for continuance, the title of their vicar or lieutenant, thereby pretending to impart authority to them: whereby they were enabled for performance of divers things, which otherwise, by their own episcopal or metropoli- tical power, they could not perform. By which device they engaged these bishops to such a dependence on them, by which they pro- moted the papal authority in provinces, to the oppression of the an- cient rights and liberties of bishops and synods, doing what they pleased under pretence of this vast power communicated to them; and for fear of being displaced, or out of affection to their favourer, doing what might serve to advance the Papacy. Thus, Pope Celestine constituted Cyril in his room.' Pope Leo appointed Anatolius of Constantinople. Pope Felix [appointed] Acacius of Constantinople.' Pope Hormisdas [appointed] Epiphanius of Constantinople. Pope Simplicius [writes] toZeno, bishop of Seville: " We thought it convenient that you should be held up by the vicariate authority of our see."' t'Hpc175. TaryLV, &c.S. Chrys. sup. [formerly quoted.J Ei ö Mmoîas ,9póvog otrTwç i¡v aiaiorpcnç, ú+ç aI izt7vov áxoútoAar, vroT.T.ñ¡ pcmxT.OV ö Xprorer, .9pávoç; 66710" i]pc64 aaatápctAa, clOrá TOÚrOV QAtyyópatAa, áQ' oi xa; ö xyraróç äAtre iv riyc7v Tñv araxev%ay Tïrrç xarañ.T.ayr',ç. Chrys. in Coloss., Orat. iii. "A yá? iyzsxtipmrat ó itptúç, etoV l4ÓVOD Irv; awpt7oAay &c.Chrys. in Yoh. Orat. lsasüi. 3'EOrt) euv za; itpst7ç Dati TO; ooupOßaorTiwç (1. srapOßaorT.iwç) ius Xproror, Tor, etor, itpoupyoi ,roi; túayyt.liou ixT.npáBnpcty, &C.FZavtian. in Chalc., Act. i. p. 4. * Evagr. Act. Eph., p. 134. 5 Act. Conc. sub Menna., p. 70. s Congruum duximus vicaria sedis nostrm te anctoritate fulciri.Baron., ann. 482, § 46. VOL. I. 2!
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