TWELFTH ASSUMPTION OF THE POPE SUPREME JUDGE. 341 name when he was dead, because his heresywas not before confuted; and they would have served him so if he had been alive. Divers synods (that of Worms, of Papia, of Brescia, of Mentz, of Rome, &c.) rejected Pope Gregory VII. Pope Adrian himself in the eighth synod (so called) confessed that a pope, being found deviating from the faith, might bejudged as Honorius was. Gerbertus (afterward Pope Sylvester II.) maintained that popes might be held as ethnics and publicans if they " did not hear the church." The synod of Constancejudged and deposed three popes.' The synod of Basil deposed Pope Eugenius,' affirming that "the catholic church has often corrected and judged popes, when they either erred from the faith, or by their ill manners became notori- ously scandalous to the church."' The practice of popes to give an account of their faith, when they entered upon their office, to the other patriarchs and chief bishops, approving themselves therebyworthyand capable of communion, im- plies them liable to judgment;4 of the neglect of which practice Euphemius [Euphremius], bishop of Constantinople, complained.' Of this we have for example the Synodical Epistles of Pope Gre- gory I. Vid. Tract. de Unit. Eccl. [See Discourse on Unity of Church.] XII. To the sovereign in ecclesiastical affairs it would belong to define and decide controversies in faith, discipline, moral practice; so that all are bound to admit his definitions, decisions, interpreta- tions. He would be the supreme interpreter of the divine law and judge of controversies. No point or question of moment should be decided without his cognizance. This he therefore pretends to, taking upon him to define points, and requiring from all submission to his determinations. Nor does he allow any synods to decide questions. But the ancients knew no such thing. In case of contentions, they had no recourse to his judgment; they didnot stand to his opi- nion; his authority did not avail to quash disputes. They had re- course to the holy Scriptures, to catholic tradition, to reason; they disputed and discussed points by dint of argument. ' Niceph. xvi. 17; Baron., ann. 484, § 35; Baron., ann. 457, § 25; Plat., p. 131, et Dist. xix. cap. 21, 22; Plat., p. 223, Id., p. 291; P. Pelag. II., Ep. iii. 13; Baron., ann. 669, § 2; Grat. Caus. ii. qu. 7, cap. 41; Ann. 1076; Vid. Baron., ann. 1033, § 3; Baron., ann. 992, § 44. [These references authenticate the various statements made in the above paragraph. En.] 2 Conc. Bas., seas. xxxviii. p. 101. s Ecclesia catholica saepenumero summos pontifices sive a fide delirantes sive pra_ vis moribus notorio ecclesiam scandalizantes correxit et judicavit, &c.Cone. Bas., less. xii. 4 Mos est Romance ecclesior sacerdoti noviter constituto formam fidei sum ad sanc- tas ecciesias prorrogare.P. Gelas. 1., Ep. i., adLaur. s Gelas. Ep. ix.; Baron. ann. 492,- § 10.
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