358 THE OPINION OF THE FATHERS. him incapable of communion; " for how," says he otherwhere, " can they preside over integrity and continence, if corruptions and the teaching of vices begin to proceed from them?"1 " They who reject the commandment of God and labour to estab- lish their own tradition, let them be strongly and stoutly refusedand rejected by you."2 St Chrysostom, commenting on St Paul's words, " If I, or an angel," &c., says that St Paul " means to show that dignity of per- sons is not to be regardedwhere truth is concerned ;"3 that " if one of the chief angels from heaven should corrupt the gospel, he were to be accursed ;"4 that " not only if they shall speak things contrary or overturn all, but if they preach any small matter beside the apos- tolical doctrine, altering the least point whatever, they are liable to an anathema."' And otherwhere, very earnestly persuading his audience to render due respect and obedience to their bishop, he yet interposes this ex- ception, " If he has a perverse opinion, although he be an angel, do not obey him; but if he teaches right things, regard not his life but his words."' " Ecclesiastical judges, as men, are for the most part deceived. "' " For neither are catholic bishops to be assented to, if peradven- ture in any case they are mistaken, so as to hold any thing contrary to the canonical Scriptures of God. "3 " If there he any church which rejects the faith, and does not hold the fundamentals of the apostolical doctrine, it ought to be for- saken, lest it infect others with its heterodoxy."9 If, in such a case, we must desert any church, then the Roman; if any church, then much more any bishop, particularly him of Rome. This has been the doctrine of divers popes. "Which not only the apostolical prelate, but any other bishop may do,namely, discriminate and sever any men, and any place, Quomodo enim possunt integritati et continentireprmesse, si ex ipsis incipient cor- ruptelm et vitiorum magisteriaprocedere ? Cypr., Ep. lxii. 2 Qui mandatum Dei rejiciunt, et traditionem suam statuere conantur, fortiter a vobis et firmiter respuantur.Ibid., Ep. xl. p. 78. 3 'Mai. &Eggs 13ovaig.esv,c, Im aElatoa 9rpoo419rav Ob 9r,orisTa(, ;',Tess 9rspi áaniEÌas Ó a.Óyog ñ. Chrys. in Gal i. 9. 4 qv yap Te;:o .rpo'prav r'cyyéa.av , vas ZY i, obparoii, IEaOEipav zá xñpunsse, iváAEpca Ibid. i. 8. ' Kai mix jolt", iiv ivavria xarayyíxa.ao v, ïj 4a'.' é92.ao, ró wav, , ).X, zäv puxpóv vs simyysa.Zavrar .rap' ö Ebayysa.soápsAa, ziiv vó ruxóv 9rapaxaím.m, dváAspsa ëoraoay.Ibid. 3 Ei pis yip Sóypca Ëz" Sssor7ap'isisos, xaav áyysaos f' tsi7 m'EÌA'v' si Sfi ópÁá i,iáçKEI, pci7 rq ßíó+ 9rpiklexs, dxxi .ro7; prpcaor. Chrys. in 2 Tim., Orat. ii. T Ecclesiastici judicesut homines plerunque falluntur, &c. Aug. contr. Cresc., ii. 21. 6 Quia nec catholicis episcopis eonsentiendum est, sicubi forte falluntur, ut contra canonices Dei scripturas aliquid sentiant.Aug. de Unit. Eccl. cap. x. 5 Si qua est ecclesia, quay fidem respuat, nee apostolicas preedicationis fundaments possideat, ne quam labern perfidin possit aspergere deserenda est. Ambr. in Luc. ix., p. 85.
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