402 DISCOURSE ON THE UNITY OF THE CHURCH. every church, in more private matters, touching its own particular state, retained its liberty and authority, without being subject or ac- countable to anybut the common Lord. In such cases even synods of bishops did not think it proper or just for them to interpose, tö the prejudice of that liberty and power which derived from a higher source.' These things are very apparent, as by the course of ecclesiastical history, so particularly in that most preciousmonument of antiquity, St Cyprian's Epistles,' by which it is most evident that in those times every bishop or pastor was conceived to have a double relation or capacity, one toward his own flock, another toward the whole- flock. One toward his own flock, by virtue of which he, taking advice of his presbyters, together with " the conscience of his people assisting, ' ordered all things tending to particular edification, order, peace, re- formation, censure, &c., without fear of being troubled by appeals, or being liable to give any account but to his own Lord, whose vice- gerent he was.` Another toward the whole church in behalf of his people, upon account whereof he, according to occasion or order, applied himself to confer with other bishops for preservation of the common truth and peace, when they could not otherwise be well upheld than by the joint conspiring of the pastors of divers churches. So that the case of bishops was like to that of princes, each of whom has a free superintendence in his own territory; but for to up- holdjustice and peace in the world, or between adjacent nations, the intercourse of several princes is needful. The peace of the church was preserved by communion of all parts together, not by the subjection of the rest to one part. 1 Superest ut de hac ipsa re singuli quid sentiamus, proferamus, neminemjudicantes ant a jure communionis aliquem si diversum senserit amoventes, &c. Vid. Cone. Car- thay., apud Cypr. p. 399. Vid. Syn. Ant., can. ix. 2 Vide Ep. xxviii. 39, xiv. 18. s Sub populi assistentis conscientia.Cypr., Ep. lxxviii. + - actum suum disponit et dirigit unusquisque episcopus, rationem propositi sui Domino redditurus. Cypr., Ep. lii. "Everybishop ordereth and directeth his own acts, being to render an account of his purpose to the Lord." Cum statutum sit omni- bus nobis, ac aquum sit pariter ac justum, ut uniuscujusque causa illicaudiatur ubi est crimen admissum; et singulis pastoribus portio gregis sit adscripta, quam regat unusquisque præpositus, rationemactus sui Domino redditurus. Cypr., Ep. lv. ad . " Since it is ordained by us all, and it is likewise just and equal, that every man's causo should be there judgedwhere the crime is committed; and to each pastor a portion of the flock is assigned, which [he] is to rule and govern, being to give an accountof his act to the Lord." Qua in re nec nos vim cuiquam facimus, nee legem damns, cum habeat in ecclesiss administratione voluntatis sun liberum arbitrium unusquisque prsepositus, rationem actus sui Domino redditurus . . C.;rpr., Ep. lxxii. ad Steph. P.; VideEp. lxxiii. p. 186; Ep. lxxvi. p. 212. "Inwhich mat ter neitherdo we offer violence to any man nor prescribe any law, since every bishop bath, in the government of his church, the free power of his will, being to render an account of his own act unto the Lord."
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