-3171 trim who is involved in great offetices,from a right: ful lofing of his Bifhoprick. Seei 'g the Apoftle warneth us, and faith, A Bithop muff be without crime as the Stewardof God : Wherefore, fee. ing (as you wrote, beloved brethren, and as F lix and Sabinus our Colleagues affevere, and as another Felix of C4ar 4ugufrza, an honourer of tae Faith, and a defender of the Truth, fignifieth by his Letters ) Bafilides and Man-jai are conta- minated by a wicked Libel of Idolatry. And Pa- !aides, befides the blot of this Libel, when he lay tick blafphemed God, and confefled that he blaf- phemed, and becaufe of the wound of his con- fcience voluntarily depofing his Bpifcopacy,turned himfelf to a repentence, begging pardon of God, and being fatisfied, if he might but communicate as a Lay- man. And Martial; befides the filthy and dirty feafts of the Gentiles, and the oft fire,- quentin g of their Colledges, and the depofing his Sons in the fame Co]ledge after the manner of the exterior Nations, in prophane Sepulchres, and bu- rying them with aliens, did alto by publick acts with the Ducenary Procurator, teilifie that he obeyed Idolatry : And teeing there are many other and great offences in which Bafilides and Martial are held guilty; in vain do fuch men en- deavour to ufurp to themfelves the Office of Bi- íhops, when it is manifeft that filch kind of men may neither be Guides of the Church of Chrift, nor ought to offer Sacrifices to God: Efpeciallly when Cornelius alto our Colleague, a pacifick and juff Prieft, and honoured by God's vouchfàfement with Martyrdom, did with us, and all the Biíhops fettled imthe whole world,decree,tliat fuch menbe not admitted to Repentance, but that they be pro- hibited
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