007) and vifit them and there celebrate the Sacrament,) he perfwadeth them that the people may not go crowding by great companies at once, left it Rir up envy, and they be denied entrance (it's like they were in Prifon ) and lofe all,While they are infatiable to get more : But that one Presbyter and one Deacon go one day, and. another another day by turns, becaufe the Change of perfons, and viciflitude of meeters would break the envy : and all thould be donein meeknefs and humility. But the words I infra onare, [ Peto vos pro fide & religione vefira, fungami- niillic &Veflris partibus & meis, ut nihil vel ad difciplinam vel ad diligentiam defit.] And if the wholework of Difcipline be fuch as is partly their own part, and partly what they may do in the Bithops abfence in his Read, it is within the power oftheir function : For aLay-manor a Deacon cannot do all the Presbyters work in his abfence. And-Ep. 6. p.17. Having exhorted the fufferers or confeffors not to growproud byit, and lamented that Come after fufferings grew infolent and were a (name to the Church, he addeth (Nec a Diatoms aut Presbyteris regi pore, ] Shewing that even the Government of. the Confeffors belonged to them both in their places: Andof himfelf he faith to his Presbyters, Solue refcriberenihil potui, quando aprimordio Spifeopatus meiftatuerim nihil fine confilio vefiro, & five Confenfu Plebú moe , privata fententia gerere fed cum venero - --- inCommune tra/abimen As to them that fay, This was only Cyprians arbitrary condefcenfion, I anfwer, a. He faith Non potui, And 2. he elfe- where fpeakethof it as due, 3. It agreeth with the Canons and cuftomes of thofe times:. 4. Cyprian plèadeth fo much for the Bithóps prerogative, that we have little reafon to think him both fo fubmiflive and imprudent, as to bring up ill cuftomes , and teach the Miniflers and people to expect that as their part which belonged not to : them, and fo to corrupt the Church. And in the Ep. r r. p.32. again he faith . [ Ante exomologefin gravifmi eh' extremi delitü fAlam, antemanoem ab Epircopo'& Clero in ptenitentem.iinpofitam;. oferre lapfis pacem & Euchariftiam dare, id eft faneium Domini carpus profanare audeant The fame he bath again Ep. 52. p.37. (with an examinabunturfingula prefentibus & judicantibue vob/a ( that .. is, the people, to thewhow great the Church was.) Afterward Ep. r4. hedireCeth thePresbyters to abfolve thofe by Impofiti- on of hands themfelves without him that are infirmand in danger,,but that thered mull be publickly, reconciled in the Church pr.efente& ftantium plebe. To recite all of this naturein c prian,would be too long. VI. I will, addnexta General Tellimony viz. the confiant cadmicof all Churches, even Rome it felt, where the Presbyters have Governed without Bilhop in the intervals; when after one Bithops death another was notchofèn. As before the choice of Fabian's fucceffor you may fee by the Epitlles of the Roman Clergy to Cyprian. Marcien was expelled by the Roman Presbytes 0 2 fide
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