determined for Africa, in the fourth council of Carthage": "Ut episcopus nullius causam audiat absque præsentiâ clericorum suorum: alioquin irrita erit sententia episcopi nisi præsentiâ clericorum confirmetur.” Here is, indeed, a necessity of the presence of the clergy of his church, where his consistory was kept, lest the sentence should be clandestine, and so illegal; but it is nothing but " præsentia clericorum," for it is, "sententia episcopi," "the bishop's sentence," and the clerk's presence only; for μóvos ò ¿vtómios πionоTоs," the bishops alone might give sentence," in the causes of the inferior clergy, even by this canon itself, which is used for objection against the bishop's sole jurisdiction.

I know nothing now to hinder our process; for the bishop's jurisdiction is clearly left in his own hand, and the presbyters had no share in it, but by delegation and voluntary assumption. Now I proceed in the main question.

SECTION XLV.

So that the Government of the Church by Bishops was believed necessary.

a

We have seen what episcopacy is in itself; now, from the same principles let us see what it is to us; and, first, antiquity taught us it was simply necessary, even to the being and constitution of a church: that runs high, but we must follow our leaders. St. Ignatius is express in this question: "Qui intra altare est, mundus est, quare et obtemperat episcopo et sacerdotibus. Qui vero foris est, hic is est, qui sine episcopo, sacerdote, et diacono, quicquam agit, et ejusmodi inquinatam habet conscientiam, et infideli deterior est:"" He that is within the altar, that is, within the communion of the church, he is pure, for he obeys the bishop and the priests. But he that is without, that is, does any thing without his bishop and the clergy, he hath a filthy conscience, and is worse than an infidel." "Necesse itaque est, quicquid facitis, ut sine episcopo nihil faciatis:" " It is necessary, that whatever ye do, ye be sure to do nothing without

the bishop." "Quid enim aliud est episcopus," &c. "For what else is a bishop but he that is greater than all power?" So that the obeying the bishop is the necessary condition of a Christian and catholic communion; he that does not, is worse than an infidel. The same also he affirms again': Quotquot enim Christi, sunt partium episcopi ; qui vero ab illo declinant, et cum maledictis communionem amplectuntur, hi cum illis excidentur:" "All they that are on Christ's side, are on the bishop's side; but they that communicate with accursed schismatics, shall be cut off with them." If, then, we will be Christ's servants, we must be obedient and subordinate to the bishop. It is the condition of Christianity. We are not Christians else. So is the intimation of St. Ignatius. As full and pertinent is the peremptory resolution of St. Cyprian, in that admirable epistle of his ad Lapsos;' where, after he had spoken how Christ instituted the honour of episcopacy, in concrediting the keys to St. Peter and the other apostles, "Inde," saith he, per temporum et successionum vices episcoporum ordinatio, et ecclesiæ ratio decurrit, ut ecclesia super episcopos constituatur, et omnis actus ecclesiæ per eosdem præpositos gubernetur:" "Hence is it, that by several successions of bishops the church is continued, so that the church hath its being or constitution by bishops, and every act of ecclesiastical regiment is to be disposed by them." "Cùm hoc itaque Divinâ lege fundatum sit, miror," &c. "Since, therefore, this is so established by the law of God, I wonder any man should question it," &c. And, therefore, as in all buildings, the foundation being gone, the fabric falls, so "if ye take away bishops, the church must ask a writing of divorce from God, for it can no longer be called a church." This account we have from St. Cyprian, and he reinforces again upon the same charge, in his epistle ad Florentium Pupianum,' where he makes a bishop to be ingredient into the definition of a church: "Ecclesia est plebs sacerdoti adunata, et pastori suo grex adhærens :" "The church is a flock adhering to its pastor, and a people united to their bishop:" for that so he means by sacerdos,' appears in the words subjoined: "Unde et scire debes, episcopum in ecclesia esse, et ecclesiam in epis

b Epist. ad Philadelph.

C

Epist. 27. et alibi.

d

Epist. 69.

copo, et si qui cum episcopo non sit, in ecclesia non esse, et frustra sibi blandiri eos, qui pacem cum sacerdotibus Dei non habentes obrepunt, et latenter apud quosdam communicare se credunt," &c. "As a bishop is in the church, so the church is in the bishop; and he that does not communicate with the bishop, is not in the church: and, therefore, they vainly flatter themselves, that think their case fair and good, if they communicate in conventicles, and forsake their bishop."

And for this cause, the holy primitives were so confident and zealous for a bishop, that they would rather expose themselves and all their tribes to a persecution, than to the greater misery, the want of bishops. Fulgentius tells an excellent story to this purpose. When Frasamund, king of Byzac, in Africa, had made an edict that no more bishops should be consecrate, to this purpose, that the catholic faith might expire, (so he was sure it would, if this device were perfected,) "ut arescentibus truncis absque palmitibus omnes ecclesiæ desolarentur," the good bishops of the province met together in a council, and having considered of the command of the tyrant," Sacra turba pontificum qui remanserant, communicato inter se consilio, definierunt adversus præceptum regis in omnibus locis celebrare ordinationes pontificum, cogitantes aut regis iracundiam, si qua forsan existeret, mitigandam, quo facilius ordinati in suis plebibus viverent, aut si persecutionis violentia nasceretur, coronandos etiam fidei confessione, quos dignos inveniebant promotione." It was full of bravery and Christian sprite. "The bishops resolved, for all the edict against new ordination of bishops, to obey God rather than man, and to consecrate bishops in all places, hoping the king would be appeased; or if not, yet those whom they thought worthy of a mitre, were in a fair disposition to receive a crown of martyrdom." They did so. "Fit repente communis assumptio," and they all strove who should be first, and thought a blessing would outstrip the hindmost. They were sure they might go to heaven, though persecuted, under the conduct of a bishop; they knew, without him, the ordinary passage was obstructed.

e Vide Concil. Byzacenum, An. Dom. 504, et Surium, die 1 Januar. et Baron. in A. D. 504.

Pius the First, bishop of Rome and martyr, speaking of them that calumniate and disgrace their bishops, endeavouring to make them infamous, "They add," saith he, "evil to evil, and grow worse," "non intelligentes quòd ecclesia Dei in sacerdotibus consistit, et crescit in templum Dei:" "not considering that the church of God doth consist or is established in bishops, and grows up to a holy temple." To him I am most willing to add St. Jerome, because he is often obtruded in defiance of the cause: "Ecclesiæ salus in summi sacerdotis dignitate pendet:"" The safety of the church. depends upon the bishop's dignity."

SECTION XLVI.

For they are Schismatics, that separate from their Bishop.

THE reason which St. Jerome gives, presses this business to a further particular. "For if an eminent dignity, and an unmatchable power, be not given to him," "tot efficientur schismata, quot sacerdotes." So that he makes bishops therefore necessary, because without them the unity of a church cannot be preserved;' and we know that unity, and being, are of equal extent; and if the unity of the church depends upon the bishop, then where there is no bishop, no pretence to a church; and therefore to separate from the bishop makes a man at least a schismatic. For unity, which the fathers press so often, they make to be dependent on the bishop." Nihil sit in vobis quod possit vos dirimere, sed unimini episcopo, subjecti Deo per illum in Christo," saith St. Ignatius: "Let nothing divide you, but be united to your bishop, being subject to God in Christ through your bishop." And it is his congé to the people of Smyrna, to whom he writ in his epistle to Polycarpus, “Opto vos semper valere in Deo nostro Jesu Christo, in quo manete per unitatem Dei et episcopi :" "Farewell in Christ Jesus, in whom remain by the unity of God and of the bishop." "Quantò vos beatiores judico, qui dependetis ab illo (epis

1 Epist. 2.

a Epist. ad Magnes,

g Advers. Lucifer. cap. 4.

b Ad Ephes.

copo), ut ecclesia à Domino Jesu et Dominus à Patre suo, ut omnia per unitatem consentiant:" "Blessed people are ye that depend upon your bishop, as the church on Christ, and Christ on God, that all things may consent in unity."

66

Neque enim aliundè hæreses obortæ sunt, aut nata sunt schismata, quàm inde quòd sacerdoti Dei non obtemperatur, nec unus in ecclesià ad tempus sacerdos, et ad tempus judex vice Christi cogitatur:" "Hence come schisms, hence spring heresies, that the bishop is not obeyed, and admitted alone to be the high-priest, alone to be the judge c." The same St. Cyprian repeats again; and by it we may see his meaning clearer: "Qui vos audit, me audit," &c. "Inde enim hæreses et schismata oborta sunt et oriuntur, dum episcopus, qui unus est et ecclesiæ præest, superbâ quorundam præsumptione contemnitur, et homo dignatione Dei honoratus, indignus hominibus judicatur." The pride and peevish haughtiness of some factious people that contemn their bishops, is the cause of all heresy and schism. And, therefore, it was so strictly forbidden, by the ancient canons, that any man should have any meetings, or erect an altar, out of the communion of his bishop,-that if any man proved delinquent in this particular, he was punished with the highest censures, as appears in the thirty-second canon of the apostles, in the sixth canon of the council of Gangra, the fifth canon of the council of Antioch, and the great council of Chalcedon, all which I have before cited. The sum is this: The bishop is the band and ligature of the church's unity ; and separation from the bishop is διχονοίας σύμβολον, as Theodoret's expression is; "a symbol of faction;" and he that separates, is a schismatic.

But how if the bishop himself be a heretic or schismatic? May we not then separate? Yes, if he be judged so by a synod of bishops; but then he is sure to be deposed too; and then in these cases no separation from a bishop. For till he be declared so, his communion is not to be forsaken by the subjects of his diocese, lest they, by so doing, become their judge's judge; and when he is declared so, no need of withdrawing from obedience to the bishop, for the heretic or schismatic must be no longer bishop. But let the case be

St. Cyprian. Ep. 55.

d

Epist. 69.

e Act. iv.