Augustine's interpretation of "Feed my sheep," will be found p. 161. For the primacy of Peter, see Eusebius, Theodoret, Gregory, and Cyprian, Chrysostom's eulogy of Paul, and Gregory Nazianzen's eulogy of Athanasius. Also Lactantius's tradition respecting St. Peter, Part 2. COUNCIL OF SINUESSA. Dupin's Ecclesiastical History of the Fourth Century of Christianity. "The council of Sinuessa would be the first held in this century, if the acts which bear the name of this council were genuine. But it is notoriously known among all learned men that they are supposititious, and that the story on which they are grounded is a fable, which has no foundation in antiquity." The reasons given by Dupin for this opinion are as follows: 1st. The history is not founded upon the testimony of any ancient author. 2. St. Augustine in his book against Petitian, c. 16, defends the innocence of Marcellinus against this Donatist. 3. It is most improbable that 300 bishops should have assembled at the time of the most violent persecution the church ever suffered. 4. The style of these acts is barbarous, and they contain many things which do not belong to Marcellinus's age. 5. The synodical part of these acts is no less contrary to the discipline of that time, and what is said of the fall of Marcellinus is con trary to history. 6. He who forged these acts says that Dioclesian, was informed of the condemnation of Marcellinus when at war with the Persians; but the Persian war was ended before the persecution of Dioclesian. Evidence that two priests, and not Hosius, bishop of Cordova, re◄ presented the bishop of Rome, at the council of Nice. Bishop Theodoret's History of the Church, book 1, c. 7. But the bishop of the church of Rome was absent on account of his extreme old age: he sent, however, two priests, to subscribe the acts of council in his Theodoreti Episcopi, Ecclesiæ Episcopus autem urbis Ro manæ ob extremam senectutem abfuit ipse quidem: duos tamen misit presbyteros, qui ipsius nomine gestis concilii conscriberent. name. Sozomen's Ecclesiastical History, book 1, c. 17. The emperor summoned a council at Nice, a city of Bithynia, and wrote to the heads of the churches every-where that they should attend. From the apostolic sees there were present at this council Macarius, bishop of Jerusalem, and Eustathius, to whom the churches of, Antioch, situated at Orontes, were then entrusted, and Alexander, bishop of Alexandria, which is near the lake Mæotis. But Julius, bishop of the city of Rome, was absent by reason of his great age. Nevertheless, Vito and Vicentius, priests (or elders) of the Roman church, came in his stead. The Ecclesiastical History of Evagrius Scholasticus, book, c. 3. When Cyril, bishop of Alexandria, a man of great celebrity, had condemned these things in his letters, and Nestorius had replied to the same, and neither agreed with those things which were written by Cyril, nor with those things which were written by Celestine the bishop of the elder Rome, but fearlessly vomited forth his poison against the whole church; Cyril justly requested Theodosius, who then administered the empire of the East, that the first council of Ephesus should be assembled by his command, the imperial letters being first sent to Cyril, and next to all the bishops of the most holy churches. Theodosius, therefore, appointed the council on the day of Pentecost.* Sozomeni Historiæ Ecclesiasticæ, lib. 1, c. 17. Imperator synodum convocavit apud Nicæam, urbem Bithyniæ, et ad omnes ubique ecclesiarum antistites scripsit, ut præstatuto die adessent. Huic concilio interfuerunt ex apostolicis quidem sedibus, Maximus episcopus Hierosolymorum, et Eustathius cui Antiochiæ ad Orontem sitæ ecclesiæ jam tum commissæ erant, et Alexander episcopus Alexandriæ, quæ est juxta Mæotem lacum. Julius vero, episcopus Urbis Romæ, propter senectutem abfuit. Verum illius vice adfuerunt Vito et Vincentius, Romæ ecclesiæ presbyteri. Evagris Scholastici Eccles. Historia, lib. 2, c. 3. Quæ cum Cyrillus Alexandrinorum Episcopus, vir celeberrimi nominis, per literas suas deprehendisset, iisdemque respondisset Nestorius, ac neque iis, quæ a Cyrillo, neque his, quæ a Calestino senioris Romæ episcopo scripta sunt, acquiesceret, sed nihil veritus, adversus universam ecclesiam proprium virus evomeret; meritò Cyrillus petiit a Theodosio, qui tunc orientis imperium administrabat, ut ejus mandato prima Synodus Ephesi congregaretur, imperialibus literis tunc ad Cyrillum ipsum, tunc ad omnes ubique sanctissimarum ecclesiarum episcopos missis. Igitur Theodosius synodum indixit die sanctæ Pentecostes. * By this and the preceding quotation it appears, that in the fourth and fifth centuries the emperors called the councils and exercised the same supremacy over the eastern and Eusebii Historia Ecclesiastica, lib. 5, ch. 24. (Colonia. C13.13CX11.) Επι τουτοις ο μεν των Ρωμαίων προεέως Βικτωρ, αθρόως της Ασίας πάσης αμα ταις ομοροις εκκλησίαις τας παροικιας αποτέμνειν, ως ετεροδοξούσας, της κοινής ενώσεως πειραται, και τηλιτεύει γε δια γραμματων, ακοινώνητους αρδην παντας τους εκείσε ανακηρυττων αδελφους. Αλλ' ου πασι γε τοις επισκόποις ταυτ' ηρέσκετο. Αντιπαρακελευονται δητα αυτω τα της ειρηνης, και τα προς τον πλησιον ενώσεως και Eusebius' Ecclesiastical History, book 5, c. 24. (Cologne, 1612.) Upon this Victor, bishop of Rome, immediately attempted to cut off from the communion the whole of Asia with the neighbouring churches, as having given their assent to heterodox opinions, and he notified it in letters, proclaiming all the brethren, who dwelt there, to be excommunicated. But this did not please all the bishops. They exhorted him rather to consult peace and neigh- αγαπης φρονειν. Φέρονται δε και αι bourly unity and love. And their letters are now extant, wherein they have sharply rebuked Victor. τούτων φωναι, πληττικωτερον καθαπτομενων του βικτορος. Εν οις και ο Ειρη ναιος εκ προσωπου ων ηγειτο κατα την Among whom Irenæus, having Γαλλίαν αδελφων απέτειλας, παρίςαται written in the name of the brethren For Cyprian and the council of The Canons of the 318 Holy Canon 5. Concerning those who have been separated from communion, whether they be clergymen or laymen, let the decision given by the bishops in each province prevail, according to the canon, μεν το δειν εν μονη τη της κυριακης ημερα το της του κυρίου ανατάσεως επιτελλεσθαι μυςήριον. Τω γεμην Βικτορι προσηκοντως ως μη αποκοπτοι ολας εκκλησίας Θεου αρχαιου εθες παραδοσιν επιτηρουσας πλείτα ετερα παρ αινει. Canones trecentorum decem et octo Sanctorum Patrum, qui Nicaa convenerunt. (Labbai et Coss.) Can. 5. De iis qui communione segregati sunt, sive clericorum, sive laicorum sint ordinis, ab epis-" copis, qui sunt in unaquaque provincia valeat sententia, secundum canonem, qui pronuntiat eos western church, that the King of England does over the established church in England. I have not given the Greek, as I have not the originals with me at present. If the Greek is demanded, it can be furnished in the newspaper of the following week. * Some writers estimate the number of bishops present at this council at 360, others at 560.—See Delahogue's Appendix 2, on General Councils. *So fatal is this to the divine right of the pope to the supremacy even of honour, that some Romanists affect to question the authenticity of this canon, because it is not found in certain manuscripts. Had the church of Rome been the sole proprietress of the records of this council, there can be but little doubt that it would have altogether disappeared, but Dr. Delahogue admits its authenticity. "Tandem editi fuêre Canones 28, ad disciplinam spectantes, quos postea probavit ecclesia Romana, uno excepto qui primum ab Episcopo Romano locum Constantinopolitano episcopo attribuebat, eo quod S. Leo illum existimabat repugnare ordini a Synodo Nicænas stabilito." (Tract. de Eccles. App. 2, de Conc. Gen.) "At length 28 canons were published regarding discipline, all of which the Roman Church afterwards approved of, one only excepted, which gave the first place after the Bishop of Rome to the Bishop of Constantinople, because St. Leo thought that this was incompatible with the order established by the Council of Nice.”— (Treatise on the Church, Appendix 2, on General Councils, p. 440.) |