Chap. 3. Bishops of that See challeng'd that Privilege Queft 13 long before Pope Boniface the third.

II. At prefent I fhall inftance only in these : in S. Boniface the firft, in S. Celeftin the first, in the great S. Leo, in Gelafius, in Anaftatius the Second, in Symmachus, in Hormifdas, in Boniface the fecond, in John the second, in Pelagius the fecond, and in S. Gregory the Great.

III. 1. S. Boniface the firft, writing to the Bishops of Theffalia, an. 422 which was the laft of his Pontificate, fays, that (2) Chrift gave all things to S. Peter: And that it is certain, that the Roman See is THE HEAD OF THE WHOLE CHURCH; from which See whoever feparates himfelf, bids adieu to Chriftianity, by entring into another Communion. He adds that the Roman See, by reason of its SUPREMACY, has a Power to receive and redrefs all just Complaints.

2dly, S. Celeftin, his Succeffor, affirms, that (3) the Bishops of Rome are oblig'd in particular to take Care of all the Faithful, becaufe Christ

(2) Nicana Synodi non aliud præcepta teftantur: adeo ut non aliquid fuper eum aufa fit conftituere, cum videret nibil fupra meritum fuum poffe conferri: omnia deniq; buic noverat Domini fermone conceffa. Hanc ergo Ecclefiis toto Orbe diffufis velut Caput fuorum certum eft effe Membrorum: a qua fe quifquis abfcidit, fit Chriftiana Religionis extorris, cum in eadem non coeperit effe compage. Ideo tenet fedes Apoftolica Principatum, ut querelas omnium licentes acceptet. T. 4. Conc. Lab. p. 1706. Vide. p. 1705. C. (3) Nofq; pracipue circa omnes cura conftringimur, quibus neceffitatem de omnibus tractandi Chriftus in S. Petro Apoftolo, cum illi claves aperiendi claudendiq; daret, indulfit. In Epift. ad Perigenem &. Ibid. p. 1720. E.

Christ laid upon them, in S. Peter, when he gave Chap. 3 bim the Keys to bind and loofe, a Neceffity of ex-Queft. 13 amining the Caufes OF ALL THE FAITHFUL.

3. S. Leo the great fays, (4) that Rome is, BY BEING S. PETER'S SEE, made the Head of the World: and that he has now more Subjects, than ever he had before by all her Conquefts.

So writing to Theodoret, on the 10th of June an. 453, whom the falfe Synod at Ephesus an. 449 had depos'd and excommunicated, he congratulates with him, that in reftoring him to Communion and to his Bishoprick, the Council of Calcedon had confirm'd the Judgment of the Roman and (5) first See, so that in this too the Members might agree WITH THEIR HEAD;

And before this, in a Letter to Anaftafius Bishop of Theffalonica an. 446, whom he had made his Deputy, to help him in the Care, which we owe, fays (6) he, to all Churches principally by Chrift's Inftitution:

He

(4) Ifti funt qui te [O Roma] ad hanc gloriam provexerunt, utper facram B. Petri Sedem Caput Orbis effecta, latius præfideres religione divina, quam Dominati• one terrena. Quamvis enim multis aucta victoriis, jus imperii tui terra mariq; protuleris; minus tamen eft quod tibi bellicus labor fubdidit, quam quod pax Chriftiana fubjecit. Serm. 1. de SS. Petro & Paulo. (5) Dominus, que noftro prius minifterio definierat, univerfæ Fraternita tis irretractabili firmavit assensu ; ut vere a fe prodiiffe ostenderet, quod prius a prima omnium fede formatum, totius Chriftiani Orbis judicium recepiffet; ut in hoc quoq; Capiti Membra concordent. Epift. 63 (in Edit. Quefnel. 93.) T. 3. Conc. Lab. p. 1345. C. D.

(6) Dilectioni tuæ vices mei moderaminis delegavi: ut curam, quam univerfis Ecclefus principali er ex divint inftitutione debemus, adjuvares. Epift. 84 (quæ eft 128 in Edit. Quefnelii) p. 1382. E.

Chap. 3.

He obferves, that (7) among the Apostles themQueft13 felves, under the like Honour, there was a certain Difference of POWER: and tho' they were all equally chofen, yet one had the Preeminence given him above the reft. Hence came the Distinction of Bishops. And it was rightly appointed, that all fhould not challenge a Power over all; but that one in each Province fhould have the first Vete; and again that fome in the greater Cities Should have a more extenfive Charge, by whom the Care of the whole Church might flow to THE SEE OF PETER ONLY: fo that no Part Should ever difagree from ITS HEAD.

4. Gelafius fays, that the Bishops of Rome, (8) by the Authority of the See Apoftolick, bave, without ceafing, a Care OF THE WHOLE FLOCK OF CHRIST. And that (9) this See is charg'd with a Concern FOR ALL THE OTHERS.

So

(7) Quoniam & inter beatiffimos Apoftolos in fimilitudine honoris fuit quædam difcretio poteftatis: &, cum omnium par effet electio, uni tamen datum eft, ut cæteris præeminerer. De qua forma Epifcoporum quoq; eft orta diftinatio: & magna difpofitione provifum eft, ne omnes fibi omnia vindicarent; fed effent in fingulis Provinciis finguli, quorum inter fratres haberetur prima Sententia; & rurfus quidam, in majoribus Urbibus constituti, folicitudinem fufciperent ampliorem, per quos ad unam Petri Sedem aniverfalis Ecclefie cura conflueret ; & nibil ufquam a fuo Capite diffideret. Ibid. p. 1386. D. (8) Pro fedis tamen Apoftolica moderamine, totius Ovilis Dominici curam fine ceffatione tractantes, &c. Epift. v. ad Honorium Dalm. Epifc. T. 4. Conc. p. 1172. A. (9) Sicut enim ad fedis Apoftolicæ moderamina pertinet, cunEis folicitudinem debitam ministrare congruenter Ecclefiis, &c. Epift. vii. ad Epifcopos per Picenum, pag. 1.181. C.

So writing to the Emperor Anastafius, an. Chap. 3. 494 (when a great Part of the Oriental Bi- Queft 13 fhops was feparated from Rome, partly by the Eutychian Herefy, partly by afferting the Honour of the deceas'd Schifmatick Acacius, Bifhop of Conftantinople) he tells him, that (10) if the Hearts of the Faithful ought in general to bearken to all Prelates, who behave themselves as they ought in Matters of Religion: with how much greater Reafon ought they to agree with the Bishop of that [the Roman] See, to whom God bimfelf has given a Preeminence ABOVE ALL OTHER PRELATES, and whom the Church by a fubfequent and general Devotion has always own'd as fuch?

And in the following Year, writing to the Bishops of Dardania, he says, (11) the first See confirms every general Council, and is their perpetual Guardian, by reafon of ITS SUPREMAcy; which S. Peter (having receiv'd it from the Mouth of Christ, and being feconded by the Q 2 Church

(10) Et fi cundis generaliter Sacerdotibus re&e divina tractantibus, fidelium convenit corda fubmitti, quanto potius fedis illius Præfuli confenfus eft adhibendus, quem cunctis Sacerdotibus &Divinitas fumma voluit præeminere, & fubfequens Ecclefiæ generalis iugiter pietas celebravit? Ep. viii. p. 1182. E. See alfo p.1185. B. (11) Confidimus, quod nullus jam veraciter Chriftianus ignoret, uniufcujufq; Synodi conftitutum, quod univerfalis Ecclefia probavit affenfus, non aliquam magis exequi fidem præ cæteris oportere quam primam que & unamquamq; Synodum fua autoritate confirmat, & continuata moderatione cuftodit, pro fuo fcilicet principatu, quem B. Petrus Apoftolus, Domini voce perceptum, Ecclefia nihilominus fubfequente, & tenuit femper, & retinet. Epift. 13. p. 1200. D.

Chap. 3. Church) bas both always held, and does bold at Quell 13 present.

Again, (12) the whole Church, fays he, through the World knows, that S. Peter's See bas a Right of correcting the Decrees of any other Bifhops. Since it belongs to this See to JUDGE OF THE WHOLE CHURCH, aud fince no Perfon [whether Prince, or Bishop of any other See] can recall its Decrees.

And in a Council of Seventy Bifhops at Rome, an. 494: (13) The H. Roman, Catho lick, and Apostolick See has the Preeminence o VER ALL OTHER SEES, not by the Decrees of any Synod, but by the Words of our Lord and Saviour, faying, Thou art Peter, and upon this Rock I will build my Church, and the Gates of Hell fhall not prevail against it, &c. Where this Pope only transcribes the Words of the great (14) Council at Rome, under Pope Damafus, an. 382.

And before the Pontificate of Gelafius, an. 483 (that is in the first Year of his Predeceffor S. Felix) when Hunerick the Arian King of the Wandals, and the great Perfecutor of Catholicks,

(12) CurЯa per mundum novit Ecclefia, quoniam quotumlibet fententiis ligata Pontificum, Sedes B. Petri ApoHoli jus habeat refolvendi: utpote que de omni Ecclefia fas habeat judicandi, neq; cuiquam de ejus liceat judicare judiciis. Ibid. p. 1203. AB. (13) Sanda tamen Ro. mana, Catholica, & Apoftolica Ecclefia, nullis Synodicis Conftitutis cæteris Ecclefiis prælata eft, fed Evangelica voce Domini & Salvatoris noftri Primatum obtinuit, Tu es Petrus, inquientis, & fuper hanc Petram, &c. Ibid. p. 1261. E. Videfis Epiftolam Synodi Rom. fub S. Felice, Gelafi Predeceffore. Ibid. p. 1126. BC. (14) Vide Baronium ad an. 382. §. 19.