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 Catholick 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 ant regis iracundiam, si qua forsan existeret, mitigandam, quo faci lius 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 Martyrdome. They did so. repente communis assumptio, and they all strived 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.

Fit

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 quod Ecclesia Dei in Sacerdotibus consistit, et crescit in templum Dei; Not considering that the Church of God doth consist, or is establisht in Bishops, and grows up to a holy Temple. To him I am most willing to add S. Hieromy (Jerome), because he is often obtruded in defiance of the cause. Ecclesiæ salus in summi Sacerdotis dignitate pendet, The safety of the Church depends npon the Bishop's dignity».

BISHOP JER. TAYLOR'S 'Episc. Asserted'.

4. To the same effect writes the learned Jurisconsult Rieger;

S. CXLII. Principium generale de potestate Episcoporum in primitiva Ecclesia.

Fe originaria Episcoporum potestate acturis hoc generatim principium constituendum est: Eam ad omnes fideles intra dioceseos suce limites, cujus illi cumque demum dignitatis, atque ordinis forent, pertinuisse; adeo ut nec monachorum quisquam esset, nec laicorum, quin, quod ad res ad spiritualem jurisdictionem relatas, Episcopo quisque suo subordinatus crederetur Etenim privilegia EXEMTIONUM res erat prioribus illis Ecclesiæ sæculis INAUDITA.

S. CYPRIANUS Epist. 69 Ecclesiam definiturus, Ecclesia est, inquit, plebs sacerdoti unita, et pastori suo grex adhærens. Unde scire debes, Fpiscopum in Ecclesia esse, et Ecclesiam in Episcopo. Et hos, qui cum Episcopo non sunt, in Ecclesia non esse. Non potuit generalis erga Episcopos obedientia exquisita magis oratione exprimi, neque disciplinæ eorum temporum magis conveniente. Nemo enim tunc Episcoporum potestati in rebus sacris non suberat. De monachis perspicua est sententia Patrum CONCIL. CHALCED. can. 4. apud VAN-ESPEN Tom. iii. fol. 220. in quo statuitur, Monachos per unamquamque regionem. et civitatem Episcopo subjectos esse. Et in can. 8. ibid fol. 224. ulterius disponitur, ut clerici, qui præficiuntur Parochiis, ve! Prochodochiis, et qui ordinantur in monasteriis, et busiheis martyrum sub Episcoporum, qui in unaquaque civitate sunt, se uadum sanctorum Patrum traditiones, potestate permancant, nec per contumaciam ab Fpiscopo suo dissiliani. Qui vero audent vertere hujusmodi formam quocumque modo, nec proprio subjiciuntur Episcopo, siquidem clerici sunt, canonum correptionibus subjacebunt, si vero laici, vel monachi fuerint, communione privenlur. Eadem repetuntur in CONCILIO AURELIANENSI I. can. 19. AGATHENSI can. 38. ILLERDENSI can 3. quod et JUSTINIANUS IMP. firmavit 1. 40. de Episc. et Nov. V. cap. 9. Neque hæc de clericis tantum, et monachis vera sunt, sed et de laicis, horumque magistratibus subordinatis. Vid. CONC. ARELATENSE I. can. 7 et SINESIUM Epist. 58. ad Episc,"

Again, the Jurisdiction of the Bishop is proved obligatory, especially in the matter of granting LICENCES or INSTITUTION, from its resting on the PRINCIPLE, that the whole power of Ministration » (as Bishop Jer. Taylor speaks) « was in the Bishop ».

S. CXLIV. De juribus Episcoporum generatim, ac in specie I. de jure instituendi.

De juribus Episcoporum distincte acturis animadvertendum est, jus omne ex obligatione nasci. Officium igitur Episcoporum, quum auctore APOSTOLO sit attendere universo gregi, in quo eos Spiritus Sanctus posuit regere Ecclesiam Dei, universim Episcopo cuique intra jurisdictionis suce limites jus competit in ea omnia, que ad veram Ecclesiæ inspectioni suce salutem pertinere videntur. In quibus primum locum sibi merito vindicat Jus INSTITUENDI personas idoneas, quibns partem ministerii sui sacri conferre tuto possit.

Sane, quum hi nihil sint aliud, quam Vicarii Episcopi in cura animarum exercenda pro parte Diocesis cuique adsignata, nihil equidem mirum est, numquam veterum quemquam dubitasse, quin horum institutio ad unum pertineret Episcopum, duravitque ea disciplina, quamdiu collatio beneficiorum cum ordinatione cohæreret. Quam grave vulnus juri buic Episcoporum originario per mandata, expectativas, et reservationes pontificias deinceps illatum sit, omnes facile intelligunt, et deplorant."

RIEG. Instit. I. Sect. 1. cap. iii. §. 144.

And the same writer also further argues, that the Bishop's Visitatorial jurisdiction cannot be in any case dispensed with.

« §. CXLVI. Huic juri (Visitationis) OMNES subsunt. Quumque hoc jus ex obligatione Episcopis divino mandato incumbente derivetur (S. 144), sane consequens est, ut nulla consuetudine, nullo privilegio Episcopus impediri possit, quin UBIQUE hoc suo munere defungatur, quoties id ratio exposcit ». Ibid. §. 146.

5. The following passages, from Collier's History are also much in point.

The eleventh canon of the Synod of Calcuith, A. D. 785, decreed << that as the King is lord paramount in the State, so the Bishop's authority is supreme in things relating to the government and discipline of the Church ».

Eccl. Hist. Book II. Cent. VIII.

And in his account of the settlement and division of parishes in the ancient Saxon or English Church, the same writer says,

<< The Bishop's approbation was likewise to be obtained in the choice of a Priest, who was to officiate: and AS HE COULD NOT BE ADMITTED, SO NEITHER COULD HE BE EJECTED WITHOUT THE CONSENT OF THE DIOCESAN».

Ibid. Book iii. Cent. XI.

6. As to the teaching of our own branch of the Church on this head, Dr. Wordsworth, having quoted King Edward VI.th's Catechism, 1553, to show that << brotherly correction and excommunication», or discipline, as «<the holy fathers termed » it, is therein accounted one of «<the Marks of the Church »>, observes,

<< Hence it appears, that although in her 19.th Art-icle the Church of England has specified only the two marks of Sacraments and the Word of God, yet she does not regard them as sufficient of themselves to constitute a visible Church, without the additional note of discipline and government ».