Cyprian unmistakably took up a position
inconsistent with his former views as to the significance of the Roman
see for the Church, though no doubt these were ideas he had expressed at
a critical time when he stood shoulder to shoulder with the Roman bishop
Cornelius.]

[Footnote 180: See specially epp. 65, 67, 68.]

[Footnote 181: Hatch l.c., p. 189 f.]

[Footnote 182: The gradual union of the provincial communities into one
Church may be studied in a very interesting way in the ecclesiastical
Fasti (records, martyrologies, calendars, etc.), though these studies
are as yet only in an incipient stage. See De Rossi, Roma Sotter, the
Bollandists in the 12th vol. for October; Stevenson, Studi in Italia
(1879), pp. 439, 458; the works of Nilles; Egli, Altchristl. Studien
1887 (Theol. Lit. Ztg. 1887, no. 13): Duchesne, Les sources du Martyrol.
Hieron. Rome 1885, but above all the latter's study: Memoire sur
l'origine des dioceses episcopaux dans l'ancienne Gaule, 1890. The
history of the unification of liturgies from the 4th century should also
be studied.]

[Footnote 183: There were communities in the latter half of the 3rd
century, which can be proved to have been outside the confederation,
although in perfect harmony with it in point of belief (see the
interesting case in Euseb., H. E. VII. 24. 6). Conversely, there were
Churches in the confederation whose faith did not in all respects
correspond with the Catholic _regula_ as already expounded. But the fact
that it was not the dogmatic system, but the practical constitution and
principles of the Church, as based on a still elastic creed, which
formed the ultimate determining factor, was undoubtedly a great gain;
for a system of dogmatics developed beyond the limits of the Christian
_kerygma_ can only separate. Here, however, all differences of faith had
of couise to be glossed over, for the demand of Apelles: [Greek: me dein
holos exetazein ton logon, all' ekaston. hos pepisteuke, diamenein
sothesesthai gar tous epi ton hestauromenon elpikotas, k.t.l.], was
naturally regarded as inadmissible.]

[Footnote 184: Hence we need not be surprised to find that the notion of
heresy which arose in the Church was immediately coupled with an
estimate of it, which for injustice and harshness could not possibly be
surpassed in succeeding times. The best definition is in Tertull., de
praescr. 6: "Nobis nihil ex nostro arbitrio indulgere licet, sed nec
eligere quod aliquis de arbit