'Ay, boy--to the times of persecution, when Christians died like
brothers, because they lived like brothers. You will see very little of
that now, except in some little remote county bishopric, which no one
ever hears of from year's end to year's end. But in the cities it is
all one great fight for place and power. Every one is jealous of his
neighbour. The priests are jealous of the deacons, and good cause they
have. The county bishops are jealous of the metropolitan, and he is
jealous of the North African bishops, and quite right he is. What
business have they to set up for themselves, as if they were infallible?
It's a schism, I say--a complete schism. They are just as bad as their
own Donatists. Did not the Council of Nice settle that the Metropolitan
of Alexandria should have authority over Libya and Pentapolis, according
to the ancient custom?'

'Of course he ought,' said Philammon, jealous for the honour of his own
patriarchate.

'And the patriarchs of Rome and Constantinople are jealous of our
patriarch.'

'Of Cyril?'

'Of course, because he won't be at their beck and nod, and let them be
lords and masters of Africa.'

'But surely these things can be settled by councils?'

'Councils? Wait till you have been at one. The blessed Abbot Isidore
used to say, that if he ever was a bishop--which he never will be--he
is far too honest for that--he would never go near one of them; for he
never had seen one which did not call out every evil passion in men's
hearts, and leave the question more confounded with words than they
found it, even if the whole matter was not settled beforehand by some
chamberlain, or eunuch, or cook sent from court, as if he were an
anointed vessel of the Spirit, to settle the dogmas of the Holy Catholic
Church.'

'Cook?'

'Why, Valens sent his chief cook to stop Basil of Caesarea from opposing
the Court doctrine.... I tell you, the great battle in these cases is
to get votes from courts, or to get to court yourself. When I was young,
the Council of Antioch had to make a law to keep bishops from running
off to Constantinople to intrigue, under pretence of pleading the cause
of the orphan and widow. But what's the use of that, when every noisy
and ambitious man shifts and shifts, from one see to another, till he
settles himself close to Rome or Byzantium, and gets the emperor's ear,
and plays into the hands of his courtiers?'

'Is it not written, "Speak not evil of dignities"? 'said