ould absolve; whom, as being bemired with ineffaceable
pollution, the stream, that is worthy only of pure bodies, should avoid; so
that as from their parent source all waters should flow, and through the
different regions of the whole world the pure streams of the fountain well
forth uncorrupted."[44] And in like manner to the Bishops of Numidia, at
the same Council. "Ye do, therefore, diligently and becomingly consult the
secrets of the Apostolical honour, (that honour, I mean, on which beside
those things that are without, the care of all the Churches awaits,) as to
what judgment is to be passed on doubtful matters, following in sooth the
direction of the ancient rule, which you know, as well as I, has ever been
observed in the whole world. But this I pass by, for I am sure your
prudence is aware of it: for how could you by your actions have confirmed
this, save as knowing that throughout all provinces answers are ever
emanating as from the Apostolic fountain to inquirers? Especially, so often
as a matter of faith is under inquiry, I conceive that all our brethren and
fellow-Bishops ought not to refer, save to Peter, that is, the source of
their own name and honour, just as your affection hath now referred, for
what may benefit all Churches in common, throughout the whole world. For
the inventors of evils must necessarily become more cautious, when they see
that at the reference of a double synod they have been severed from
ecclesiastical communion by our sentence."[45]

There is certainly an indefiniteness about these expressions, which may be
made to embrace anything; but they do not fairly mean more than that
supervision of the faith which belonged to the office of the first of the
Patriarchs. Moreover, they come from a Pope; in St. Augustin's mouth, they
would have much more force. They show us, besides, what a tendency there
was in the power of the Patriarch continually to increase, as being the
centre of appeal to so many, not only Bishops, but Metropolitans. Nay, at
this very time, within less than a century, a rival power had grown up in
the East, in the See of Constantinople, which, from a simple bishopric,
under the Exarch of Heraclea, threatened to push aside the Patriarchs of
Alexandria and Antioch; and, by virtue of the Imperial residence at, or
near Constantinople, to exercise as great an influence through the whole
East, as Rome did in the West. If this happened where there was no
Apostolic See to build u