hich he writes, as 'the Church which has the first seat in the place of
the country of the Romans.' St. Polycarp, of Smyrna, betakes himself to the
Bishop of Rome on the question of Easter;" (but the Pope, St. Anicetus, and
he, not being able to agree as to the rule of keeping Easter, agreed to
retain their several customs; a fact which is as much opposed to the
present notion of the Roman Supremacy, as any fact can well be.) "The
heretic, Marcion, excommunicated in Pontus, betakes himself to Rome. Soter,
Bishop of Rome, sends alms, according to the custom of his Church, to the
Churches throughout the empire, and, in the words of Eusebius,
'affectionately exhorted those who came to Rome, as a father his children.'
The Montanists, from Phrygia, come to Rome to gain the countenance of its
Bishop. Praxeas, from Africa, attempts the like, and for a while is
successful. St. Victor, Bishop of Rome, threatens to excommunicate the
Asian Churches. St. Irenaeus speaks of Rome, as 'the greatest Church, the
most ancient, the most conspicuous, and founded and established by Peter
and Paul,' appeals to its tradition, not in contrast, indeed, but in
preference to that of other Churches, and declares that 'in this Church
every Church--that is, the faithful from every side, must meet,' or 'agree
together, _propter potiorem principalitatem_.' 'O Church, happy in its
position,' says Tertullian, 'into which the Apostles poured out, together
with their blood, their whole doctrine.' The Presbyters of St. Dionysius,
Bishop of Alexandria, complain of his doctrine to St. Dionysius, of Rome;
the latter expostulates with him, and he explains. The Emperor Aurelian
leaves 'to the Bishops of Italy and of Rome' the decision, whether or not
Paul, of Samosata, shall be dispossessed of the see-house at Antioch. St.
Cyprian speaks of Rome as 'the See of Peter, and the principal Church,
whence the unity of the Priesthood took its rise, ... whose faith has been
commended by the Apostles, to whom faithlessness can have no access.' St.
Stephen refuses to receive St. Cyprian's deputation, and separates himself
from various Churches of the East. Fortunatus and Felix, deposed by St.
Cyprian, have recourse to Rome. Basilides, deposed in Spain, betakes
himself to Rome, and gains the ear of St. Stephen."[4]

It must be observed that the _extent_ of this authority, in the Chief See,
has not been defined; but, whatever it was, it did not interfere with the
divine righ