, to resign into his hands
their episcopal powers. Of his own single authority he abolishes the
ancient sees of the eldest daughter of the Western Church, constitutes that
number of new sees which the civil power permits, and treats as schismatics
those few Bishops who disobey his requisition. I do not presume to express
any blame of Pope Pius; I simply mention a fact. But it seems to me,
certainly, that those who would entirely recognise the power and precedence
exercised by Pope Julius, are not necessarily schismatics because they
refuse to admit a power not merely greater in degree, but different in
kind, and to set the High Priesthood of the Church beneath the feet of one,
though it be the First of her Pontiffs.

The restrictions under which, according to the Council of Sardica, the Pope
could cause a matter to be reheard, are specific. Much larger power is
assigned in the fourth General Council, that of Chalcedon, to the see of
Constantinople, in the ninth Canon, which says, "If any Bishop or Clergyman
has a controversy against the Bishop of the province himself (_i.e._ the
Metropolitan), let him have recourse to the Exarch of the diocese, or to
the throne of the Imperial city of Constantinople, and plead his cause
before him."

But, between these two Councils of Nicea, A.D. 325, and Chalcedon, 451, the
whole Patriarchal system of the Church had sprung up, and covered the
provinces of the Roman Empire with as it were a finely reticulated net. The
system may be said to be built on two principles, recognised and enforced
in the Apostolic Canons, and consistently carried out, from the Bishop of
the poorest country town up to the primatial see of Rome. These principles
are, "the authority of the Metropolitan over his Bishops in important and
extraordinary affairs, and the supreme authority of Bishops in the ordinary
government of their particular bishoprics. With this distinction, that the
Metropolitan even cannot arrange important and extraordinary affairs but
with the counsel of his suffragans, whilst every Bishop conducts all the
common and ordinary affairs of his Diocese without being obliged to take
the advice of his Metropolitan."[33] This latter principle, it will be
seen, expresses the essential equality and unity of the High Priesthood
vested in Bishops by descent from the Apostles, to which St. Cyprian bears
such constant witness, so that it may be said to be the one spirit which
animates all his government: