APPENDIX.

NOTE I; referred to in p. 5.

Historical Minutes respecting the Spiritual Supremacy of the Pope.

IT

T is considered by catholics, that a strong argument for the right of the pope to a supremacy of rank and jurisdiction, in the spiritual concerns of the church of Christ, may be brought from the acknowledgment of it, by the christian world, in every age, from the commencement of the reformation, upwards, to the earliest era of christianity: and that this acknowledgment may be shown by the mention of a small number of historical facts.

I.

With the exception of the schismatics of the Greek church, the sects in the East, a few Waldenses in Lucerne, a few Hussites in Bohemia, and a few obscure Paulicians, the whole christian world, at the beginning of the sixteenth century, acknowledged the supremacy of the pope. Luther himself, in 1518, "prostrated himself "at the feet of his holiness, resigned himself to him, for "his absolution or condemnation, and professed to re"ceive his decision, as he should the word of Jesus "Christ himself." Ed. Jen. tom. i. p. 58. In 1519, he declared, that "it never had been his design either to "attack the pope or the church of Rome; that the "church of Rome was superior over all; that, except "Jesus Christ himself, there was nothing, in heaven or earth, that could be preferred to her." Tom. i. p. 144;

II.

From this time,-advancing upwards to the commencement of the christian era, the first event of importance, on which we alight, is the council of Florence. It was there defined, "that full power was delegated Ito the bishop of Rome, in the person of St. Peter, to "feed, regulate, and govern the universal church, as expressed in the general councils and the holy canons." Sess. 10.

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III.

The object of the council of Florence was to re-unite the Greek and Latin churches: This leads us to the schism, which separated them. All persons, conversant in ecclesiastical history, know, that the schism had its origin in the deposition of St. Ignatius, the patriarch of Constantinople, and the election of Photius in his place. As soon as Photius was elected, he himself sent his four metropolitans to Rome, to inform the pope of the deposition of St. Ignatius, and of his own election, and to solicit the pope's confirmation of his election. Now, if the pope had not an acknowledged supremacy of jurisdiction, in the general opinion of the eastern empire, this deputation to Rome could have answered no purpose, and never would have been thought of. The pope's answer to it is expressed, in the general style of admitted and undisputed authority. He addressed a letter, to all the faithful of the east; and particularly addressed himself to the patriarchs of Alexandria, Antioch, and Jerusalem. "You," says his holiness, "in virtue of my apostolic authority, I order "to think as I do, of the merits of the cause between

Ignatius and Photius, and I enjoin you to have these "letters read, throughout your respective dioceses, that "their contents may be made known to all." Thus, then, at the commencement of the schism, the supremacy of the pope was as much acknowledged by the Greek as it was by the Latin church.

IV.

If we continue our advances, the next period which engages our attention, is, the translation of the empire of the west to the Latins,-the important event which connects ancient and modern Rome. Turning from the part, which the popes took in the temporal causes and effects of that momentous event, their spiritual power was there most fully and unequivocally recognized. The political revolution, which it occasioned, had necessarily a considerable degree of influence on the spiritual concerns of the earth, and given rise to much conscientious doubt. In that state of general scruple and uncertainty, the universal resort was to Rome. The French did not apply to their primate at Lyons, or to the bishop of their metropolis; the Germans to Vienna, the Hungarians to Strigonium, or the Bohemians to Prague. Every prelate of the western church, whose diocese was concerned, in the consequences of the event, applied for instruction to the bishop of Rome, and all followed his instruction.

V.

Advancing higher, we come to the time when the faith was first preached to the barbarians.-The preacher was generally sent by the see of Rome. If it happened, that the faith was not originally planted in a country by a particular mission, but was diffused there by the accidents of war or commerce, or by any other circumstance, it always followed, that, as soon as the number of the faithful became considerable, and the church acquired a consistency, the see of Rome invested proper persons with powers to confirm her in her faith, to establish her hierarchy, and settle her discipline.

We are struck at the grandeur of pagan Rome, when we read of her highways, which, issuing from the forum,

traversed Italy, pervaded the provinces, and were only terminated by the frontiers of the empire. Far beyond those, the successor of St. Peter sent, from christian Rome, the beautiful feet of those, who preached the gospel of peace, and carried faith to the nations of the earth.

Sedes Roma patri, quæ pastoralis honoris

Facta caput mundo, quidquid non possidet armis,
Religione tenet.

VI.

ST. PROSPER.

Pursuing the inquiry, we come to the four first general councils.

1. At the fourth and last of them, the council of Chalcedon, held in 451,-the fathers addressed St. Leo the great," as the archbishop of all churches, as the "head, as the person to whom the care of Christ's " vineyard was committed." They sent the proceedings of the council to him for his confirmation, Eis BeCaior.

2. At the third of them, the council of Ephesus, held in 401,-the assembled fathers condemned Nestorius, and sent to the pope an account of their proceedings. They tell him, that "they were forced to that "melancholy step, by the canons and by the letters of "their holy father, Celestine, the bishop of Rome." On receiving pope Celestine's letters, they exclaimed "the "sentence is just! the synod returns thanks to Celes"tine, the guardian of the faith!" One of the legates, in his address to the council, says, " "that, in every age, it "had been known, that St. Peter, to whom Celestine "was in succession, was the prince and chief of the "apostles, the pillar and the foundation of the church.",

3. Before the opening of the second general council, -held at Constantinople in 381,-the emperor Theodosius, and the principal ecclesiastical dignitaries of the eastern church, sent an embassy to Rome, to pope

Damasus, with orders to take his directions on what should be done, and to follow them. In their condemnation of Macedonius, they used the pope's expressions. A notion prevailing that the council exceeded the limits of its authority, the pope examined their proceedings, and in some instances confirmed, in others annulled, them. That the council might be attended by the prelates of the eastern church, the pope summoned the fathers assembled at Constantinople to Rome. In their

"they call themselves his members; they wish "for the wings of a dove to fly to him, and repose on "his bosom;"--but they represented to him, "that so "long an absence might be dangerous to their churches." In his reply he compliments them, "on the respect "which they show to the holy see, and informs them "that Timotheus, a disciple of Apollinaris, whom

they had petitioned his holiness to depose from his "see, had been deposed." Now, except on account of his superior jurisdiction, they never could have made this application to his holiness.

At the first of the four general councils,-held at Nice in 325,-St. Silvester presided by his legates.

VII.

This brings us to the third century: public events in some measure forsaking us, in this place, we must refer to the writings of individuals, and of these a very small number has reached us.

1. In the third century, St. Cyprian, Ep. 3. ed. Bas. p. 14, complains of certain schismatic bishops in Africa, "who sailed towards the chair of St. Peter, the prin

cipal church from whom the unity of the church "arises." He calls the church of Rome "the mother "and root of the catholic churches." P. 135. He says, "there is but one God, one Christ, one church, and one "chair, founded on St. Peter by the word of God. No