prove against heretics, that the power of the Apostolical See everywhere
takes precedence and leads all, and, what is of the most importance, in the
name of Peter, and so as instituted by Christ. Not less do we show to
Catholics, that the final and infallible force of an ecclesiastical
judgment is seated there, where to the authority of Peter, that is, of the
Pope, is added the authority and agreement of Bishops also, who are
throughout the whole world in the stead of Apostles; which alone the Church
of France demands,"[60]--and, we may add, the Church of England.
Again; compare the spirit of St. Coelestine's words with the spirit that
dictated the following to De Maistre, whom we might leave alone, if he were
not the exponent of a theory now in the greatest vogue in the Roman
Church;--a theory, indeed, which those must accept, who leave us, without
any chance of modification; for it is not Bossuet's most Catholic doctrine,
but Bellarmine's, which is acted on and taught now. "I do not affect to
cast the least doubt upon the infallibility of a general Council. I merely
say, that it only holds this high privilege from its head, to whom the
promises have been made. We know well that the gates of hell shall not
prevail against the Church. But why? On account of Peter, on whom she is
founded. Take away this foundation, how would she be infallible, since she
exists no longer? Unless I am deceived, in order to be something, one must
first exist."[61]
Again: "We see that for two centuries and a half religion has done very
well without them (General Councils), and I do not think that any one
thinks of them, in spite of the extraordinary needs of the Church, for
which the Pope will provide much better than a General Council, if only
people knew how to avail themselves of his power."[62]
It must not be forgotten that this same Council of Ephesus, which allows
none but heretics to refuse to the blessed Virgin the title and the honour
of 'Mother of God,' confirms by its eighth Canon the Episcopal and
Patriarchal system, and bears the strongest testimony against the Roman. It
runs thus: "The most beloved of God and our fellow-bishop Rheginus, and
Zeno and Evagrius, the most religious Bishops of the Province of Cyprus,
have declared unto us an innovation which has been introduced contrary to
the laws of the Church, and the Canons of the holy Fathers, and which
affects the liberty of all. Wherefore since evils which affect the
community require more attention, inasmuch as they cause greater hurt; and
especially since the Bishop of Antioch has not so much as followed an
ancient custom in performing ordinations in Cyprus, as those most religious
persons who have come to the holy Synod have informed us, by writing and by
word of mouth; we declare that they who preside over the holy Churches
which are in Cyprus, shall preserve, without gainsaying or opposition,
their right of performing by themselves the ordinations of the most
religious Bishops, according to the Canons of the holy Fathers and the
ancient custom. The same rule shall be observed in all the other Dioceses,
and in the Provinces everywhere, so that none of the most religious Bishops
shall invade any other Province, which has not heretofore from the
beginning been under the hands of himself or his predecessors. But if any
one has so invaded a Province and brought it by force under himself, he
shall restore it, that the Canons of the Fathers may not be transgressed,
nor the pride of secular dominion be privily introduced under the
appearance of a sacred office, nor we lose by little the freedom which our
Lord Jesus Christ, the deliverer of all men, has given us by His own blood.
The Holy and Ecumenical Synod has therefore decreed, that the rights which
have heretofore, and from the beginning, belonged to each province, shall
be preserved to it pure and without restraint, according to the custom
which has prevailed of old, each metropolitan having permission to take a
copy of the things now transacted for his own security. But if any one
shall introduce any regulation contrary to what has been now defined, the
whole Holy and Ecumenical synod has decreed that it shall be of no
effect."[63]
It must be allowed that De Maistre has very good reasons for disliking
General Councils.
Nine years after this Council, St. Leo the Great became Pope, whose long
and able Pontificate will afford us the best means of judging what the
legitimate power of the Roman See was, and how it tended to the
preservation and unity of the whole Church. He lived at an important
crisis, when the barbarous tribes of the North were about to burst over the
Empire and the Church; the system of which, had it not been consolidated by
himself, his immediate predecessors and successors, might have been
dissolved and broken up into fragments.
I will first show, by a few quotations, that St. Leo had no slight sense of
his own duty and dignity among his brother Bishops. We will then see how
his actions, and the way in which they were received by others, supported
his words.
In a sermon on the anniversary of his consecration, after noticing with
pleasure the number of Bishops present, he continues, "Nor, as I trust, is
the most blessed Apostle Peter, in his kind condescendence and faithful
love, absent from this assembly, nor does he disregard your devotion,
reverence for whom has drawn you together. And so he at once rejoices at
your affection, and welcomes the observance of the Lord's Institution in
those who share his honour; approving that most orderly charity of the
whole Church, which in Peter's see receives Peter, and slackens not in love
to so great a shepherd, even in the person of so unworthy an heir." On a
like occasion,--"Although, then, beloved, our partaking in that gift be a
great subject for common joy, yet it were a better and more excellent
course of rejoicing, if ye rest not in the consideration of our humility:
more profitable and more worthy by far it is to raise the mind's eye unto
the contemplation of the most blessed Apostle Peter's glory, and to
celebrate this day chiefly in the honour of him who was watered with
streams so copious from the very Fountain of all graces, that while nothing
has passed to others without his participation, yet he received many
special privileges of his own. The Word made flesh already dwelt in us, and
Christ had given up Himself whole to restore the race of man. Wisdom had
left nothing unordered; power left nothing difficult. Elements were
obeying, spirits ministering, angels serving; it was impossible that
Mystery could fail of its effect in which the Unity and the Trinity of the
Godhead Itself was at once working. _And yet out of the whole world, Peter
alone is chosen to preside over the calling of all the Gentiles, and over
all the Apostles, and the collected Fathers of the Church: so that though
there be among the people of God many priests and many shepherds, yet Peter
rules all by personal commission_ (proprie), _whom Christ also rules by
sovereign power. Beloved, it is a great and wonderful participation of His
own power which the Divine condescendance gave to this man: and if He
willed that other rulers should enjoy ought together with him, yet never
did He give, save through him, what He denied not to others._ In fine, the
Lord asks all the Apostles what men think of Him; and they answer in common
so long as they set forth the doubtfulness of human ignorance. But when
what the Disciples think is required, he who is first in Apostolic dignity
is first also in confession of the Lord. And when he had said, 'Thou art
Christ, the Son of the living God,' Jesus answered him, 'Blessed art thou,
Simon Bar-Jona, because flesh and blood hath not revealed it to thee, but
My Father, which is in heaven:' that is, Thou art blessed, because My
Father hath taught thee; nor opinion which is of the earth deceived thee,
but heavenly inspiration instructed thee; and not flesh and blood hath
shown Me to thee, but He, whose only-begotten Son I am. And I, saith He,
say unto thee, that is, as My Father hath manifested to thee My Godhead, so
I, too, make known to thee thine own pre-eminence. For thou art Peter; that
is, whilst I am the immutable Rock, I, the cornerstone, who make both one,
I, the foundation beside which no one can lay another; _yet thou also art a
rock, because by My virtue thou art established, so that whatever is Mine
by sovereign power, is to thee by participation common with Me_. And upon
this rock I will build My Church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail
against it: on this strength, saith He, I will build an eternal temple, and
My Church, which in its height shall reach the heaven, shall rise upon the
firmness of this faith. This confession the gates of hell shall not
restrain, nor the chains of death fetter; for that voice is the voice of
life. And as it raises those who confess it unto heavenly places, so it
plunges those who deny it into hell. Wherefore it is said to most blessed
Peter, 'I will give to thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven; and
whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth, shall be bound in heaven, and
whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.' The
privilege of this power did indeed pass to the other Apostles, and the
order of this decree reached to all the rulers of the Church, but not
without purpose what is intended for all is put into the hands of one. For
therefore is this entrusted to Peter singly, because all the rulers of the
Church are invested with the figure of Peter. The privilege, therefore, of
Peter remaineth, wheresoever judgment is passed according to his equity.
Nor can severity or indulgence be excessive, where nothing is bound,
nothing loosed, save what blessed Peter either bindeth or looseth. But at
the approach of His passion, which would disturb the firmness of His
disciples, the Lord saith, 'Simon, Simon, behold Satan hath desired to have
you, that he may sift you as wheat; but I have prayed for thee, that thy
faith fail not, and when thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren, that
ye enter not into temptation.' The danger from the temptation of fear was
common to all the Apostles, and they equally needed the help of Divine
protection, since the devil desired to dismay, to make a wreck of all: and
yet the Lord takes care of Peter in particular, and asks specially for the
faith of Peter, as if the state of the rest would be more certain, if the
mind of their Chief were not overcome. _So then in Peter the strength of
all is protected, and the help of Divine grace is so ordered, that the
stability, which through Christ is given to Peter, through Peter is
conveyed to the Apostles._
"Since, therefore, beloved, we see such a protection divinely granted to
us, reasonably and justly do we rejoice in the merits and dignity of our
Chief, rendering thanks to the Eternal King, our Redeemer, the Lord Jesus
Christ, for having given so great a power to him whom He made chief of the
whole Church, that if anything, even in our time, by us be rightly done and
rightly ordered, it is to be ascribed to his working, to his guidance, unto
whom it was said,--'And thou, when thou art converted, strengthen thy
brethren:' and to whom the Lord, after His resurrection, in answer to the
triple profession of eternal love, thrice said with mystical intent, 'Feed
My sheep.' And this, beyond a doubt, the pious shepherd doth even now, and
fulfils the charge of his Lord; strengthening us with his exhortations, and
not ceasing to pray for us, that we may be overcome by no temptation. But
if, as we must believe, he everywhere discharges this affectionate
guardianship to all the people of God, how much more will he condescend to
grant his help unto us his children, among whom on the sacred couch of his
blessed repose he resteth in the same flesh in which he ruled. To him,
therefore, let us ascribe this anniversary day of us his servant, and this
festival, by whose advocacy we have been thought worthy to share his seat
itself, the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ helping us in all things, Who
liveth and reigneth with God the Father and the Holy Spirit for ever and
ever." I have before me similar passages in abundance; but these are enough
to show how far the teaching of St. Leo, as to his own office, agreed with,
how far went beyond, that of St. Augustin. The combination of the
Patriarch's, and still more of the universal Primate's, power with that of
the Bishop, is a nice point. If this be pushed too far, it issues in a
monarchy; if the other alone be allowed, it converts the one kingdom of
Jesus Christ into an unlimited number of petty republics. On the one hand
there is danger pregnant to the high priesthood of the Church; on the other
hand, to the sacrament of unity. The one-sided development of St. Leo's
teaching has produced the Papacy, in which the Bishops, who represent the
Apostles, are no longer the brethren, co-ordinate in authority, but the
delegates, of St. Peter's successor: but the one-sided development of St.
Cyprian's teaching has rent into pieces the seamless robe of Christ. Yet
this need not be so: in the bright days of the Church of Christ it was not
so. Surely the first six centuries of her existence are not a dream; and
that beautiful image of St. Augustin not an imagination, but what he saw
before his eyes: "to sit on our watch-towers, and guard the flock, belongs
in common to all of us who have episcopal functions, although the hill on
which you stand is more conspicuous than the rest."
A Pontiff so deeply and religiously impressed with the prerogatives of St.
Peter's successor was likely to be energetic in discharging his duties. In
truth we behold St. Leo set on a watch-tower, and directing his gaze over
the whole Church: over his own West more especially, but over the East too,
if need be. He can judge Alexandria, Antioch, and Constantinople, as well
as Eugubium, and is as ready too. Wherever Canons are broken, ancient
custom disregarded, encroachments attempted, where Bishops are neglectful,
or Metropolitans tyrannical, where heresy is imputed to Patriarchs, in
short, wherever a stone in the whole sacred building is being loosened, or
threatens to fall, there is he at hand to repair and restore, to warn, to
protect, or to punish. But still they are brethren, they are equals, they
are fellow-apostles, with whom he has to act, over whom he presides. If
Peter was reproved by Paul, and yet the glorious Apostles laboured,
witnessed, fought together, and together rest in Roman earth, then may the
successors of the Twelve remonstrate with, nay, reprove and resist the
successor of the Chief of the Twelve. If he is vicar of Christ, so are
they. We have already seen examples of this, we shall find others, without
schism.
It had become the custom of the Roman Pontiffs, at least as early as St.
Damasus, (366--384,) and St. Siricius, (384--398,) to charge some one
prelate, in each province where their influence extended, to represent the
Roman Church; to report any infractions of discipline, or innovations on
the faith; to announce the election and consecration of Bishops. Thus
Anastasius of Thessalonica presided over the ten Metropolitans of Illyricum
in Pope Leo's name. The Primate of Arles represented him in southern Gaul;
and others in Spain; and so on. It is even said that all the Primacies of
western Europe were in their origin derivations thus made from the Primacy
of St. Peter. An authority, which was exercised on the whole for the good
of all, seems to have been generally submitted to by the Bishops of the
different provinces: doubtless every Bishop felt his hands strengthened in
his particular diocese, and had an additional security against any
infraction of his rights by his brethren, when he was able to throw himself
back on the unbiassed and impartial authority of the Bishop of Rome. An
authority, however, which in its commencement professed to be the especial
guardian of the Canons, and to protect and maintain all in their proper
place, was very liable to abuse, and had an inherent tendency to increase,
and to absorb the power of the local Bishops and Metropolitans in the
indefinite pretensions of the Patriarch. We have seen the resistance
offered to the Pope in the case of the wretched Apiarius by the African
Church, and now the Church of Gaul furnishes a defender of the rights of
Metropolitans against Pope Leo in one of the holiest and most apostolical
of its ancient Bishops.
St. Hilary of Arles, of noble birth, of splendid ability, having in the
world the highest prospects, was converted to God by the prayers of St.
Honoratus. Thereupon he sold his large possessions, and bestowed them on
the poor, and retired to the desert of Lerins. His friend, St. Honoratus,
was shortly after made Bishop of Arles, but he could not persuade St.
Hilary to remain there with him. Within three years he died, and St.
Hilary, who was attending him in his sickness, hastened, as soon as all was
over, to return to his monastery. But it was in vain: he was pursued,
brought back by force, and ordained, in spite of himself, Metropolitan of
the first See in Gaul, at the age of twenty-nine years. At forty-eight he
died, worn out with the severe labours and ascetic life he had imposed on
himself. The nineteen years of his episcopate were devoted to the most
incessant exertions as Bishop and Metropolitan. Unwearied in energy,
unbounded in charity, gifted with extraordinary eloquence, a severe
defender of discipline, yet winning others to follow where he was ready to
go before himself, he becomes the soul of the three or four provinces over
which the See of Arles then presided. He is connected in some degree with
ourselves, as having probably held one of the chief places in that great
council of the Gauls in the year 429, which sent St. Germanus and St. Lupus
into Britain to resist the Pelagians. He belonged to the same monastery as
St. Vincent of Lerins, and at the same time. It is certain, also, that he
was a great friend of St. Germanus, and often conferred with him. On one of
these occasions great complaints were brought to the two saints against
Celidonius, Bishop of Besancon, for having formerly married a widow, and
for having condemned persons to death. St. Hilary judged Celidonius in a
provincial council, which declared that, having been husband of a widow, he
could not keep his bishopric, and that he ought voluntarily to quit a
dignity which the rules of Scripture permitted him not to hold. He was
accordingly deposed.
"Celidonius,[64] finding himself deposed, had recourse to Rome, where he
complained that he had been unjustly condemned. It seems that St. Leo,
without further examination, at once admitted him to his communion, in
which he may have followed what Zosimus and Coelestinus did in respect of
the miserable Apiarius, priest of Africa. But I know not what Canon or what
rule of the Church justifies such a proceeding. St. Hilary learnt this at
the severest time of winter. Nevertheless, all the discomforts and dangers
of this season gave way to the ardour of his zeal and faith. He undertook
to pass the Alps, and to go on foot to Rome; and this he accomplished,
without having even a horse either to ride or to carry baggage. Being come
to Rome, he first visited the relics of the Apostles and Martyrs. Next he
waited on St. Leo; and having paid him the greatest respect, he besought
him very humbly to please to order what respected the state of the Churches
according to immemorial practice. Persons were seen attending at Rome on
the holy altar who had been juridically and justly deposed in Gaul: he was
obliged to address to him his complaints of this; and, if they were found
correct, besought the Pope at least to stop by a secret order this
violation of the Canons. If not, he would not trouble him further, not
being come to Rome to bring an action, and make accusations, but to pay to
him his respects, to declare to him the state of things, and to beseech him
to maintain the rules of discipline. There is reason to believe that St.
Hilary maintained that St. Leo had no right at all to take cognizance of
this cause as judge, meaning, doubtless, that the Church of France was in
the same condition as that of Africa, and had the same power to terminate
causes which arose there, without an appeal elsewhere being allowed. St.
Leo even sufficiently assures us that this was St. Hilary's view; and he
takes occasion from it to accuse him of unwillingness to be subject to St.
Peter, and to recognise the Primacy of the Roman Church: which would prove
that all the holy Bishops of Africa did not recognise it, and give heretics
a great advantage. St. Leo, on the other hand, maintained not only that the
Churches of the Gauls had often consulted that of Rome in various
difficulties--which had nothing to do with the matter in question--but,
also, that they had often appealed to the Holy See, which had either
altered or confirmed judgments pronounced by them. If we may be allowed to
regard the depositions of St. Leo and St. Hilary as the claims of different
parties, and to examine the matter to the bottom, according to the light
which history sheds on it, we may say that we do not find that the Gallican
Church had hitherto admitted, up to that time, any appeal to the Holy See;
and that Zosimus, having wished to claim the right of judging Proculus,
Bishop of Marseilles, Proculus always maintained himself, in spite of all
the efforts of this Pope. Meanwhile, as St. Leo, sufficiently jealous of
the greatness of his See, found himself opposed by St. Hilary in a point of
this importance, it is not surprising that he was susceptible of the bad
impression given him of the conduct of this great saint, as we shall see
hereafter. 'I dare not examine,' says the historian of St. Hilary, 'the
judgment and the conduct of two men so great, especially now that God has
called them to the possession of His glory. I confine myself to saying,
that Hilary singly opposed this great number of adversaries; that he was
not shaken by their menaces; that he laid the truth before those who would
listen to it; that he prevailed over those who would dispute with him; that
he yielded not to the powerful; in short, that he preferred running the
risk of losing his life to admitting to his communion him whom he had
deposed together with so many great Bishops.'