Page:Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire vol 2 (1897).djvu/348

324 The fugitive, and even guilty, suppliants were permitted to implore either the justice or the mercy of the Deity and his ministers. The rash violence of despotism was suspended by the mild interposition of the church; and the lives or fortunes of the most eminent subjects might be protected by the media- tion of the bishop.

^MnMU V. The bishop was tlir perpetual eenwir of the nvor^ls of hb '"'^ people. 'ITic dUeipllne of pcnaiice was* digested Into a tjSttm of eanonleal jurisprudcnee,"* whieh accurately defined the duty of private or public confesiion, the rules of evidenev, the ilcg^rees of guilt, and the ineaiure of ]>uniihinent. It wu iin|W!tsible to execute this spiritual eenMirr, if the ChrUtiim pnntitF, who puni.ihi-it the nliceurcsiiiKof the multitude, res peeteil the compieuom vices and destructive crimes of the magistrate; but it was impossible to nrraign the conduct of the magistnte without eoiitnilliuK the administration of civtl govenunent. Some eonnideratioiis of religion, or loyalty, or fear, pmteetei) the nacred pcnoni of the empcroni froin Uie eea! or resentment of tile bishopa ; but tiiev boldly eeiuured luid esonmmimiciited the subominate tyrant* who were not invested with the majenty of the purple. St, Athannsiiis excommunicated one of the ministers ot Kgypt : and the interdict which he pronounced, of fire and water, was soleiiinly triiitsiuitted to the ehiircliri^ of Ciippidociii."'' Uiwler the reign of the younger Thetxioniun, the politt'aiideli)(|uelitSy«eHiu*,iineof thcdeiceiiitantaof Herrulea,"' filled the epivropiit nent of I'tolemuiM, near the ruinx of ancient Cj-rcne,"' and the pliilo«uphie bixhop supported, with dignity,

■X'llic ptnlienttal Juriipnidenre wat continiuilly improvnl by the canom erf Ibe councilH, Bill, ii niitiiy c^xu-i wrn tlHI Ml to llic itiM^iclion of thn tHihopi^ the; OMBiionnlly publiihnl. nftrr thr riampic of tlii- Komnn fnFtor. Itwnilei ot cU*- cipUnc whitli thcv aruiiainl tooUvrve. Among ihe canonlcnl epidlei of ilir fauith cmvity. ihoM oTlJanl ihv Oreat wtnt the mcni tclrtnidl Ini'y xiv itiHTnol ia (he Pandecti of Bnertdge [lom. 11. p. 47-i5i), ntid are imnilninl by c'hanloD, Hint, ilei Sncrenunt, torn. iv. p. 919-177.

iiiEkisit EprBoL ili-n. in Baroniiu (Anna!, I^ccln; A.D. 370. No, 91). irbo dccUim thai he piupowly cclnici li. to convince ^ovemori tlwi ihey tiete not e»mpl rrom a nnwncr of ttrcrnimiinioulon. In hu opinion, mii ■ raral hnd ia nm mTc from ihc Ibundcn of ihc Vaiiran ; nnd llip cardinal shtura himirff much more rontillmi thnn ilic Uvym anil IheoloRlani ol the CiflUlc*n <hurcK

■"1'lte lone irriHof bii anCQMon, aa hl|n at EuryiltwDFt, ihr fin Doric klNB orS|Miiiii, mill inr Uth in llnail deieeni Cram Hercules, wu intcrlbtd ut ibo puUic Wg iM w i of Cynne. a I.insI.-FinnTiiiii colony. (Syna. Eauit. Ivii. p. 197, edil. Peiav.) Such a poor am) iltiuuioiu pniiKmor Mveniten hundred ntnt, wlihoni ■ddinK Ibr nyal ancsnon of Hcrculct, cuinol be equalled In Ibe hMory td man- kind.

'" Syneaiui Ide Re|no, p. 1) paiheUeally deploret the (alien and nilood iiau of Cyrane. rUn 'Kuiji'it, »:uil> (»»•■ «• «w*i-. •» •' v(d '•f'^ •«' >"»> pi^ it. rvr muvt «a* cdr^lrt. «4. ,j>>4 iffi^Ttbv Piolemajt, a nvw ciiy. fa nBrtea 10 dM

^