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 14 in which are found the chairs of the Apostles, upon which are seated the Bishops who succeeded them, in which are still read their authentic letters, each echoing the voice and representing the face of its author. Is Achaia near to thee? Thou hast Corinth. Art thou near Macedonia? Thou hast Philippi thou hast the Thessalonians. If thou canst travel into Asia, thou hast Ephesus. If thou art near to Italy, thou hast Rome, where we can find also authority at hand.'"

The thesis of St Irenæus, adds Gratry, is this: We must bring back heretics "to the tradition of the Apostles, which, by their successors, is preserved in the Churches." And "when there is any doubt, we must have recourse to the Ancient Churches."

2. In the case of St Cyprian ( 250) special difficulties arise owing to controversies on the actual text. We can only set down the chief passage and afterwards indicate the use made of his principles by Roman opponents of Infallibility.

"And although after His resurrection He assigns equal power to all His Apostles, … nevertheless, in order to make the unity manifest, He established one Chair and by His own authority appointed the origin of that same unity beginning from one. Certainly the rest of the Apostles were that which Peter also was, endued with equal partnership, both of honour and office, but the beginning sets out from unity, and Primacy is given to Peter, that one Church of Christ and one Chair may be pointed out; and all are pastors and one flock is shown, to be fed by all the Apostles with one-hearted accord, that one Church of Christ may be pointed out. … He that holds not this unity of the Church, does he believe that he holds the faith? He, who strives and rebels against the Church, he who