Western metropolis—­“We acknowledge Cornelius bishop of the most holy Catholic Church chosen by God Almighty and Christ our Lord.” [646:1] Cyprian asserted that, as he was bishop of Carthage, he must necessarily have a divine commission.  Nothing, indeed, can exceed the arrogance with which this imperious prelate expressed himself when speaking of his ecclesiastical authority.  To challenge his conduct was, in his estimation, tantamount to blasphemy; and, to dispute his prerogatives, a contempt of the Divine Majesty.  Once, in a time of persecution, he retired from Carthage, and he was, in consequence, upbraided by some as a coward; but when a fellow-bishop, Papianus, ventured to ask an explanation of a course of proceeding which apparently betokened indecision, Cyprian treated the inquiry as an insult, and poured out upon his correspondent a whole torrent of invectives and reproaches.  He is God’s bishop, and no one is to attempt, by the breath of suspicion, to stain the lustre of his episcopal dignity.  “I perceive by your letter,” says he, “that you believe the same things of me, and persist in what you believed....  This is not to believe in God, this is to be a rebel against Christ and against His gospel....  Do you suppose that the priests of God are without His cognizance ordained in the Church?  For if you believe that those who are ordained are unworthy and incestuous, what else is it but to believe that, not by God, or through God, are His bishops appointed in the Church.” [646:2] After indulging at great length in the language of denunciation, he adds, in a strain of irony—­“Vouchsafe at length and deign to pronounce on us, and to confirm our episcopate by the authority of your hearing, that God and Christ may give you thanks, that through you a president and ruler has been restored as well to their altar as to their people.” [647:1]

II.  The Catholic system encouraged its adherents to cultivate very bigoted and ungenerous sentiments.  They were taught to regard themselves as the “peculiar people,” and to look on all others, however excellent, as without claim to the title or privileges of Christians.  How different the spirit of the inspired heralds of the gospel!  When Peter saw that the Holy Ghost was poured out on men uncircumcised, he recognized the divine intimation by acknowledging the believing Gentiles as his brethren in Christ.  Conceiving that God himself had thus settled the question of their Church membership, “he commanded them to be baptized in the name of the Lord.” [647:2] But men who professed to derive their authority from the apostle, now showed how grievously they misunderstood the benign and comprehensive genius of his ecclesiastical polity.  The dominant party among the disciples had not long assumed the name of Catholics when they sadly belied the designation, for nothing could be more illiberal or uncatholic than their Church principles.  All evidences of piety, no matter how decided, if