Cæsarea in Cappadocia, should conform to the Tradition of the Church in that respect; and threatened them with Excommunication if they did not comply. By what authority did Pope Stephen act? By the supreme authority of the Apostolic See, as Firmilianus insinuates in his Epistle to St. Cyprian. Conc. Gen. T.i. p. 757.–St. Vincent of Lerins observes on this subject,—“ Then Stephen of blessed memory, Bishop of the Apostolic See, made resistance, together with his other colleagues, to the erroneous practice of St. Cyprian, distinguishing himself above the rest by his zeal, and deeming it just, I conceive, that he who was above others by the authority of his Church, should be foremost in attachment to the Faith.” Commonitorium, c. 6.–St. Cyprian himself, in his letter to Pope Cornelius, calls the Church at Rome, the chair of Peter and the principal Church, whence the Sacerdotal Unity took its rise, &c. Ep. lix. p. 135. .
ST. DIONYSIUS, POPE.[1] - About the year 269, some of the Faithful of Alexandria, suspecting St. Dionysius, the Patriarch of that See, of entertaining opinions against the consubstantiality of the Son, laid an accusation against him, before St. Dionysius, Bishop of Rome. The Pope called upon the Patriarch, to give to him an account of his Faith. The Patriarch cleared himself by the letter wliich he accordingly wrote to refute the charges and defend his character. St. Athanasius bears testimony to this fact, De Synodis Arim. et Seleuciæ, T. i. Pars 2. p. 757.—Why did the Catholics of Alexandria carry their charge against their Patriarch to the Bishop of Rome? Why did the Patriarch of Alexandria submit to justify himself before the Bishop of Rome, but be-
- ↑ He governed and edified the Church for more than ten years, being chosen Pope after the death of St. Sixtus, in 259, and dying, Dec. 26, 269. Dom. Coustant has published some of his letters against Sabellius, in his Epistolæ Romanorum Pontificum. We have a Canonical Epistle of St. Dionysius of Alexandria, in Labbe's Concilia Generalia.
