wer clergy for the whole Church.]

[Footnote 314: We see this from the Easter controversy, but there are
proofs of it elsewhere, e.g., in the collection of Cyprian's epistles.
The Roman bishop Cornelius informs Fabius, bishop of Antioch, of the
resolutions of the Italian, African, and other Churches (Euseb., H. E.
VI. 43. 3: [Greek: elthon eis hemas epistolai Korneliou Rhomaion
episkopou pros ... phabion, delousai ta peri tes Rhomaion sunodou, kai
ta doxanta pasi tois kata ten Italian kai Aphriken kai tas autophi
choras]). We must not forget, however, that there were also bishops
elsewhere who conducted a so-called oecumenical correspondence and
enjoyed great influence, as, e.g., Dionysius of Corinth and Dionysius of
Alexandria. In matters relating to penance the latter wrote to a great
many Churches, even as far as Armenia, and sent many letters to Rome
(Euseb., H. E. VI. 46). The Catholic theologian, Dittrich--before the
Vatican Decree, no doubt--has spoken of him in the following terms
(Dionysius von Alexandrien, 1867, p. 26): "As Dionysius participated in
the power, so also he shared in the task of the primateship." "Along
with the Roman bishop he was, above all, called upon to guard the
interests of the whole Church."]

[Footnote 315: This conception, as well as the ideas contained in this
Excursus generally, is now entirely shared by Weingarten (Zeittafeln,
3rd. ed., 1888, pp. 12, 21): "The Catholic Church is essentially the
work of those of Rome and Asia Minor. The Alexandrian Church and
theology do not completely adapt themselves to it till the 3rd century.
The metropolitan community becomes the ideal centre of the Great Church"
... "The primacy of the Roman Church is essentially the transference to
her of Rome's central position in the religion of the heathen world
during the Empire: _urbs aeterna urbs sacra_."]

[Footnote 316: This is also admitted by Langen (l.c., 184 f.), who even
declares that this precedence existed from the beginning.]

[Footnote 317: Cf. chaps. 59 and 62, but more especially 63.]

[Footnote 318: At that time the Roman Church did not confine herself to
a letter; she sent ambassadors to Corinth, [Greek: hoitines martures
esontai metaxu humon kai hemon]. Note carefully also the position of the
Corinthian community with which the Roman one interfered (see on this
point Wrede, Untersuchungen zum I Clemensbrief, 1891.)]

[Footnote 319: In Ignatius, Rom. inscr., the verb [Greek: prokathema