54th and
55th epistles.]

[Footnote 329: Irenaeus also (l.c. Sec. 11) does not appear to have
questioned Victor's proceeding as such, but as applied to this
particular case.]

[Footnote 330: See Tertull., de orat. 22: "Sed non putet institutionem
unusquisque antecessoris commovendam." De virg. vel. I: "Paracletus
solus antecessor, quia solus post Christum;" 2: "Eas ego ecclesias
proposui, quas et ipsi apostolici viri condiderunt, et puto ante
quosdam;" 3: "Sed nec inter consuetudines dispicere voluerunt illi
sanctissimi antecessores." This is also the question referred to in the
important remark in Jerome, de vir. inl. 53: "Tertullianus ad mediam
aetatem presbyter fuit ecclesiae Africanae, invidia postea et contumeliis
clericorum Romanae ecclesiae ad Montani dogma delapsus."]

[Footnote 331: Stephen acted like Victor and excluded almost all the
East from the fellowship of the Church; see in addition to Cyprian's
epistles that of Dionysius of Alexandria in Euseb., H. E. VII. 5. In
reference to Hippolytus, see Philosoph. l. IX. In regard to Origen, see
the allusions in de orat. 28 fin.; in Matth. XI. 9, 15: XII. 9-14: XVI.
8, 22: XVII. 14; in Joh. X. 16; Rom. VI in Isai. c. 1. With regard to
Philosoph. IX. 12, Sohm rightly remarks (p. 389): "It is clear that the
responsibility was laid on the Roman bishop not merely in several cases
where married men were made presbyters and deacons, but also when they
were appointed bishops; and it is also evident that he appears just as
responsible when bishops are not deposed in consequence of their
marrying." One cannot help concluding that the Roman bishop has the
power of appointing and deposing not merely presbyters and deacons, but
also bishops. Moreover, the impression is conveyed that this appointment
and deposition of bishops takes place in Rome, for the passage contains
a description of existent conditions in the Roman Church. Other
communities may be deprived of their bishops by an order from Rome, and
a bishop (chosen in Rome) may be sent them. The words of the passage
are: [Greek: epi kallistou erxanto episkopoi kai presbuteroi kai
diakonoi digamoi kai trigamoi kathistasthai eis klerous ei de kai tis en
klero on gamoie, menein ton toiouton en to klero hos me hemartekota.]]

[Footnote 332: In the treatise "Die Briefe des romischen Klerus aus der
Zeit der Sedisvacanz im Jahre 250" (Abhandlungen fur Weizsaecker, 1892),
I have shown how the Roman clergy kept the revenue of