s himself to Rome,
and gains the ear of St. Stephen." This, however, is only half the case. It
comes to the knowledge of St. Cyprian that he has done so. Let us take
Fleury's account.[28] "As Basilides and Martial still endeavoured to force
themselves back upon their sees, Felix and Sabinus, their legitimate
successors, went to Carthage with letters from the Churches of Leon,
Asturia, and Merida, and from another Felix, Bishop of Sarragossa, known in
Africa as attached to the faith, and a defender of the truth. These letters
were read in a Council of thirty-six Bishops, at the head of whom was St.
Cyprian, who answered in the name of all by a letter addressed to the
Priest Felix, and to the faithful people of Leon and Asturia, and to the
Deacon Loelius, with the people of Merida." In this letter he says,
"Wherefore,[29] according to Divine tradition, and Apostolic observance,
that is to be kept and observed, which is observed by us also, and
generally throughout all the provinces, that in order rightly to celebrate
ordinations, the nearest Bishops of the same province should meet together
with that people for whom the head is ordained, and the Bishop should be
chosen in the presence of the people, which is most fully acquainted with
the life of every one, and has observed the conduct of each individual from
his conversation. And this we see was observed by you in the ordination of
our colleague Sabinus, so that, according to the suffrage of the whole
brotherhood, and the judgment of the Bishops, who were either present, or
had sent you letters about him, the Episcopate was conferred upon him, and
hands laid upon him in the place of Basilides. Nor can it invalidate a
rightful ordination, that Basilides, after the detection of his crimes and
the laying bare his conscience even by his own confession, going to Rome
deceived our colleague Stephen, who was far removed and ignorant of the
thing as it was really done, that he might make interest for an unjust
restoration to that Episcopate from which he had been rightfully deposed.
It comes to this, that the crimes of Basilides have been rather doubled
than wiped away, since to his former sins, the crime of deceit and
circumvention has been added. _Nor should he be so much blamed, who through
negligence was overreached_, as the other execrated, who fraudulently
deceived. But if Basilides could overreach men, God he cannot," &c. If the
appeal of Basilides to Stephen proves the Roma