Views Concerning The Church and the Sacraments During the Second Period (300-750 A.D.): The Doctrine of the Church (17): The Papacy.

Finally, in regard to the four great ecumenical councils, the first of NICE, the first of CONSTANTINOPLE, that of EPHESUS, and that of CHALCEDON: we have already presented their position on this question in connection with their legislation on the patriarchal system. We have seen that they accord to the bishop of Rome a precedence of honor among the five officially coequal patriarchs, and thus acknowledge him primas inter pares, but, by that very concession, disallow his claims to supremacy of...