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After Innocent, Zosimus governed the Roman church for two years:
and after him Boniface presided over it for three years. He was
succeeded by Celestinus. And this Celestinus took away the churches
from the Novatians at Rome also, and obliged Rusticula their bishop
to hold his meetings secretly in private houses. Until this time the
Novatians had flourished exceedingly in Rome, possessing many
churches there, which were attended by large congregations. But envy
attacked them also, as soon as the Roman episcopate, like that of
Alexandria, extended itself beyond the limits of ecclesiastical
jurisdiction, and degenerated into its present state of secular
domination. For thenceforth the bishops would not suffer even those
who agreed with them in matters of faith to enjoy the privilege of
assembling in peace, but stripped them of all they possessed, praising
them merely for these agreements in faith. The bishops of
Constantinople kept themselves free from this [sort of conduct];
inasmuch as in addition to tolerating them and permitting them to hold
their assemblies within the city, as I have already stated, they
treated them with every mark of Christian regard.
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