(a) Tit. de Fe

clefia & Mini

ftris ejus cap. 19.

thing needful to be added to the Decrees which had been Read to them in the First Sef fion, nor any thing amifs in the management of the Bishop.

The fame year alfo the Archbishop of Triers called a Synod of the Clergy of his Diocefs, which was holden October the Fourteenth in the Abfence of the Archbishop, and compofed as the former, of a Titular Bishop, the Vicar of the Archbishop, Archdeacons, Abbots, Provosts, Archpriefts and Deans, who made fome Canons for the Reformation of their Clergy. They had nothing to object against the management of the Bishop of Azotus, who fupplied the place of the Archbishop, but this, That he had not followed the Direction of the Canons, when he admitted Perfens into Orders, by obferving the distances of time; but he cleared himself by alledging the Reasons which obliged him to do so.

And tho' his Lordship has cited the Refor mation of the Ecclefiaftical Laws and made fome very brief References to 'em, yet I hope it may not be thought amifs if I give a more particular Account of what they contain relating to this Matter: For notwithstanding that they never were of force in this Realm or elfewhere in the manner they now ftand, having not the Royal Confirmation, yet they are Teftimonies of that part of the Ancient Difcipline which our first Reformers had Collected and were defirous to have retained in this Church. (a) Here then it was ordained,

That every Bifhop fhould hold a Synod in his Diocefs, where he fhould confult with his Presbyters, Parish-Pricfts, Vicars and Clergy of thofe things which from time to time fhould be thought convenient to be Establi

• fhed

'fhed or Corrected. For a Synod is truly the most proper Remedy to Chaftife Negligence, and to take away Errors which the Devil and • Wicked Men often Sow in the Churches, ' and by these Synods the Unity and Love between the Bishop and his Clergy may be preferved and encreafed. For hereby he 'fhall better know his Clergy and Difcourfe ' with them, and they also fhall hear him Perfonally, and when there is occasion ask him

८

Queftions. (b) And this Synod the Bishop (6) Ibid. cap. 20: 'fhall call every Year. And let the Bishop

be present there with the firft, and (as it is 'fit) prefide in it. And if fome very urgent 'occafion fhall compel him to be Abfent, let 'the Archdeacon prefide in his ftead.

*Let the Clergy be prefent at the Place and Ibid. cap. 21; Day appointed, and meet together in the 'Church by Seven in the Morning, and first 'the Prayers called the Litany fhall be Sung in folemn manner in the midst of the Church. 'Then the Archdeacon, or the Bishop himfelf, if he be present, fhall Preach, and that ' in the Mother Tongue, unlefs fome lawful Caufe may give occafion to do otherwife. 'The Sermon being ended, the Communion 'fhall be Celebrated, which being finished, 'the Bishop shall retire with the whole Clergy, excluding all the Laity except fuch as he shall command to stay, and all fitting toge'ther with greatest Gravity and with the strictest Peace fhall Treat of thofe Things which feem moft Neceflary.

If any Corruption of the true Doctrine + ibid. cap.22:

⚫ has crept in, let it be Reprehended. Such

things in the Holy Scriptures as have been

ill Expounded with Offence to Souls, fhall

L 2

• be

be explained agreeably to the Orthodox Faith: And fuch Matters as perhaps being not rightly understood fhall difturb the Confciences of any, fhall be Faithfully examined and declared. Impious and Superftitious • Ceremonies, if any fhall flip in, fhall be taken away. Ecclefiaftical Differences and Controverfies fhall be heard, and determined as far as the time fhall give leave. And most dili( gent Enquiry fhall be made whether the Rites prefcribed for all Sacred Offices in the • Church be duly obferved. And in fine, they fhall treat with intire Faith and particular Diligence of whatfoever fhall appertain to the benefit of God's People. There each Presbyter fhall be asked Questions concerning controverted Points. The Bishop shall 'patiently Collect the Opinions of the more Learned, neither fhall he fuffer those that fpeak to be interrupted rafhly before they have ended, by any of thofe that fit by. For (as the Apostle fays) God is not the God of Confufion but of Peace.

Thefe particulars I thought fit to add to what I have Tranfcribed from my Lord Bifhop of Lincoln's Account of Diocefan Synods, because they seem more fully to acquaint us with the defign of thefe Affemblies. And from thefe it appears that the Clergy did not only hear the Bishops Conftitutions read in Order to fee whether they would agree to 'em, but they were allowed alfo to examine them, and offer Additions or Amendments to them. Neither did the Bishop only make enquiry into their Lives and Doctrine, but gave them leave alfo to prefent their Grievances, and to offer any juft Complaints against his Manage

ment

ment or that of any of his Officers. This is ' manifeft from the Account here given of the Synods of Augsburg and Triers.

D. 2.

It further appears from the Reformed Canons, that the Bishop himself was to be prefentat these Synods, or, in cafe of urgent Neceflity, the Archdeacon might prefide: Whereas, now, contrary to all the Rules of the Ancient Church, the President at our Vifitations (which Bishop (e) Stilling fleet tells us are the Epifcopal Synods) (e: Ecclef, Cafes, is a Lay-Chancellor or Commiffary: And fometimes for many Years together we have feen no other Perfon there to enquire into the Behaviour of the Clergy to reprove, rebuke and exbort them Authoritatively (which in the Apoftles (f)days were proper to the Epifcopal Cha- (f) 11 Tim. 4. racter) in matters relating to their Functions. 2 And if the Bishop does vifit in Perfon, or the Archdeacon, the time of the Visitation is fo fhort, that except Prayers, Sermon and Dinner (unless there be a Confirmation) all other Matters are dispatched in an Hour: No Retirement of the Bishop and Clergy by themselves; no Colloquies or Conferences; no Opportunities for the Clergy or any other to propofe their Difficulties or Scruples, and to have them refolved; no examination of Ecclefiaftical Difference, and Controverfies, further than fome particular Reproof or Order upon Prefentment; no treating of the most proper Remedies to root out the Seeds of Error, which the Devil or Wicked Men have Sowed in the Church, except fome General Rules perhaps given in the Vifitation Sermon or Charge; neither do the Bishop and Clergy know one another much the better for their Meeting, by which that Unity and Love that ought to

be

be between them, may be better preserved and encreased.

I fay not this to Reproach my Lords the Bishops, every one of which I truly Honour and Reverence, nor can I fay that this Church was ever bleffed with more worthy Fathers. What I here complain of is no Abuse introduced by any of their Lordships, and I believe our Visitations were never more regular and orderly fince the Reformation. But with all due Submiffion I humbly recommend it to their Lordships to confider whether it may not be in their power to render their Visitations more Synodical and more Beneficial to the Church and Clergy.

All Presbyters of the Diocefs (and perhaps the Deacons too) had a Vote in these Diocefan Synods whilft they were allowed to make or confirm Diocefan Canons: But the Executive Power was wholly in the Bifhop, for the Management whereof he had his standing College or Society of Presbyters refiding with him in (a) Can. 13. Con- the City. Upon this account the (a) ancient Canons make an apparent Distinction between the Presbyters of the City and of the Country. This ftanding Council of the Bishop are with () Godolph. A- us called the Dean and Chapter. And (b) our bid Chap. 7. Law fays, That in Chriftian Policy it was thought

cil. Neocæfar.

& Bat. Epit.

Can. 592.

Sect. I.

neceffary (for that the Church could not be without Scits and Hereftes) that every Bishop should be af fifted with a Council, viz. a Dean and Chapter. (1.) To confult with them in deciding difficult Controverfies of Religion. (2.) To confent to every Grant that the Bishop fhall make to bind his Succeffors, for the Law did not judge it reafonable to repofe fuch a Confidence in him alone. Godolphin fays alfo, that They have the Name Prebends from af

fording