as Gervafe fays, they were fuppreffed. Yet in reality there was nothing fuppreffed but the name, for after this Bishops affumed Coadjutors whom they called Suffragans. It is plain that the Bishops of Rome were for divers Ages Enemies to the Chorepifcopi, and there is this apparent Reason for it: The Popes, as we all know, have ever endeavoured to get a Majority of Bishops immediately depending on themselves to Vote in General Councils; but the Chorepifcopi as well as others had Votes there, as appears from the Subscriptions to the Council of Nice abovementioned, fo alfo we find in the Councils of Ephefus and Chalcedon, which were long after the Councils of Sardis and Laodicea that fome (a) Chorepifcopi (a) Baluz. Nov. fubfcribed there in their own names among the Coll. Concil. p. other Bishops. But thefe Chorepifcopi depend-452.& 1152. ing on their proper Diocefans no doubt were influenced by them to Vote as they did. The Pope therefore that he might always fecure a Majority, refolved to make Titular Bishops in partibus infidelium aut Hæreticorum, but could have no fair pretence to do this whilft the Chorepifcopi continued. Therefore first they determined as may be feen above in the Anfwer of Pope Leo VII. that Chorepifcopi could not Confecrate Churches, Ordain Priefts, or Confirm. This was one means to render them useless, and when that was done it was lefs difficult totally to fupprefs them. And then because fome Bishops could not be without Affiftants of their own Order, they had a fair Plea to make Titular Bishops who fhould perform thofe Functions which before were done by the Chorepifcopi. For in the (b) Council of (6) Hift. Concil. Trent it was declared, that Titular Bifhops were 3. 03 created Trid. Sefs. 22. (c) Inftit. Jur. (d) Inter Epift. Preftant Viro sum. created to fupply the Cures of Impotent or Infirm Bifhops, or of fuch as upon lawful Causes were abfent from their Churches, or lastly, to affift Illuftrious PreLates who were taken off from the care of their Charge by more weighty Affairs. Now this was plainly the fame end for which the Chorepifcopi were appointed originally; but becaufe (c) Titular Bishops were nominated by the Pope himself, and by him appointed Coadjutors to other Bifhops, and confequently depended more immediately on his Holiness than the Chorepifcopi did, therefore thefe were Abolished and the other were put into their Places by the name of Suffragans. And to this day in thofe Churches where the Papal Authority never extended, as well the name as the Office of the Chorepifcopi is retained, as in the Greek Church particularly: For Cyril the Patriarch of Alexandria in an (d) Epiftle to John. Vytenbogaert, an eminent Dutch Divine, Dated September 22. 1613. tells him that The Patriarch of Alexandria, for Reafons too long to be related, has no Archbishops or Bihops under him, but only Chorepifcopi, who are Vicars or Subftitutes, and differ from Bishops only in this, that a Bishop in his own Diocese may Ordain, conftitute and appoint according to his own Pleafure, but the Chorepifcopi cannot do any of thefe matters but by Commission from their Superiours. Now this is just the fame that the Chorepifcopi were in the primitive Church, where they were Vicars or Substitutes to the Diocefan Bifhops, as has been already fhewed, Epift. 181. and may be made further evident by (e) St. Bafil's Epiftle to his own Chorepifcopi. It is a fad thing, fays he, to fee how the Canons of the Fathers are laid afide, infomuch that it is to be feared all the B all will come to Confufion. The ancient Custom was this, that there fhould be strict enquiry made into the Lives of those who were to be admitted to Minifter in the Church, The care of this lay upon Presbyters and Deacons, who were to report it to the Chorepifcopi, and they having received a good Teftimony of them, certified it to the Bishop, and fo the Minifter was admitted into Holy Orders. But now you Country Bishops would make me ftand for a Cypher, and take all this Authority to your felves: Nay, you permit the Presbyters and Deacons to put in whom they pleafe, according as Kindred or Af fection inclines them, without regard to their worth. But let me, fays he, have a Note of the Minifters of every Village: And know that he fhall be reputed but a Lay-man, whoever he is that is received into the Miniftry without our Confent. By this it is apparent that the Chorepifcopi had much the fame Authority under St. Bafil that they have now under the Patriarch of Alexandria: For St. Bafil did not blame them for ordaining Clerks, or fay that fuch as they should ordain he would repute for no better than Lay-men, meerly be-. cause they were ordained by them, but he found fault with them that they should do this without first acquainting him with it, who was their Diocesan, and that they ought first to let him know the merits of the Perfon, and then having his confent they might confer Orders or do any other Epifcopal Act. We learn alfo from (f) Comenius that in the Reformed Church of Bohemia (which is to this day an Epifcopal and Proteftant Church, for the Superiours of that Church after they had been ordained Presbyters, were also confecrated Bishops, and received Epifcopal Jurif diction and Succeffion from the Bishops of the Q 4 Waldenfes & Ratio Difcip!. Ord. Eccles, C. I, 2. Waldenfes that were never under the Papal Yoke) befide the Ministers or Presbyters, and the Seniors or Bishops, have alfo certain Perfons called Confeniors; who being chofen out of the Presbyters, and prefented by them to the Bishop, are by him folemnly ordained to the Office of Confeniors by a new impofition of Hands. And as these Confeniors promife obe dience to the Bishop at their Ordination, fo the Presbyters promife obedience to them as well as to the Bishop. And their Office is, to keep good Order, to obferve what is worthy of Correction, to provide fit Perfons for the Ministry, to exercife Difcipline with the Bishop, to vifit with him or without him if appointed to do fo, to examine thofe that are to be ordained, and in fort to fupply the place of the Bishop in fuch things as they fhall be commiffioned to do. Thefe Perfons whom Comenius Calls Confeniors are by a Bishop of that Church now living called Chorepifcopi, as I have feen it in a private Letter from him to a Reverend Member of our Church written not above a year ago. Where he alfo fays that they have the fame Diftinction of Bishops, Priefts and Deacons that we have in England, and that each Bifhop has his Chorcpifcopi. The Letter deferves to be made Publick, but I have no Authority to make it fo: However, by comparing that Letter with what Comenius has written of the Difcipline of that Church, I am convinced that thofe Comenius calls Confeniors are the fame which the Bishop calls Chorepifcopi, and that their Office is the fame with that of the ancient Chorepifcopi. From whence we may learn, that in thofe Churches where the Papal Power has never prevailed, as in the Greek Church and amongst the Waldenfes, from whom ༑་ whom this Proteftant Bohemian Church received their Succeffion, the Chorepifcopi have never been laid aside, but are still continued; whereby it is manifeft that the fuppreffion of them was a meer contrivance of the Popes for fome by-ends of their own. However, tho' they were fuppreffed and condemned by Papal Authority when that was got to the height of its Power, yet as I have already faid, it was only the name was fuppreffed, and Titular Bishops were ordained inftead of them. For thefe Titular Bishops were only Bishops at large, without any Diocefe or Jurifdiction of their own, having Titles in fome Parts of Greece or Afia, or fome other very remote Countries which they never faw, or fo much as esteemed to be their proper Diocefes. These were commonly provided with some of the best Dignities of the Church, fuch as Abbies, Deaneries, Prebends, &c. to maintain the Episcopal Honour, that it might not be debased by the Poverty of those who were advanced to the Character. These were employed by the Diocefan Bishops as their Affiftants in matters of Order, fuch as Confecration of Churches, Ordination of Priests and Deacons, and Confirmation of Children; but matters of Jurifdiction were seldom or never committed to them, being executed by the Bishops Vicar-General, Chancellor or Official, who as I have already fhewed were first constituted• Supr. ch. 11. about the eleventh or twelfth Centuries when the Chorepifcopi were fuppreffed. Thus the ancient Office of the Chorepifcopi was divided between the Titular Bishops and the Chancellors. For the Bishops, especially those of larger Sees, foon found that they were not able to dif charge |