Bishops of the Province to make their Applications to them for Advice in their weighty Affairs; And to pay a Deference and Respect to 'em upon all Occafions: So that tho' all the Bishops conftituted by the Apostles were of equal Authority as they were Bishops, and therefore when a new Bishop was to be made, either upon the Death of another or becaufe the number of Converts was encreased, they met together to confecrate him, yet they yielded a precedency to the Bishop of the Metropolis: And the like was done when they affembled to confult of any other Affairs of the Church. This was found the most prudent and convenient Method to preserve the Unity of the Church in feveral Provinces.

It was neceffary that the Bishops fhould Affemble fometimes, and that fome Perfon should prefide in their Affemblies; It was impoffible that Order and Difcipline fhould otherwife be preferved in the Church. There was no Perfon, before the Empire became Christian that could Summon the Bishops from all parts of it to one Place: Therefore in every particular Province the Bishops met together to confult of the Affairs of their Churches, and their Meetings or Synods commonly were in the Metropolis, and being then within the Jurif diction of the Metropolitan, it was reafonable that he fhould have the Right Hand of Fellowship in his own Church. It was by no means convenient that any Bishop fhould be abfolute without a Superior to judge him in Ecclefiaftical Matters, neither was it fit that his own Presbyters, who by direct Apoftolical Inftitution were his Subjects, fhould have an Authority to convene or cenfure him: Neither could

any other fingle Bishop call him to an account, for Par in Parem non habet Poteftatem: Nor yet could all the Bishops of the World or the Empire (nor was it fit they should) meet upon fuch an Occafion. All matters of this nature were left to the neighbouring Bishops therefore, to be ordered among themfelves, and they were accounted neighbouring Bishops whofe Diocefes were in the fame Province according to the Divifion of the Empire.

It was therefore expedient, fince it was necessary for Bishops to meet and confult upon thefe and the like occafions in every Province, that not only a Primacy fhould be granted to fome one of them, but likewife an Authority to Summon and convene the reft: This was generally granted throughout the whole Empire to the Bishop of the Metropolis; (a) Only in the several Provinces of Africa the Primacy was given to the Eldest Bishop: Yet the Bifhop of Carthage had a kind of Patriarchal Jurifdiction over all the Provinces of Africa affixed to this See. Thus the Bishops of every Province formed a particular diftin&t Church, which was governed by one uniform Difcipline, whereby they fometimes differed in their Ceremonies and Customs from other Churches, but did not feparate from them. For all the Provinces held Communion with each other, and looked upon each others Members as their own, and fent Communicatory Letters to each other. Every Metropolitan affoon as he was advanced to the Chair fending a Profession of his Faith to all the other (at least the Principal) Metropolitans of the Empire, in Teftimony of his Defire to maintain the Union of the Catholick Church in all Articles of Faith:

But

But in Matters meerly indifferent, each Provincial Church made Rules for it felf, and was governed by its own Cuftoms and Canons, They also fent their Canons to other Churches, who received them in part or in the whole as they judged expedient, or it may be altogether rejected them: Yet this made no difference, because one Province pretended to no Authority over another.

Whether the Apostles fettled Metropolitans in the Church is what I pretend not to determine, but that they are of Primitive Antiquity is most certain from the Thirty Fourth Apoftolical Canon, which Decrees that Bishops fhall do nothing without the Primate, except in their own Diocefs, nor yet the Primate without the Bifhops. These were at firft only called Primates or Prima fedis Epifcopi, the name Metropolitans and Archbishops were introduced afterwards.

(a) The first time we met with the name (4) Du Pin de Metropolitan is in the Council of Nice, Can. 4. Antiq. Eccles. Difciplin. P. 4. & 6. which was in the beginning of the Fourth Century, A. D. 325. But it is plain from the words of the Sixth Canon, which are, Let ancient Customs be obferved, that the Authority at least, if not the name, was much more ancient, fince the Metropolitical Power is there confirmed according to ancient Cuftom. Some Bifhops after this obtain'd these names as Honorary only, without any Authority or Jurif diction more than that which all Bishops had. So the Bishops of Nice in the Council of Chalcedon gained the name and precedency of a Metropolitan, fo as to take place of the other Bishops of that Province, yet was nevertheless fubject to the Archbishop of Nicomedia: So alfo the Bishops of Chalcedon and Berytus obtaja'd the Honorary name of Metropolitan,

All

(b) Ibid. p. 64.

& Beveridge annotat. ad can.

6. concil. Nicen.

P. 59.

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All the privileges or prerogatives of a Metropolitan are commonly reduced to thefe four Heads. (b) (1. To confirm the Elections of all the Bishops of his Province, and to ConfeCrate them. (2.) To Summon and hold a Synod of his Province. (3.) To inspect the whole Province, and to fee that Faith and Difcipline be preferved in it. (4.) To try the Caufes of Bishops, and to receive Appeals from them. The first of thefe is manifeftly the Right of the Metropolitan confirmed by feveral Councils. The Council of Nice, Can. 4. decreed, That a Bishop ought of Right to be ordained by all the Bishops of that Province, but if this be difficult, either by Reafon or urgent neceffity, or the length of the way; yet three must be present for that purpofe, and have the confent of the Abfent under their Hands, fo they are to proceed C to the Confecration. But the Confirmation (rd nugos) of all things done in the Province is to be given to the Metropolitan. However this Right of confirming (this to augos) did not give the Metropolitan a Negative Vote in this or any other matter, he was only hereby conftituted the Chair-man or President of the Affembly that declared the Determination of the reft as is evident from the fixth Canon of this Council; where it is faid, "This is manifeft to all, that if any one be made a Bishop otherwife than by the Sentence of the Metropolitan, the great Synod has decreed that he fhall be no Bishop, but if two or three ⚫ for Contention fake fhall contradict the reafonable Judgement of the rest, being made according to Ecclefiaftical Canon, the Sentence of the Major part fhall stand. By which

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it

it is evident that tho' the Sentence of the Metropolitan, that is his confirmation (or xugos) was necessary to the Ordination of a Bishop, yet that he was not to give that Sentence or Confirmation meerly according to his own Will and Pleafure, but according to the Suffrages of the Majority of his Comprovincials. This is yet more plainly expreffed in the Second Council of Arles, where it is decreed, Can. 5. That it fhall not be lawful to ordain a Bishop without the Metropolitan or the Metropolitan's Letter, nor unless there be at least three Bishops prefent; and that the reft have notice given them by Letter, that they may fignify their Confent by an Anfwer; And if there be any difference among them, the Metropolitan fhall follow the plurality of Voices in the Election. And that this was, as they conceived according to the fenfe of the Nicene Canon beforemention'd is evident, fince the next Canon of this Synod is almost in the very words of that of the Council of Nice, That it is manifeft to all that he which fhall be made a Bishop without the • Confent of the Metropolitan, the great Synod has decreed that he ought not to be a Bishop. Canons of the like nature are to be met with in the Councils of Laodicea, Antioch, Carthage 2, &c.

The Second prerogative of the Metropolitan confifts in the Right he has to convene Synods of his Province: For the Ecclefiaftical Affairs of the Province were to be fo managed in common, that nothing was to be done without the Metropolitan: Wherefore it was looked upon as his part to fignify the time, and place when and where the Synod fhould meet,

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