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and to Summon the Bishops to it. This is a Right which the Metropolitan feems to have had by Cuftom before the time of the Council of Nice And after that Council the Synod of Antioch plainly declares it, Can. 20. It feems good that Synods of Bishops in every Province fhould be holden twice in a year for Ecclefiaftical occafions, and for the ending of Controverfies: The firft to begin in the third Week from Eafter, that it may be ended in the fourth Week before Whitfontide, the i Metropolitan giving notice of it to the Provincial Bifhops: And the fecond upon the Ides of October, that the Presbyters and Deacons and all that conceive themselves injur'd may come to the Synod and receive its Judgement. But it is not lawful for any to hold Synods by themselves without thofe to whom the Metropolitical care is committed. And in the fame Council it is alfo declared, Can. 16. That that is to be efteemed a compleat Synod in which the Metropolitan is prefent. And in the Council of Laodicea, Can. 40. it is decreed That the Bishops being called to Synod ought not to neglect to appear there; but to go thither both to teach and learn what needs Correction in the Church and other matters: And if any one neglects to be there he fhall be felf accufed, unless he be hindred by Infirmity or Sickness. Alexius Ariftenus explains this Canon thus. It is decreed that there fhall be a Provincial Synod yearly held where the Metropolitan fhall appoint. If therefore when the Bifhops are met together, any one that is Summoned does not appear, he brings himself juto a fault, and is liable to the cenfure of

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the Synod, unless it fhall be proved that he did not abfent himself thro' Contempt, but by reafon of Sickness or fome other Circumftance relating to his Life. And in the Coun'cil of Chalcedon, Can. 19. it is decreed. That ' according to the Canons of the ancient Fathers, the Bishops of every Province shall meet together in the fame place twice in a Year, where it fhall feem good to the Metropolitan, and Correct all Emergencies: But the Bishops which do not meet, but ftay at ' home in their own Cities, if they be in Health, and free from all inexcufable and neceffary bufinefs, they fhall receive a Brotherly Reprehenfion. And the Council in C Trullus, Can. 8. has a like Decree. That whereas the ancient Fathers have determi'ned that Synods fhould be held twice a Year where the Metropolitan fhould appoint; yet fince by reason of the Incurfions of the Bar'barians this cannot fo conveniently be done. "It seems good however that at least once in ' a Year a Synod fhould be holden between Eafter and October, in the place which the Metropolitan fhall judge most proper. And those Bishops which do not come, but stay in their own Cities, and be in Health and C not detained by neceffary and inevitable Bufinefs fhall receive a Brotherly Reprehenfion. The Authority therefore to Summon Provincial Synods according to Canon and Custom is another undoubted Right of the Metropolitan.

The third prerogative of the Metropolitan confifts in the Right he has to infpect his whole Province, and to take a general care that all things be done regularly and according to the

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Canons, that good Orders be preserved, and that the Bishops do their Duty. Therefore it is decreed in 34th Apoftolical Canon That the Bishops of every Nation ought to know ‹ him that is their chief, and to esteem him as the Head: And to do nothing of great L moment without his Confent: But that every one of them fhould do thofe things only ' which belong to his own Diocese and the Villages appertaining to it: Neither should the chief do any thing without the confent of all the rest. So fhall there be a good Agreement preferved, and God fhall be glorified. The Council of Antioch, Can. 9. fpeaks a little plainer to this purpose. The Bifhops which are in every Province ought to know the Bishop which prefides over the Metropolis, and that he takes the care of the С whole Province: Because all that have Bufinefs run together from all parts to the Metropolis. Whence it feemed good that he fhould have the Precedency in Honour; and that the other Bishops fhould do nothing of great moment without him (as an old Canon which we received from our Fathers has determined) only in fuch matters as particu larly belong to each Diocefe and the places fubject to it. For every Bishop has power in his own Diocefe, to administer to every one in matters of Religion, and to take care of the Country Subject to his City. That he may alfo ordain Priests and Deacons, and do all things appertaining to his Jurifdiction with Judgement: But let him proceed no further without the Metropolitan Bishop, neither let the Metropolitan do any thing, without the confent of the reft.

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Fourthly,

Fourthly, The Metropolitan was the Judge of the Bishops of his Province, and of all Ecclefiaftical differences wherein any Provincial Bishop was a Party; yet he was not Judge alone, but in Conjunction with his Synod. This appears from the following Canons. In the Council of Chalcedon, Can. 9. it is decreed,

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That if a Clerk have a Controverfy with his own Bishop, or with any other Bishop, the 'Cause fhall be judged by the Provincial Sy' nod. And another like Decree was made in the fame Council, Can. 17. and in the 74th Apoftolical Canon. The third Council of Carthage, Can. 7. Orders, That the Caufes of Bishops fhall be carried to the Tribunal of the Metropolitan ; but that a Bishop cannot be excluded from Communion for not appearing till one Month after he fhall be cited by the Metropolitans Letters; And if he bring a Lawful excufe for his Abfence, one Month more of delay fhall yet be 'given him: But if he appear not in that time he fhall be excluded from Communion till he be acquitted. And if he be not present at laft at the univerfal Synod which is held every Year, he is to be looked upon as felf condemned. By which Canon it plainly appears that the Metropolitan has a power to cite Bifhops before him and to hear their Causes, but then that the final Determination is to be given in the yearly Synod, where the Bishop is bound to appear, otherwife he cannot be acquitted.

The firft fecond and third Councils of Carthage feem to have decreed fomething different from the Canons already cited. And those Decrees are not only transferred into the African Code or Collection of Canons made by a

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Council at Carthage, A. D. 419. in which Aurelius Bishop of Carthage prefided, and the great St. Auguftine Bishop of Hippo was present, which Collection was annexed to the Code of Canons of the Universal Church by the Council in Trullus, An. 680. in the fecond Canon of which General Council they were confirmed, and confequently made Obligatory over the Eaftern (4) Can. 15. q. 7. Empire: But they are alfo put into (a) Gratian's Collection, made for the ufe of the Weftern Church, and confirmed by the Papal Authority which then extended over all this part of Christendom, and particularly over this Realm. In this African Code then, Can. 12. "Felix the Bishop faid, Let it be determined according to what has been decreed by the ancient Synods, that if any Bishop (which God forbid) fhall fall into a Crime, and it fo happen that many cannot be convened together, that he may not continue Criminal, let him be tried by twelve Bishops, and a Presbyter by fix together with his own Bishop, and a • Deacon by three. But it is to be confidered that this order for the Trial of a Bishop or Inferiour Clerk, is not to take place but where many cannot be convened together, that is where a Synod cannot be holden, (for at that time the Incurfions of the Barbarous Nations frequently hindred the meeting of Synods) and then it is only permitted for the Bishops fake that is accufed, that he may not continue a Criminal, and fo be contemned of his own People whilft he lies under an Accufation, as Balfamon obferves. So that this does not alter the Conftitutions already mentioned, only makes provifion for a particular Cafe. And therefore Balfamo further tells us in his Comment

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