years from the year 251 to the year 256 inclufive, to confider the Cafe of the Lapfed, and to condemn Feliciffimus a Schifmatick; to reconcile the Lapfed before their time of Penance was fully compleated in a Cafe of urgent neceffity; to determine the Cafe of Infant Baptifm, to fhew that it was not necessary or expedient to defer the Baptizing of them to the eight day, as was the Cuftom of the Jews for their Circumcifion; to receive Felix and Sabinus two Spanish Bifhops into Communion, who had been ordained in the room of Bifilides and Martialis which were depofed for Sacrificing to Idols; to determine the Cafe of Baptism conferred by Hereticks; upon which account three Synods were held foon after one another. The happiness of the Church to enjoy St. Cyprian's Works entire gives us a pretty compleat understanding of the Difcipline of the Church for his time, efpecially in Africa, and the Correspondence and Communion which he held with the Bishops of the other Provinces of the Empire to whom he Wrote, and front whom he received many Epiftles is a Teftimony that the fame Government of the Church by Bishops and Synodical Meetings was obferved in all Parts of the Chriftian World at that time, tho' for want of the Records of other Churches we cannot give account of fo many Synods held in them during this Age as we may in Africa, (a) where alfo we find another cypr. Epift. 59. Synod to have been held of Ninety nine Bifhops, An. 240. before any of the abovementioned Synods were holden by St. Cyprian, in which Privatus the Heretick was condemned: Yet from the flender Accounts ftill remaining of other Churches in this early Age, we do (i) Baluz. Nov. Collect. p. 15. Cod. 118. ་ meet with feveral Synods that were held in feveral Places, fome earlier and fome later than St. Cyprian's Councils. (b) An. 230. A Synod was held at Alexandria under Demetrius in the Cafe of Origen confifting of several Bishops and Priests, (c) as Pamphilus the Martyr tells us, where it was decreed that Origen fhould be driven from Alexandria, and not be fuffered to teach there any more, but that he should not be deprived (d) Eufeb. lib. 6. Of the Dignity of the Priesthood. (d) An. C. 33. (e) Epiphan. (f) Eufeb. 1. 6. C. 46. (a) Eufeb. 1. 7 243. A Synod was held at Boftra in Arabia, wherein the Opinion of Beryllus Bishop of that place was condemned, who had erred with relation to the Divinity of our Saviour: Origen, tho' but a Presbyter had a place in this Council, and difputed against Beryllus and reduced him from his Error. (e) An. 245. Noetus of Ephefus taught feHans. 57. p. 479 veral Heretical Doctrines, and being strangely puffed up with Pride called himself Mofes and his Brother Aaron, whereupon he was condemned by a Synod of that place. (f) An. 252. Fabian Bishop of Antioch called a Synod, but dying before it affembled his Succeffor Demetrianus held it, wherein Novatian was condemned. (a) An. 258. or before Firmilian Bifhop of Cefarea in Cappodocia held a Synod, in which it was decreed that Hereticks fhould not be received into the Church without Rebaptization. And about the fame time, and on the fame occafion, another Synod was held at Synnada. (b) An. 251. A Council was held at Rome for reftoring the Lapfed to the Communion of the Church, in which (c) Novatian alfo was condemned: This Synod confifted of fixty Bishops, as many Presbyters at least, and feveral Deacons. (6) Cypr. Epift. 55. (e) Eufeb. 1.6. € 35. Thus Thus we fee from matter of Fact that in this third Age of the Church the beginning of which was within an hundred years of the Apostles days, there were feveral Synods held in feveral parts of the World, as Afia, Africa, Egypt, Arabia and Rome, before there was any Chriftian Prince or Emperour to convene any of them. Which is an evident Token that the Univerfal Church conceived they had an Authority from Chrift to hold fuch Meetings or Synods, and that the Magistrate had no more Authority to forbid fuch Affem blies than any other Christian Assemblies whatsoever. But fome perhaps will fay that admitting the Church to have a Right to fuch Synods occafionally, yet this is no Argument for any ftated Affemblies of this kind. And indeed if we had nothing but Fact to fhew for this Matter it might appear to be fo: Because the Memoirs that are tranfinitted to us of this early Age of the Chriftian Church are fo few, that we cannot from matters of Fact prove that Synods were conftantly held at ftated Times. in all Places, tho' from St. Cyprian's Works it appears as if they were at leaft annually held in the Church of Carthage during his time: But as to other parts of the Church we can only find that here and there feveral Councils were held in this Century. However this will not prove that they were held only occafionally,because the Memoirs tranfmitted to us are but Fragments, and cannot give us a full continued History of that Age. Nevertheless from the little Scanty Remains we have of this Century it appears that the Church at least thought that Provincial Synods ought to be stated Affemblies, and not merely Occafional. For in the (d) Ar ftolica ftolical Canons (which Bishop Beveridge in his Annotations on them, and in his Codex Canonum Vindicatus, has proved were at latest made before the end of this third Century, and when there was no Chriftian Prince) it was decreed, that A Synod of Bishops fhould be holden twice every Year, once in the fourth Week before Whitfontide, and again upon the twelfth of October: And that therein they should examine matters of Religion, and determine fuch Ecclefiaftical matters as should be brought before them. And can we fuppofe in that pure uncorrupt Age of Christianity, whilft the frequent Perfecutions made the Governours of the Church very careful to preferve the ftricteft Ecclefiaftical Difcipline in order to keep it undefiled, that they would have ordered fuch ftated Affemblies of neighbouring Bishops if they had not conceived they had full power from our Saviour and his Apoftles to meet and determine matters Synodically, or had imagined that they could not hold fuch Councils without the confent of the Civil Magistrate? Is it to be thought that they would make fuch an Encroachment on the Temporal Authority at a time when all the Magiftrates of the Empire watched for all opportunities to find occasion to opprefs and perfecute them? How could they boast of their Loyalty to the Emperor as the Apologists of that Age fo frequently do, if they thought it any ufurpation upon his Authority to hold ftated Councils? And yet It must have been an ufurpation upon the Imperial Power if neither Christ nor his Apostles had Authorized fuch Affemblies: If they had not a Divine Warrant to meet Synodically. Now it is plain from matter of Fact that they did did meet fo in all parts of Christendom. And it is manifeft from this Canon that they thought it very expedient they should have stated times for these meetings. From whence we may conclude that they judged the Power which Christ left with his Church to hear and determine Controverfies between Brother and Brother, that is between one Christian and another was a fufficient Warrant to Authorise the Governours or Bishops of the Church to affemble together and meet in Synod, not only occafionally, but at stated times, that fuch as were offended might know when and where to apply themselves for redress. Contra. Crefcon. 1. 3. c. 27. In the beginning of the fourth Century, even before Conftantine came to the Empire, at least before he openly profefs'd Christianity or concern'd himself in the Affairs of the Church, we have an account of feveral Ecclefiaftical Councils. As An. 305. (a) A Council was (4) Concil. held at Eliberis in Spain to reftore the Difci- Tom. I. p. 967. pline of the Church, in which were present 19 Bishops, (amongst which was Ofius of Cor duba, who prefided afterwards in the Council of Nice) and 26 Presbyters. (b) Another was (6) Augustin.` held about the fame time at Cirta the Metropolis of Numidia, to confider the Cafe of the Traditors, or fuch as had delivered up their Bibles in the time of the Dioclefian Perfecution. (c) And in the year 306. A Synod was held at (e) Baluz. Nov. Alexandria, by Peter the Bishop of that Church, Col. p. 21, 22, in which Meletius the Bishop of Lycopolis was depofed for many Crimes, particularly for having Sacrificed to Idols. (d) And An. 311. Ibid. A Synod was held at Carthage, in which Cacilian was Confecrated Bishop of that See by Felix Bishop of Aptungis in the room of Men- V 3 furius |