feveral Princes to which they were fubject, fuppofing the Princes to be Infidel as they were before the time of Conftantine? By no means I would not maintain any fuch Doctrine. The thing it felf is impracticable, and it would be ridiculous to attempt it. Chriftians have an undoubted Right to meet together in fome publick place to Worship God, and are obliged to do fo. But all Chriftians have not any Obligation to meet together in one and the fame Place, nor a Right to fit in every Parish-Church of the Kingdom. We are all locally diftinguished and feparated one from another, and therefore our meetings for Religious Worship must be with our Neighbourhood. And long Custom and Prescription has determined within what Districts every Neighbourhood is to be limited by the Boundaries of particular Parifhes as to the Presbyter, and of Diocefes as to the Bishop with whom they are to communicate. Which Boundaries it is allowed are of Humane Inftitution, and may be altered by the Civil Power. But it does not follow from thence that the Civil Power can wholly take away all meetings for Religious Worship, and forbid their Subjects to affemble for that purpofe. They may determine how far each Neighbourhood fhall extend, but they cannot without abufing their Authority forbid any one Neighbourhood to meet together for Divine Worship. And thus is it with relation to Synodical Affemblies, not all the Bishops of the World are obliged to affemble in one place upon this occafion, but only the Neighbouring Bishops and their Presbyters. And here alfo long Custom and Prescription has determined who are to be esteemed Neighbouring Bishops by fettling

fettling the Boundaries of Provinces under their feveral Metropolitans. Now altho' thefe Boundaries be of Humane Inftitution, and may therefore be altered by the Supreme Legeflative Authority of any State, yet cannot the Right or Obligation of Neighbouring Bishops to affemble Synodically be taken away. Those that live within the fame Province, let it be greater or lefs, muft have a Right to affemble together Synodically. And the Civil Power can no more take away this Right than they can that of each Neighbourhood with regard to their meetings for Religious Worship. Such as these were all the Synods of the Christian Church before Conftantine. It is true that the Apoftolical Synod did probably contain all the Bishops then in the Christian Church, but the reafon of that was because the Church was then but fmall and confifted only of Neighbouring Bifhops; and is no more a Precedent for all the Bishops of the World to affemble in one Synod, than all Chriftians meeting together in one place of Religious Worship, whilft the Church confifted but of about (a) 120 Perfons can be a Precedent for (4) A&t. 1.15. all Chriftians to meet fo now. That and other Affemblies mentioned in Scripture are good Precedents to convince all Chriftians that they ought not to (b) forfake the affembling themselves (4) Heb, 10, 25• together, as the manner of fome is: But lays no Obligation on the whole Chriftian Church to meet in one place now, because it did so then. So this Apoftolical Synod is a good Precedent to fhew that Neighbouring Bifhops ought fometimes to meet Synodically and have a Right fo to do, but not that all the Bishops in the World fhould do fo now, because they

did

(c) Mat. 18. 17. &c,

did fo at that time when they were but few and all near together.

It is then these Provincial Councils or Synodical Meetings of Neighbouring Bishops, which I conceive (as well as Diocefan Synods of which I have already treated) to be of Divine Right, and to have Authority by our Saviour's own Precept to hear and determine Controverfies and order other matters proper for their Cognifance. Our Saviour's Precept is (c) if thy Brother fhall trefpafs against thee go tell him his fault between thee and him alone: if he shall hear thee, thou haft gained thy Brother. But if he neg lect to hear thee, then take with thee one or two more, that in the mouth of two or three Witnesses every Word may be Established. And if he neglect to hear them tell it unto the Church: And if he neglect to hear the Church, let him be unto thee as an Heathen Man and a Publican. Verily I Say unto you, what fuever ye fhall bind on Earth, fhall be bound in Heaven: And whosoever ye shall loofe on Earth fhall be loofed in Heaven: Again, I fay unto you, that if two of you fhall agree on Earth, as touching any thing that they shall ask, it shall be done for them of my Father which is in Heaven. For where two or three are gathered together in my name there am I in the midst of them. It is plain from this place that Chrift gave a Power to his Church to determine Controverfies which might arise between one Chriftian and another. For he plainly distinguishes the Brother from the Heathen and Publican. The Trefpafs here fpoken of can be no matter of Right or Wrong, of Meum and Tuum, for those were matters he gaye no power to the Church to (d) Joh. 20. 21. determine: (d) For he gave his Apostles and their Succeflars no other Power than that

which they had received of the Father, and to determine matters of Civil Cognifance was no part of that Power, as appears from his own Words to the Man that defired him to speak to his Brother to divide the Inheritance with him: To whom his Answer was, (e) Man who (e) Luke 12. 14. made me a Judge or a Divider over you? The Trefpafs therefore here spoken of must be of fuch a nature as the Spiritual Rulers ought to take notice of pro falute Anime and no other. In fuch a Cafe then if private Admonitions fail the last resort is to the Church, by which I have already fhewed is meant the Bishop and his College of Presbyters in the first place. Our Saviour does not indeed upon this occafion command that thofe whom he appointed Governours of his Church fhould meet upon this occafion, but his Precept plainly fuppofes 'em to be a Sitting Court not appointed for this purpose only, but meeting together at proper Seafons from time to time to confult of the Affairs of the Church. So that the words tell it to the Church, are a plain Indication that he would fo conftitute it that the Governours thereof might frequently meet and fit to confult concerning fuch matters as related to their Duty and Charge.

(a) Thus as I have fhewed in the Apoftoli- () Supr. ch. 6. cal Age and downwards in the primitive Church and fo on, the Bishop and his Presbyters fate in their College or Chapter to confult and order matters relating to their particular Charge.

But because matters fometimes happened wherein more than a fingle Diocefe was concerned, in fuch Cafes the Neighbouring Bihops met together and formed a larger Synod.

And

And these Synods are no lefs necessary to make our Saviour's Precept practicable than the former. For fuppofe a Bishop gave offence to his Church by a Scandalous Life or by Heretical Doctrine, where should they refort for Redrefs of this Grievance? His own Presbyters could not judge him, because they were his Inferiours: Another fingle Bishop could not do it because he was no more than an Equal. But an Affembly of Equals has a natural Right over any of their Body. That the Law of Christ therefore might be equal to all and no one exempted from the Judgement of his Church, his Precept plainly implies that there fhould be alfo a College of Bishops as well as of Presbyters who fhould have a Right to meet at proper Seasons to fettle and determine fuch matters as Diocefan Synods could not be so proper Judges of. Our Saviour's Precept, as Lobferved before, does not command fuch Affemblies, but it evidently implies that there ought to be fuch, to whom tho' met upon other occafions, Applications of this nature may be made. So that the hearing Controverfies is not the only occafion for their meeting, for our Saviour evidently fuppofes them to be fitting on fome other occafion before the Controverfy is brought before 'em: He fuppofes them to be met together in his name, that is to ferve him and his Church, and thereupon promises to be in the midst of them. Thus as I have fhewed the Apostles met to fettle the matter of Circumcifion, and in the following Age the neighbouring Bishops feveral times affembled about the affairs of the Church: And as Bifhop Beveridge has learnedly proved in his Annotations on his Pandecta Canonum, and in his Codex Canonim