Bishops of Sicily to meet them in Synod. The Words in Baluzius are, Qui omnium qui per Siciliam erant Epifcoporum Synodum exorantes. I fhall not trouble my felf to examine whether the Account we have of this Council be real and genuine, it is fufficient that it is a very Ancient Opinion that the firft Synods in the Church were Affembled in the manner I fuppofe them to have been. And if this Council was forged by any one Elder than St. Hilary (for we cannot charge the Forgery on him) it is a Proof that in that early Age of the Church the received Opinion was, that the Primitive Councils Aflembled at the Defire of those who had Matters of Confequence to offer to them before they were fettled in Provincial Synods under the Metropolitans. But a long Prefcription of Fifteen Hundred Years or more, has now fixed them upon that Foot, and it is very reasonable they fhould fo continue. And as the Neighbouring Bishops have a Divine Right to meet in Synod, fo long Prefcription has fettled that Right in Provincial Synods.

Having thus, I truft, fufficiently proved the Divine Right of the Church to Provincial Synods or Meetings of the Neighbouring Bishops, I fhall now confider of what Perfons the Synods were compofed. And I conceive the Authoritative Part of thefe Meetings was compofed of the Rennet of Ec- Bishops and Presbyters: Notwithstanding the elet. Synods. p. Learned Gentleman before mentioned is pleaf

ed to fay, That Presbyters were not always an authoritative part of Provincial Councils; but were occafional Attendants and arbitrary Affiftants only to their refpective Bishops. From whence it has fince been inferred by feveral, that the Presbyters of the Church of England enjoy a Right in

Provincial

Provincial Synods which no Presbyters ever had before them: And it feems of late Years to have been received as a current Doctrine which could not be gain-faid. But this Gentleman has taken care to put the Word, alway, into his Position, becaufe if he can then find fome few Councils to have been held without Presbyters he is fafe, tho' it be in the latter Ages of the Church. But my Business is not to enquire into the Practice of latter Ages, but to fhew that the Conftitution of our Church is agreeable to the Primitive and Pureft Ages of Chriftianity, wherein I hope to prove that Presbyters were an Authorative part of Provincial Councils, and not occafional Attendants and arbitrary Affiftants to their respective BiShops.

And first as to the Apoftolical Synod, it is Acts. 15.6, as evident that the Presbyters made an Authoritative part of it as it is that the Apostles themfelves did fo. For the Words are, The Apofles and Elders came together for to confider of this Matter. It is true, the Brethren alfo or the Laity were prefent in the Synod, and gave their Approbation to its Decrees, but it does not appear that they were called thither to confult or confider of the Matter, which the Text fays as well the Elders as the Apoftles met to do, but they were allowed to be prefent at the Debate, that by feeing and hearing the Grounds upon which the Synodical Refolutions were framed, they might be fatisfied with the Juftness of them and more readily receive them. From this time to St. Cyprians Age, we have fo flender an Account of the Synods that were held, that we cannot pofitively fay whether Presbyters fate in all of them or not, but in fuch

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Baluz Nov.

Epift. 31.

as we have any more than a general Account of, we find that Presbyters fate in them, as well as the Bishops. Thus in the Alexandrian Synod Col. Concil. p. 15. Which Demetrius the Bishop of that See Summoned for the Condemnation of Origen, A. D. 230, we find the Presbyters made a part of it. But in St. Cyprian's Epiftles, which give us the best Account of the Conftitution of the Church in that Age, we find that Synods were held as near as might be after the Precedent set them by the Apostles, viz. † A Con fultation of Bishops, Presbyters, Deacons and Confeffors, the People standing by them. The Words are, Collatione Confiliorum cum Epifcopis, Presby teris, Diaconis, Confefforibus, Pariter ac Stantibus Laicis facta. This is the Account which the Clergy of Rome give to St. Cyprian of the Synod which they held even when they had no Bishop of their own in order to the Restoration of the Lapfed, that is, of those who thro' Fear and Weakness had denied the Falth in time of Perfecution. That the Presbyters fate in Council with the Bishops in the Church of Africa as well as that of Rome, we learn from St. Cyprian's own Words, where he says, Ego&Collegemei qui Prafentes aderant, & Compre:byteri Noftri qui Nobis affidebant. I and my Collegues which were Prefent, and our Fellow-Presbyters, which fate with us. And that they did not barely fit there, but alfo judged and determined with the Bishops appears from what he writes to Quintus, concerning the Baptifm of Hereticks. De quare quid nuper in concilio plurimi coepifcopi cum Compresbyteris qui aderant cenfuerimus, ut fcires, &c. Concerning which matter that you may know what many of us Fellow-Bishops with our Fellom-Presbyters have determined, &c. By which

*EpiA 66.

Epift. 71.

it

it appears, that the Presbyters were admitted to have deliberative decifive Votes in this Matter as well as the Bishops. For the Verb Cenfere determine plainly relates to the Fellow-Presbyters as well as to the Fellow-Bishops.

It must however be acknowleded that St. Epift. ss. Cyprian does fpeak of Synods of Bishops without any notice taken of the Presbyters: As particularly of a Synod of Ninety Bishops, wherein Privatus was condemned, and of another Synod of Nine Bishops, wherein the fame Privatus with his Companions Jovinus and Maximus and Fortunatus were also condemned. But then it must be confidered that this was in a Cafe wherein it must be confeffed that it was by no means proper that Presbyters fhould Judge or Determine. Thefe Conncils were Affembled to judge Bishops, at least fuch as called and esteemed themfelves to be fuch, and had been Schifmatically confecrated to that Function. And I conceive it must be allowed that Inferiors, even a whole Body of them, cannot judge a Superior. These Men therefore, fome of them at least, pretending to be Bishops could not be judged by an Inferior Order, for that would have been contrary to natural Reason. And yet the Bishops would not want the assistance of their Presbyters even in this Cafe, they were present there to be confulted with upon occafion, and to give their Approbation. For thus St. Cyprian expresses himself, Si eorum qui de illis priore anno judicaverunt, numerus cum Presbyteris & Diaconis computetur, Plures tunc offuerunt Judicio & Cognitioni, quam funt iidem ifti, qui cum Fortunato nunc videntur effe conjuncti. If we compute number of those that paffed the Judgment upon them Y 4

the

the

the laft Year, with the Presbyters and Deacons, there were more prefent at that Judgement and Trial, than now seem to be in the whole Party of Fortunatus. Now if the Presbyters and Deacons had nothing to do at this Trial but to fee and hear as bare Spectators, what St. Cyprian here fays is impèrtinent. His Defign plainly was to fhew that Fortunatus had more prefent at his Trial, and joined in his Condemnation than he had Followers the fubfequent Year, therefore if the Presbyters and Deacons had not confultive Votes fo as to be asked their Opinion and declare their Approbation, what fignifies his mentioning them more than the Crowd of People too, which are commonly prefent at all Trials. It makes nothing to the Merits of a Caufe whether there be more or fewer prefent at a Trial, if they be only fuch as have nothing to do there but to fee and hear. But it is Material to those whom the Judges fhall think fit to confult with, and whofe Approbation they fhall require are many. However it is allowed they did not Judge, and I think it is plain enough from St. Cyprian that they did not, for he fays Privatus was condeinned Sententia nonaginta Epifcoporum By the Sentence of Ninery Bishops; and Fovinus and Maximus, &c. by the Sentence of Nine Bishops. Yet he afterwards plainly intimates a concurrence of the Presbyters and Deacons as adding a weight to the Sentence, which I think it could not do if they were not confulted with and their Approbation asked.

From thefe Paffages which I have mentioned, it appears that in St. Cyprian's Days the Presbyters and Deacons met in Council with the Bishops; that in matters of Discipline as was

the