tution. Here's an Election and Ordination in one certain Place, in a general Assembly of the Church, Confultation with, and Applaufe of all the People in it; and yet, our learn, ed Enquirer is very well affur'd, (I doubt not) that there were many Congregations in the Church of Rome at that Time; and therefore what Proof fuch Arguments can be, that there were no more than one in S. Cy prian's Time, I fhall leave to himself to judge. But can a Bishop write a publick Gratula tory Letter in his own Name, and in the Name of all his Fraternity, as our Enquirer obferves S. Cyprian did to Lucius, Bishop of Rome, and not have all the Fraternity, i.e. all the People of his Diocese present with him? Yes furely, in the Senfe S. Cyprian meant,he may; for if all the People of his own Diocese were met together at the fending that Letter, then all the People of many other Diocefes, and probably of his whole Province, were affembled together for it too: For his Words are, † land my Collegues, and all the Fraternity, fend this Letter to you. Now Collegues, in S. Cyprian's Language, I think is unquestionably underftood of Fellow-Bishops, and given by him to no other Order of Ecclefiafticks whatfoever; so that all the Fraternity, fubjoin'd to them, does most properly mean, that they and their Churches (as the Occafion did require) fent unanimous Congratulations to the bleffed Confeffor * Enquiry. p. 25. Fraternitas omnis. Cypr. Ep. 58. § 2. or Ep. 61. Edit. Oxon. + Ego & college, & fraternitas omnis, has ad vos literas mittimus. Cypr. ib. feffor Lucius, fo lately return'd from Banish ment. If this be thought no clear Construction of the Place, let us compare it with the Synodical Epistle of the Council of Antioch, (from whence our Enquirer himself here quotes another Authority to the like Purpose:) The Bishops in that Council writing to Dionyfius, Bishop of Rome, and Maximus, Bishop of Alexandria, first prefix'd their own Names to the Epiftle, and then join with them, the Churches of God alfo; that is, unquestionably, the Churches they prefided over, who jointly with them fent. Greeting, and concurr'd in the Account they there give of Paulus Samofatenus's Cafe; and do we think the whole Dioceses of those feveral Bishops were perfonally prefent with them in that Council? That wou'd make it fuch a Synod as is furely without Example, and I think beyond Imagination. Certainly Bishops, or the chief Magiftrates of any Society or Corporation, may in Confiftory or Council, write Letters of a publick Importance in the Name of the Society or Body they relate to, without convening or polling all the individual Members of it: And their Reading of Letters of fuch publick Concern to their numerous People, (which is another Argument our learned | Enquirer infifts upon) is better accounted for in fuch an obvious Senfe as this is, than he will ever account for King f Jofiah's Καὶ δι * ΕλενΘ, καὶ ὙποιΘ, και Θεόφιλο λοιποὶ πάντες οι στὸ ἡμῖν παροικῖνες τὰς ἐγγὺς πό λεις κι ἔθνη Ἐπίσκοποι καὶ Πρεσβύτεροι και Διάκονοι, καὶ ὡς Ἐκκλησίαι Θεῖ ἀγαπητοῖς, &c. — χαίρειν. Eng. p. 24. San&tiffimæ atque amplitimæ plebi legere. Cypr. Ep. 55. or in Oxf. Edit. 59. + 2 Kings xxiii. 2. Fofiah's reading the Book of the Covenant in the Ears of all the Men of Judah, and all the Inhabitants of Jerufalem, in his own literal and ftrain'd Senfe of fuch Expreffions. So that the Triumph, in the Clofe of this Head, might as well have been in fofter Words, at leaft; for 'tis pretty much to fay, (for no better Reasons than thefe) that a Primitive Diocese could not poffibly be more than one fingle Congregation. There are fome few Quotations amongst the reft in this Place, which urge the Neceffity of all the People's Prefence indeed, upon Account of the Part and Right they All had to judge of any Offence that was brought before the Confiftory of the Church; but those will be more properly confider'd in the following Chapters, where they are repeated to us again, and offer'd as undeniable Proofs of fuch a Right and Practice in the Primitive Church. In the mean time, I can't but fay, 'tis furprizing to fee, how often the fame Quotations are brought over and over again in this fhort Enquiry, to ferve the different Ends of it, and make it appear a Work of great Variety of Reading, and ftrongly fupported by Primitive Authority for it. We have a pregnant Inftance of this, in the four next Pages before us, which are from Pag. 27. to Pag. 31. Our Author had gleaned (as we have feen already) all the short Phrases in S. Ignatius's Epistles,that he thought gave any Countenance to his Hypothefis, and offer'd them at once to prove his general Propofition: (These we had at Pag. 17. to Pag. 21.) And now he gives gives us them all again by Retail, and ap plies the felf-fame Quotations by Piece-meals, to prove, that each of those Churches S. Ignatius wrote to, were meer Congregational Churches, and no more. This makes the Bulk of Authority look great indeed, but adds not one Grain of Weight to it; and therefore the Reader will excufe me, (I know) if I take no more Notice of his repeated Arguments here about one Altar, one Eucharift, one Prayer for the whole Church; that the Bishop took one common Care of them all; that nothing must be done without the Bishop; that all must assemble together in one Place, and the like. By which Repetitions he here labours feparately to prove, that the Diocefes of Smyrna, Ephefus, Magnesia, Philadel phia, and Trallium, were fuch fort of Churches as he contends for. The Strength of all thofe Arguments, I conceive, I have fairly try'd already; and 'tis much there should scarcely be one new one found to make any of thofe five eminent Churches bear a clear Testimony for him, when he took the Pains to confider each of them fingly, and one by one. 'Tis true, to make the Diocese of Smyrna appear fuch, he adds a fhort Clause or two; (omitted before) 1ft, That the Bishop of that Church could know his whole Flock perfonally by their Names. So he tranflates the Place, tho' S. Ignatius's Words have no fuch Affirmation in them, * Eng. p. 27. Εξ ονόμα] πάνας ζήτει. Εp. ad Polycarp. p. 13. them, but are only a plain Advice to S. Polycarp to do what the Primitive Bishops always did, that is, to keep the Names of every Member of his Church enroll'd in what the Ancients call'd the Matricula of their Church; the Occafion of the Words imply it to be fo: He juft before befought S. Polycarp† not to neglect the Widows of the Church; and immediately after, defires him § not to overlook so much as the MenServants and Maid-Servants in it; and in the midst of this (as a Means fo to know the Quality, Number, and Condition of his Diocese) advifes him to enquire out all by Name, that is, to get fuch a Register of their Names, that upon Occafion of any Object of Charity propos'd to him, of any Complaint or Application made to him about any within his Cure or Jurifdiction, or in cafe of Apoftacy, or Perfeverance in Time of Perfecution, or the like; by means of this general Matricula, he (as the other Bishops did) might more directly know how the Cafe ftood with them. And which was more than all this, the Names thus entred. in this facred Record were perfonally entitled Then to all the publick Interceffions and Spiritual Bleffings obtain'd by the Euchariftical Prayers, Oblations, and Sacraments of the whole Church; and to have their Names blotted out of this, was a conftant Effect of Excommunication, and was dreaded by all that had † Χήραν μὴ ἀμελείπωσαν. Εp. ad Polyc. p. 12. ὑπερηφάνει. Ib. p. 13. |