220 ENCROACHMENTS OF THE POPE. having so winded himself in, and got such hold among them as he would not let go.1 8. It indeed turned to a great advantage of the pope, in carrying on his encroachments and enlarging his worldly interests, that the western churches did not, as the eastern, conform themselves to the political frame in embracing diocesan primacies, which would have engaged and enabled them better to protect the liberties of their . churches from papal invasions.' 9. For hence, for want of a better, the pope claimed to himself a patriarchal . authority over the western churches; pretending a right of calling synods, of meddling in ordinations, of determining causes by appeal to him, of dictating laws and rules to them, against the old rights of metropolitans and the later constitutions for primacies. Of this we have an instance in St Gregory, where he, alleging an imperial constitution, importing that in case a clergyman should ap- peal from his metropolitan, " the cause should be referred to the archbishop and patriarch of that diocese, who, judging according to the canons and laws, should give an end thereto," consequentlyas- sumes an appeal from a bishop to himself, adjoining, " If against these things it be said that the bishop had neither metropolitan nor patriarch, it is to be said that this cause was to be heard and de- cided by the apostolical see, which is the head ofall churches."' 10. Having got such advantage, and, as to extent, stretched his authority beyond the bounds of " his suburbicariau precincts, " he also intended [extended] it in quality far beyond the privileges by any ecclesiastical law granted to patriarchs, or claimed or exercised by any other patriarch; till at length, by degrees, he had advanced it to an exorbitant omnipotency, and thereby utterly enslaved the western churches. The ancient order allowed a patriarch or primate to call a synod of the bishops in his diocese, and with them to determine ecclesiasti- cal affairs by majority of suffrages; but he does not do so, but, setting himself down in his chair, with a few of his courtiers about him, makes decrees and dictates, to which he pretends all must submit. The ancient order alloweda patriarch to ordainmetropolitans duly N. B. A Roman synod, anno 378, consisting of Italian bishops, gave the pope such a privilege as the synod of Constantinople did to the bishop of that see. (Marc. de Primal-. p. 103, ex App. Cod. Theodos. Vide Baron.) But there is difference between a general synod and an Italian synod; and what [right] had an Italian synod to pre- scribe to all the provinces of the Roman empire, or rather of the west? P. Greg. I., Ep. vii. viii. z Balusius thinks that Hilarius of Arles pretended and offered at this primatical power, apud Mare. v. 32; but Pope Leo mainly checked and quashed his attempt. 3 Contra ham si dictum fuerit, quianec metropolitam habuit nec patriarcham; dicen- dem est quia a sede apostolica, qua+ omnium ecclesiarum caput est, causa hme audienda ac dirimenda fuerat.Greg. I., .1 p. xi. 56. RuSn., Hist. i. 6.
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