THE ORIENTAL CHURCHES OPPOSEDHIS ENCROACHMENTS. 221 elected in their dioceses, leavingbishops to be ordained by the metro- politans in their provincial synods; but he will meddle in the ordina- tion of every bishop, suffering none to be constituted without his confirmation, for which he must soundly pay. The ancient order allowed a patriarch, with the advice and consent of his synod, to make canons for the well-ordering of his diocese ; but he sends about his decretal letters, composed by an infallible secretary, which he pretends must have the force of laws equal to the highest decrees of the whole church. The ancient ordersupposed bishops, by their ordination, sufficiently obliged to render unto their patriarch due observance, according to the canons, he being liable to be judged in a synod for the trans- gression of his duty; but he forces all bishops to take the most slavish oaths of obedience to him that can be imagined. The ancient order appointed that bishops accused for offences should be judged in their provinces, or, upon appeal from them, in patriarchal synods; but he receives appeals at the first hand, and determines them in his court, without calling such a synod in an age for any such purpose. The ancient patriarchs ordered all things, as became good subjects, with leave and under submission to the emperor, who, as he pleased, interposed his confirmation of their sanctions; but this man pretends to decree what he pleases without the leave and against the will of princes. Wherefore he is not a patriarch of the western churches, for that he acts according to no patriarchal rule, but a certain kind of sove- reign lord, or a tyrannical oppressor of them. 11. In all the transactions for modelling the church, there never was allowed to the pope any dominion over his fellow-patriarchs, or those great primates who had assumed that name to themselves; among whom, indeed, for the dignity of his city, he had obtained a priority of honour or place, but never had any power over them settled by a title of law, or by clear and uncontested practice.' Insomuch, that if any of them had erred in faith or offended in practice, it was requisite to call a general synod to judge them; as in the cases of Athanasius, of Gregory Nazianzen and Maximus, of Theophilus and St Chrysostom, of Nestorius and of Dioscorus, is evident. 12. Indeed, all the oriental churches kept themselves pretty free from his encroachments, although, when he had swollen so big in the west, he sometimes took occasion to attempt on their liberty; which they sometimes warily declined, sometimes stoutly opposed. But as to the main, those flourishing churches constantly main- Isid. in Dist. xxi. cap. 1.
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