POWER OF CENSURE BELONGED TO SYNODS. 299 committed them to the metropolitan's charge ; for they have most prudently and justly discerned, that all matters whatsoever ought to be determined in the places where they first begin, and that the grace of the Holy Spirit would not be wanting to every particular province."1 The same law was enacted by the synod of Antioch, by the synods of Constantinople, Chalcedon, &c.' Thus was Paulus Samosatenus, for his error against the divinity of our Lord, and for his scandalous demeanour, deposed (anno 269) by the synod of Antioch. Thus was Eustathius, bishop of Antioch (being accused of Sabellianism andofother faults), removed bya synod of the sameplace; the which sentence he quietlybore.' Thus another Eusta- thius,bishop of Sebastia, for hisuncouth garb and fond conceits against marriage, was discarded by the synod of Gangra. Thus a synod of Constantinople abdicated Marcellus, bishop of Ancyra, for heterodoxy on the point concerning our Lord's divinity. For the like cause was Photinus, bishop of Sirmium, deposed by a synod there, "gathered by the emperor's command." So was Athanasius tried and condemned (although unjustly, as to the matter and cause) by the synod of Tyre. So was St Chrysostom (although most injuriously) deposed bya synod at Constantinople. So the bishops at Antioch, according to the em- peror's order, deposed Stephanus, bishop of that place, for a wicked contrivance against the fame of Euphratas and Vincentius.' In all these condemnations, censures, and depositions of bishops, whereof each was of high rank and great interest in the church, the bishop of Rome had no hand, nor so much as a little finger. All the proceedings went on supposition of the rule and laws that such judgments were to be passed by synods. 2. 'In some case a kind of deposing of bishops was assumed by particular bishops, as defenders of the faith and executors of canons ;8 their deposition consisting in not allowing those to be bishops whom, for erroneous doctrine or disorderly behaviour, notoriously incurred, they deemed incapable of the office, presuming their places, ipso facto, void.' 1 Decreta Nicene sive inferioris gradus elericos, sive ipsos episcopos suis metropoli- tanis apertissime commiserunt: prudentissime enim justissimeque viderunt quacun- que negotia in suis lode ubi orta sunt finienda; nec unicuique provincia gratiam S. Spiritus defuturam. Syn. Afr., 8p. adP. Celest. I. 3 Syn. Ant., can. xv. 9 liauxñ .rñv ouxogay.ríav 4vnyxd. Soz. ii. 9. 4 Euseb. vii. 30; Socr. i. 24, ii. 43; Soz. iii. 14; Socr. i. 36, ii. 29, i. 2S; Theod. 5 Hac § cumiv. jungenda. [That is, " This paragraph to be joinedwith paragraph 4," evidently a private mark of the author, indicating his intention of making some alteration in the arrangement of the matter. En.] 6 St Chrysostom bcxaorivrs ivriasí'rous xaAtixcv, " deposed fifteen bishops."Act. xi., Syn. Chafe. p. 411. 7 rrvo.ozó ¿,n aáó5; zaûoX.Sis izz%sioias áxonZytgrov Eival ecawróv, xai avnvhy5to, Grp;; way óroüv rîu,, i>r aiAavría; Celest. in Nest. Sent. Tph. Act. p. 195.
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