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tO
mortal Difcord,
on
pretence of being the
only :
way
to
Concord. Chrifi only is the Head, the
King, and Law-giver, and·Judge of the whole
World: The Law of Nature, and facred infpired
Apofrolical Scriptures, are his only Univerfal
' Law. Pafiors by the Word, and Princes by the
Sword (conjoyned where it may be) rule . under
him only in their feveral Provinces.. God made
the largenefs of the Roman Empire a Receptive
Means of the happy propagation of Chrifiianity..
Mans nature is prone to felfiibnefs and ambition :
By ·degrees thofe humours, and the Wifdom of
theWorld, conformed the Epifcopal Government
to the Civil, and made thofe Bifl1ops higheft, who
dwelt in the Cities where the Secular Rulers were
highefl:. The Churches had before ufed to ferve
God in Concord, and to Affemble for Confulta–
tion when Concord required
it.
The Emperors
therefore exalted the great Bi!bops, not to Go–
vern alone, but to prefide in thefe Affemblies.
The
fir
1
fi General
~ouncil
had been called as a ra.
tional means to cure the ibameful threatning Dif-.
cords of the Churches, without the formal.ity of
-any Prefident, fave the Emperor and a temporary
Moderator : But three Patriarchs were foon
fet
up, apd after made five, and other BHhops in dif–
ferent degrees of grandeur : The great and
fha-
, king dangers bred by Religious Faetions, were
ordered to be .decided by Aifemblies pf Biiliops,
when ,changes were made in the Cities of
the
Empire, the Rule of conforming the Church
to
the Civil Gov.ernment bred a competition
be–
tween
Rome
and
Conffantinople,
becaufe of the
tranllating
of
the Imperial Seat.
Th-
grew
l~igher
an'ct higher; and whenever
any Em
perm·
B
2
·
.
of