their Councils abridged. 123 of heretical and rejectedBooks are named : Eighteen pretended to be by or, of force Apoftles, and Inch other : And among others the Hiftory of Eufebius (yet beforeapproved, unlefs here he mean only de vita Conti.) The Works of Tertuflian, La£tantiur, Arnebiiu, Clemens Alexand. Africa- nus, Catante, ViEiorinus PiEEtay. Faultier Rhegtenf. crc. Of the Canonof Scripture Bilhop Coufns hath collected the true Hiftory from greater An- tiquity. S. 6;. CXLI. Vitalis and Mifenus, the Popes Legates at Confiantinople, having beenExcommunicated for Communicating with Acacias, &c. Pita- lis dyedfo, but after eleven years Mifenon repented, and was abfolved by a Council of 55 Bifhops: (might not the Pope alone have done it? ) S. 64. CXLII. You have heard before how Feflus got Laurentisu the Arch-presbyter chofenPope at Rome, andmore chofe Symmachus : Meade- rickan Arian being King was jult, and had fo much wit as to pleafe the Clergy while his Kingdom was unfettled. The Pope, under his prote- ction, excommunicated bothEmperour and Patriarch ofConftantinople, for Communicating with Hereticks but he never excommunicated Meade- rick_at borne, though an Arian: Therewas reafon for it : Intereft is fuch mens Law. But while the Schifm between Symmachus and Laurentius di- vided theSenate, the Clergy, and the People, five or fix feveralCouncils are called at Rome, moftly to heal this rupture : For at firlt the Laurenti- .ans laid force Crimes to the charge of Symmachus; and when the Coun- cils would not. cast himout, they fell to rapine, violence, and bloodfhed, many being killed, and all in confufion : So that it was work enough in threeyears for.King and Council to end the Schifm. 1. 65. CXLIII. When the Arian Perfecution abated in Africa, Thra- famundus the King, contriving which way to root out the Orthodox with- out violence; he commanded that when any Bilhop dyed, no other should be ordained in their places. Hereupon the Nonconformifts feeing the Churches like todecay, ann. ,504. held a Synod, in which they de- creed that though they fuffered death for it they would go on, and or- dain, and do their Office concluding that either the mind of the King would be mollified, or. elfe they fhould have the Crown of Martyrdom. This is called:,Concilium Byzaccnnm. 5. 66. Pt is greatly to be noted, that many following Councils in Spain, France, and other parts of Europe, which were held under the Gothifh n Kings, were more pious and peaceable than the tell fore -defcribed. The Reafons feem to me to be there : i. Thefe Kings being conquering Ari- ens, the Bithopsdurit not damn them for Herelie, for fear of their own necks; and fo were greatly reftrained from the hereticating work of Councils. 2. Thefe Kings having a narrower Donin on than the Em- It z pire,
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